JOIST 2008
PLTOFF Lachie Johnston
Air Force were pipped at the post in the aircraft tow by Navy. But beating Army at Rugby was a worth while consolation. (OH-08-0287-07).
Remember the last time Air Force beat Army in a game of rugby? No. Well if you were part of this year’s Junior Officer Interservice Sports Tournament (JOIST 2008) a win over Army would still be fresh in your mind!
JOIST 2008 was held over the weekend of 2-4 May at RNZAF Base Ohakea where both competition and interservice comradeship were rife. JOIST is an annual sporting and social event for Navy, Army and Air Force junior officers. The aim is for them to form the friendships and bonds which will be a huge advantage in future exercises and operations.
The weekend kicked off with a game of touch and a game of rugby - both between Army and Navy - in typically rainy Ohakea weather. The clash gave the Air Force team a prime opportunity to check out the competition. With most eyes on the rugby Navy looked like the team to beat with a convincing win over their Army opponents.
After a hard night of rest and relaxation and the cancellation of the speed golf event due to weather, the Air Force teams made their first appearances on the sports field. The main event was the highly anticipated Air Force versus Navy rugby game. It was a hard fought battle with Air Force coming out strong in a performance not seen in these parts for many a year. With big names like FGOFF Robbie Harlow and FGOFF Charger Mockford on the Air Force side, the Navy were running scared in the first half. Better fitness and lesser hangovers saw Navy manage to turn things around in the second half to take the game out 22-12.
Other activities on the Saturday had the three Services competing against each other in the Great Race and - something with a bit of Air Force flavour - the aircraft tow. In the latter two teams of eight from each Service tow a B200 King Air over 300 metres in a relay-style race. Any rumours that the Air Force had pilots riding the brakes in the Army and Navy tows were dispelled when Navy beat Air Force by mere seconds. The Great Race, which involved the teams running around Base and carrying out tasks, was taken out again by Army.
Sunday, the final day, was the Air Force’s day of glory with the much anticipated Air Force versus Army rugby game. Some star names in the Air Force team added a considerable amount of strength. The famous FLTLT Charlie Beetham’s presence was noted on the sideline adopting a supporting role and muttering something about being ‘too tired‘. The team arrived only 20 minutes before the start of the game in a somewhat less-than-fit state. Despite that the team rallied and pulled off a stunning win. The result is that Air Force has relinquished its hold on the wooden spoon which now hangs proudly in Army’s Waiouru OCDT Bar. The final score was 13-10.
All round it was a great weekend with strong bonds established between fellow junior officers from all three Services. Bring on the Weka in 2009!