HMAS Sydney will play the Vietnam Swans in Saigon on 31 October 2012 for the Phoenix Cup Perpetual Trophy.

Breaking news!

A mid week match between the Vietnam Swans and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has been confirmed for Wednesday, 31 October, 2012 from 5pm-6pm at RMIT University in Saigon.

HMAS Sydney, a guided missile frigate, will be the RAN’s representative when we play for the 4th Phoenix Cup.

ANZAC was the first ship to visit in 2010 followed by Darwin. Darwin provided a spent shell which has been renamed the Phoenix Cup and is played for whenever the RAN is in town. So far, the Swannies have won three from three (the third being against a combined team from Yarra and Huon last year).

The matches and after match functions have been highlights of the Swannies’ year and accordingly, the Vietnam Swans very much look forward to extending a warm welcome to the crew of Sydney when they arrive.

According to the Royal Australian Navy’s website,

“Sydney is a long-range escort with the ability to provide area air defence, anti-submarine and anti-shipping warfare, surveillance, reconnaissance and interdiction. She can counter simultaneous threats from the air, sea surface and under water.

“Sydney has deployed to the Middle East four times. On the first occasion she took part in Operation Desert Storm, the action against Iraq during the 1991 Gulf War, for which she earned a Meritorious Unit Citation. She later supported UN sanctions against Iraq in 1991/92 and 1993. Sydney also deployed to East Timor in support of INTERFET in 1999 and in 2000, supported the efforts bring peace to the Solomon Island . Her fourth deployment to the Middle East was during the pinnacle of the Iraq War in 2003 in support of allied forces.”