East London 1st XV forward Rob Yiannakou made his debut for the Cyprus national team in Serbia on Saturday (28 April) and hopes it is the first of many international caps.
Though the Moufflons, named after a horned sheep which is the country’s national animal, lost 35-17 in Belgrade, Rob enjoyed the Rugby Europe Conference 2 South international.
Rob said: “The whole experience was brilliant from start to finish. The game was played in 30 degrees heat, which made it really tough, but I enjoyed it.”
It was a remarkable achievement for the 19-year-old who was named East London’s young player of the year for the third season in a row. It was Rob’s ability to play in a number of positions amongst the forwards that attracted the Cyprus selectors.
Rob, (pictured), added: “I started on the bench but played for the whole of the second half and had a few good carries of the ball. I learned so much from being part of an international set up. I hope I get called back into the squad for a match in Cyprus.”
The second row forward qualifies for Cyprus because of his grandfather. He said: “My family who were all watching from home were well chuffed and I’ve been told there was also a fair bit of banter in the East London clubhouse where the players had gathered to watch.”
Rugby is a growing sport in Cyprus. There are three league teams and others from the military bases. Rob said: “The Cyprus team management will be sending me a detailed report of how I performed, including areas that I need to work on. I cannot wait for the next international, provided I am selected of course.”