IMMORTALS CLAIM SEVENTH LEBANESE CHAMPIONSHIP

15 May 2011

Bank of Beirut Rugby League Championship final
LAU Immortals RLFC 16 (4) – 8 (2) AUB
14 May – Bhamdoun Municipal Stadium, Bhamdoun

The LAU Immortals successfully defended their Bank of Beirut Rugby League Championship crown on Saturday, beating a gallant AUB side 16-8 in a final that was high in drama if low in quality. Incredibly, LAU has now completed its second consecutive perfect season, going 10-0 after the regular rounds (USJ’s abandonment of the championship, following a protest with the LRLF over sanctioning procedure, meant both fixtures against USJ were expunged). The university club, living up to its moniker, has now won 24 matches in a row, and 36 of its last 37, having gone 12-0 in the 2008-9 campaign before losing the final to Jounieh.

The victory also extends LAU’s own record for championship titles to seven. In addition to its two Bank of Beirut Championship titles the green-and-whites have three Spring and two Winter Championship crowns, under the old split-season format utilized in Lebanon until 2008. American Sam Walsh scored all AUB’s points while George Rahal, Rudy Hachache and Allen Khoury registered tries for LAU, with Australian fullback Walid Yassine converting twice.