10 Ocak 2010 günü,Kurtköy Erdoğan Demirören Stadında TBSF tarafından ''istanbul 7'li Ragbi turnuvası'' düzenlendi. Takımımız, turnuvaya iki ekiple katılım sağladı. Organizasyon esnasında TBSF temsilcisi olarak Naci Hoşcan, hakem olarak da Hakan Ünsal, Cem Karadeniz ve Murat Lokman hazır bulundu. Toplam altı takımın mücadele ettiği, olumlu bir ortamda gerçekleşen turnuva, şu sıralamayla sonuçlandı:

• Samsun RK
• Bakırköy RK
• İstanbul Ottomans I
• İstanbul Ottomans A
• Kuşadası RK
• İstanbul Lions RK

Kadrolarımız

İstanbul Ottomans I

• Florent Gandois
• Yannick Hebert
• Jean-François Delettre
• Thomas Langlois
• Baran Bektaş
• Alistair Baran Blake
• Emre Şapçı
• Bryan Reardon
• Salih Küçüktuna

İstanbul Ottomans A

• Gökhan Kötülek
• Umuthan Pehlivanoğlu
• Altuğ
• Gürhan Çakıner
• Melih Tuğtağ
• Kemal Ege Gürkan
• Cansın Türkarslan
• Coşkun
• Aytaç

The Istanbul Ottomans RFC Forum is now active. Note that you need to register first, and this registration will have to be approved by the management of the Istanbul Ottomans R.F.C.

When filling in the registration form, please enter your usernamen as "FirstName LastName", so that the management board will understand who just registered and can approve and activate the registration. When you've filled in the form, please drop Hakan Ünsal an e-mail on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it indicating that you've just registered yourself on the Forum and that you would like to have your account activated. Also note if you're a player or a supporter.

The players' forum will contain important information concerning financial information, insurance information, travel information, and so forth.

The Ottoman 7s - the spin-off of the Istanbul Ottomans R.F.C. - won the final match against the Dukes (Dutch premier league winners of last year), becoming champions of the Tournament called the Ameland Beach Rugby Festival! This festival is one of the largest Beach Rugby tournaments in the world, hosting a massive 128 teams in four categories: Open Class, Recreational Class, Ladies Open Class and Future Class. The Ottoman 7s was competing in the Recreational Class together with 63 other teams, and managed to lift the cup at the end of the second day!

Just before the very first game of the Tournament, as well as just before the Final game, a moment of silence was taken with respect to the loss of one of our founding fathers: Marc Mercier. It was great to see the camaraderie of all rugby players and tournament visitors, during that one minute of silence.

The team existed of a number of players coming from New-Zealand and The Netherlands, and some of these players have been playing for the Istanbul Ottomans R.F.C. the year before as well.

The Ottoman 7s is an invitation-based team active during the tournament season only. In the year of 2010, the Ottoman 7s aim to participate in the Amsterdam Heineken Sevens (NL), Lignano International Beach Rugby Tournament (IT), and the inaugural International Istanbul 7s Tournament

Marc Mercier (1968-2009) - Born in the Paris suburbs, he played the game of rugby from an early age and preferred to play at Fly-Half or Center, although he was comfortable anywhere in the Backs.

He first came to Asia around 1993, as an employee of Ricard (the French distiller), for whom he began working in Vietnam, and there he created a rugby club so that he could play his beloved game. A pattern that he would repeat elsewhere.

After 3 years in Vietnam, in 1996 he moved to Indonesia as Director of the French Chamber of Commerce. He joined there the ISCI rugby club as a player and was also an active committee member. There he helped creating a French oriented team called the Rubipedes who played with the expected Gallic flair. It was in Jakarta that he met his wife Anne, who hailed from Scotland.

In 1999 he left Indonesia for Turkey, where he created yet another rugby team, called the Ottoman Rugby Club, who would become the first Turkish rugby champions. After 4 years in Turkey he returned to France, where he continued to play rugby at the Union Athletique Vernoise (a small club close to the town of Perigueux). He passed away at around 6.30 pm on Saturday June 13th 2009, during a game of rugby. He was 41 years old.

He is survived by his wife Anne and 2 children, daughter Axelle (7 years) and Dylan (3 years). The thoughts of the whole Turkish Rugby Community are with them at this sad time.

Marc Mercier