By Ed Scott-Bowden, Chair of Baltic Exchange Rugby Club.

 

With Valentine’s Day looming and much of the Baltic Exchange rugby cohort attempting to negotiate early release from la maison du chien already with their respective partners, romance was very much in the air.

However, the second annual clash between Tanker & Gas vs Dry Cargo was anything but loving.

 

View the photo gallery here.

 

Despite February delivering its unusual mix of cold, dark and biblical rain, 45 brave souls from across the shipping industry descended upon the Honourable Artillery Company grounds for what is fast becoming the event of IE Week. If nothing else, it’s proof that shipping professionals will gather in any weather provided there’s a bar afterwards.

Pleasantries were exchanged, hands were shaken, and exaggerated claims about preseason fitness were made (Adam Emirali, Kpler). But once the shirts went on, it was clear this meant business. A warm-up devised by “sports scientists” diligently followed. Positions were debated, Lucozade was consumed, hamstrings were stretched with varying degrees of commitment — and we were ready.

Ollie Hale (Baltic Exchange) & Ed Scott Bowden (Braemar) faced off for the "toss", tails never fails... Ed and the Tanker team chose their side of the pitch and Ollie and the Dry team took the opportunity to kick off first, drastically reducing the chance of a weary head dropping the first kick. 

The crowds gathered like the mob to the Colosseum to cheer on the weathered gladiators going head-to-head... and most importantly, bravely sip on the first Guinness of the day.

First Quarter

Crikey Moses. The standard of rugby took many by surprise.

The Dry veterans quickly reverted to the patterns laid down by Jon Barber (Thurlestone), who formed a surprisingly cohesive unit despite spending their weekdays trying to outcompete one another commercially. The Clarksons contingent — Chris Hayden, Laurence Adamson and Max Thompson — suspiciously ran lines like seasoned professionals, cutting left, right and straight through the middle with alarming efficiency... a quiet IE week? 

Tankers, meanwhile, were slightly slower out of the blocks, with several players demonstrating turning circles comparable to the vessels they charter. Dry waltzed through the centres and dotted down under the posts with unsettling ease.

Sore heads had worn off, adrenaline was pumping and the physicality was through the roof.

Second & Third Quarters

What followed was described on the touchline as “one for the purists.” In other words: 127 scrums in 30 minutes. 

The rain poured, the ball became increasingly mythical, and both sets of wingers entered a deep freeze, largely untouched by events in the middle of the pitch. No points were scored during this period — a statistic that in no way reflects the chaos unfolding.

A highlight came when young Phil Tandoh (Braemar) finally caught the ball and produced a scintillating break down the right wing. A simple two-on-one pass would have guaranteed a Tanker try. Instead, Phil opted for the rarely seen “self-inflicted dummy,” releasing the ball entirely and gently lobbing it into touch. Much to the despair of Felix Hall (Braemar), who was on fine form all game.

There were also a few robust tackles and the kind of scuffles not previously witnessed in a fixture of this genteel nature — all adding to the loving valentines theme of this fixture. James Benali (MSI), the Dry teams very own Capesize, in particular was a forceful presence and showed why he was scouted at a Young Baltic Association event, Lucas Huysinga (Baltic Exchange) on the receiving end of one of James' weighty impacts!

Fourth Quarter

With many participants having not played since this exact fixture last year, fatigue began to create gaps wider than a Baltic freight spread.

Tom Kingham (KPI) launched an innocuous-looking box kick which somehow found acres of unguarded territory behind the Tankers’ defence. A favourable bounce later, and Dry were once again under the posts, extending their lead.

Heroic defence from the Dry team kept Tankers at bay until the final play of the game. In a moment of camaraderie, Scott-Bowden and Danby (Braemar) channelled the spirit of Steve Thompson and Phil Vickery — by decisively not passing to each other — and trundled over to restore some pride to the Tanker side.

Final Score: Dry Cargo 21 – 7 Tanker & Gas

The series is now level at 1–1 in what is rapidly becoming a classic shipping calendar fixture.

A huge thank you to the Baltic Exchange for organising such a fantastically attended event, and to Andrew Cornish (Syroco) for sponsoring the all-important post-match refreshments — undoubtedly the most clinical performance of the day.

With numbers and appetite for this fixture taking on new levels, we are very much looking forward to the 2027 fixture - stay tuned!