US Marines and Casuarina Stray Cats international rugby match remembers the horror of 9/11

THE seventh US Marines-Casuarina Stray Cats rugby union international will be staged at Marrara’s Rugby Park

US Marine Grant Penny, left Stray Cats Peter Meyer and US Marine Jake Hitchings play keepings off with the Crocodile trophy up for grabs in the annual US Marines v Casuarina Stray Cats commemorative game. Picture GLENN CAMPBELL

THE seventh US Marines-Casuarina Stray Cats rugby union international will be staged at Marrara’s Rugby Park tomorrow night.

Played annually since 2013, the match commemorates the terrible loss of life in the terrorist attacks on New York’s World Trade Centre buildings in 2001.

Stray Cats spokesman and Darwin rugby union identity Bruce Kennon said the 2013 arrival of the Marine Expeditionary Force (MEU) was the catalyst for the annual matches.

“We had played a game against a visiting US Marines side on the night the attacks on the World Trade Centre occurred,’’ Kennon said.

“All hell broke loose in New York and the boys had just left the field when various forms of transport were ordered to get them back to base..

“A dozen years on from that when they started the Marines rotational force we determined a game of rugby between the MEU would be a good way to commemorate those that had fallen on that day.’’

“The rugby is competitive, but we’re not playing for sheep stations. The purpose is purely to commemorate that event.’’

US Marine Grant Penny said the match meant a lot to his countrymen.

“It’s really cool this is very close to a memorial game so close to when 9/11 actually happened,’’ Penny said.

“I know it means a lot to all of us to be able to commemorate what happened back then and maintain a tradition.’’