Coach's Corner

A few questions - who scored more tries than any other team in European Rugby during the 2010/11 Season, who has conceded the least number of tries only behind European Champions Georgia, who is the only team in Europe to have been awarded 4 wining bonus points for the 2010/11 Season - the answer to all these questions is simple - CYPRUS.

Stats are one thing but you cannot take anything away from this emerging rugby nation. We have come a long way since we played our first game against Greece in 2007 and over the last 12 months things have really started to gather momentum.

Following our promotion to ENC Div 2D, we have played some really attractive rugby and sit at the top of the table with 5 wins from 5.

We are gifted with some outstanding players and it was really great to see Andrew Binikos back in a Cyprus shirt coupled with the performances of some his fellow backs Reno Ioannides, George Agathocleous, Marcus Holden and Matt King - just to mention a few.  Highlighting our future prospects, Fidias Efthymiou, Burhan Torgut and Alex Zavallis are all making their mark and all under 21. Whilst it is often the backs that get all the credit for the running style of rugby we are well known for, it would not be possible without the efforts of the forwards.

Players like Dinu Floredan, Christo Kasabi, Lawrence Macrides and Andy Spring are all stalwarts of the team doing exactly what is required of them each time they put the Moufflons shirt on. They work tirelessly in the tight and with ever improving fitness, make admirable contributions in the loose. Their efforts are supplemented by our outstanding back row of Marko Mladenovic, AJ Pugh and Chris Thoma, not the biggest in the world but they make significant contributions in all areas of the playing field. More recently, Chris Dicomidis, Captain of Pontypridd has joined the squad and made an instant impact scoring with his first touch of the ball. I for one look forward to seeing him playing for Cyprus again and with the likes of George Antoniades and Billy Cosma both under 21, the future looks bright.

In the twilight of his career, Dimitri Maratheftis should not escape a mention, having retired last season, a change of heart has seen him work extremely hard on his game and fitness and he is playing some of his best rugby.

Finally, I must applaud the outstanding leadership of the Captain Tony Thoma, always leading from the front, he inspires those around him and now leads the way in 17 appearances for his country; 12 as captain. I really value his contribution and the assistance he provides me on a regular basis.

Behind the scenes, the hard work of our small committee goes much unnoticed but I for one know that without them and those previously involved, we would not be where we are today.  At the working level, the efforts in 2011 of assistant coach "Dougie" Douglas, team manager Theo Lenos and kit manager Derry Hogan must receive sincere and heartfelt thanks for their support to the CRF.

I must also acknowledge the hard work of Nick Bilton, Barrie Hattam and Peter Morrish in preparing our national stadium, the Pafiakos, for all home matches - they never disappoint.

So looking forward to 2012; our player database increases on a monthly basis and we have some really promising leads to follow before we start the next round of training for the spring Internationals.  Another positive point is that we are now starting to attract some young players, so our future prospects are looking bright. This is coupled with promising "home grown" talent starting to play for the Tigers and Crusaders Senior sides. We will try raise the profile of the Cyprus Barbarians (On-Island select) to allow greater exposure for selected players to play at a higher level, although in the planning stages at the moment we have some exciting games to look forward to.

We must continue our efforts to raise the profile of the game through various mediums, it remains every one's responsibility to "shout from the roof-tops" about Cyprus Rugby. We had a great time at the Cyprus Wine Festival in North London in the Summer, where the most common statement was "I didn't know that Cyprus had a rugby team". We have nearly 900 followers on the Facebook page and with the newly launched Twitter account our following increases daily. A special mention must go to Christo Kasabi for his efforts in spreading the word.

Our main priority must remain winning the remaining games in ENC Div 2D with a view to promotion, where the challenges will be high but we must press for continued success to stand any chance of being placed to compete for RWC 2015 qualification.

Keep an eye on the website, Twitter and the Facebook Fans page for any updates, all the best for 2012!

Shanksie