A squad of Cambodian national team players returns home this morning after a compelling rugby sevens campaign in Pakistan.

The two-day event held at the DHA Rugby Stadium in Lahore, part of the larger 2012 Punjab International Sports Festival, saw Team Cambodia finish fourth out of 12 sides after getting hammered 43-5 by Irish outfit Holywood Rugby Club in the third place playoff on Friday.

Pakistan Green had earlier exacted sweet revenge for a group stage loss to Cambodia by winning their semi-final 22-12.

The home side went on to get thumped 38-0 by the College Rifles Raiders of New Zealand in the grand final.

“The team has done a fantastic job and everyone at Cambodia rugby is very proud,” Cambodian Federation of Rugby secretary-general James Sterling told the Post.

On Saturday, a full-sized game between Pakistan Select and World XVs had the visitors emerge 22-19 victors.

The Punjab International Sports Festival is one of the biggest sports events in Pakistan this year.

According to a report on Central Asia Online website, a total of 1,381 athletes from 24 countries competed in track and field, baseball, football, fistball, hockey, touch ball, table tennis, badminton, jujitsu, rugby and kabaddi events held over eight days across the city.

The festival also incorporated the biennial Punjab Cup, which pits sporting individuals and teams from India and Pakistan against each other, as well as the Dosti Cup, a competition featuring exclusively deaf and dumb athletes.

Organisers said there were 40,000 people in the stadium during the opening ceremony at the National Hockey Stadium last Wednesday. 

To contact the reporter on this story: Chris Derbuc at [email protected]

With assistance from Dan Riley