HKRU Newsletter Issue 3 - End of Season Edition

HONG KONG RUGBY UNION

Domestic League

End of Season 2016/17

www.hkrugby.com

#hkrugby #3

LET'S TAKE CHILDHOOD BACK FROM CANCER. EVERY 2 MINUTES A CHILD IS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER. HELP ME FUND THE RESEARCH THAT WILL SAVE THEIR LIVES! Every year, thousands of children are diagnosed with cancer and many will suffer long term effects from treatment given.

The St. Baldrick’s charity organisation exists to fund research into improved treatmemt for this awful disease. The concept to raise funds is a simple one - participants raise funds through sponsorship to have their hair shaved off.

I have participated in this event on quite a few occasions and, with the very kind assistance of both the HKFC (thanks Mark Pawley) and the HKRU (thanks Rocky Chow and Robbie McRobbie), I am bringing this event to the Asia Rugby Championships, Hong Kong vs Japan fixture.

After what I hope will be an exciting 40 minutes of rugby, my greying locks shall be completely shaved off! Of course, should someone wish to raise significant funds, I am willing to have either of my eyebrows shaved off as well, for a generous donation.

All donations will go directly to the Children Cancer Foundation, a Hong Kong based charity. Should you be interested in finding out more, or contribute further, please view my page below or search for “Shaved by the Whistle” on the St. Baldrick’s website.

https://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/929421/2017 I thank you for helping many children fight this terrible disease.”

Tobi Lothian

Contents Premiership end of season summary.................................................................................02 A word from our referees....................................................................................................03 Men’s Premiership................................................................................................................04 - 05 Our home town heroes.......................................................................................................06 - 07 Women’s Premiership..........................................................................................................08 - 09 On the road to Dublin......................................................................................................... 10 - 11 Old Mutual join the family..................................................................................................12 - 13 Domestic League winners...................................................................................................14 - 15 Warriors path to success.....................................................................................................16

Another season of rugby has concluded, but there seems to be something in the air that has set this one apart from the others.

Rugby has been played in Hong Kong since early colonial times, and it has certainly had its fair share of ups and downs. But this season was certainly one of bountiful flow. The standard of play has improved considerably over the last few seasons, possibly reaping the fruits of the Hong Kong Rugby Union’s laborious ground work at the domestic level, as well as the strategic player development through the Elite Rugby Programme.

There has been an improving family-friendly atmosphere and a sense of enthusiasm for rugby down at any one of the pitches on any given rugby weekend. With an ever increasing number of junior’s, men’s and women’s teams, and a thriving competition, this great game of rugby feels like it is becoming more mainstream in Hong Kong than it has ever been before.

Of course, great rugby action and a spirit of inclusion has played no small part. The Men’s Premiership was an exciting and competitive affair. This year, Societe Generale Valley took home the Grand Championship trophy again, after defeating a spirited Kowloon side. While Valley has won the trophy for five consecutive years, it was by no means an easy task. Bloomberg Scottish were nipping at Valley’s hoofs for the majority of the season, and were potentially the better team going into the Christmas break. But they were unlucky to be undone in the quarter-finals by a lurking Borrelli Walsh USRC Tigers squad that have been showing signs of brilliance lately.

This year’s KPMG Women’s Premiership has been an eventful one for the players involved. The traditional Happy Valley rivalry between CPM Gai Wu Falcons and the Societe Generale Valley Black Ladies continued this season, with Gai Wu showing real guts and courage throughout the season. The two teams ultimately met at the Grand Championships, however Valley were not to be undone, extending their winning streak to 42 consecutive games, and taking home the trophy too. There were marked improvements in the Borrelli Walsh USRC Tigers too, as well as Kowloon and SCAA First Pacific CWB Phoenix, whose players have made a raid into the national squad. The women’s competition structure has also changed this season. Being the fastest growing game for women in Hong Kong, there is growing interest from the local community, and the HKRU have catered to this welcomed increase in demand. We speak to both Jo Hull, Women’s Head Coach, and Samantha Feausi, Women’s Rugby Development Manager, about developments in the fastest growing sport for women in Hong Kong This year has also been a stellar one for Hong Kong referees, who play an integral role in the game. The domestic competitions have kept them busy officiating over 1,300 games this season alone. Hong Kong is fast becoming the regional hub for officiating expertise, with an increasing number of internationally recognised refs in our stable, adding to the richness and diversity that rugby has to offer.

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With an ever increasing number of junior’s, men’s and women’s teams, and a thriving competition, this great game of rugby feels like it is becoming more mainstream in Hong Kong than it has ever been before.

This season has been one of the most successful seasons ever for our referees, and I am delighted with our achievements across the board, including providing officials for nearly 1,300 domestic competition fixtures as well as some outstanding displays from our high performance referees that have really put Hong Kong on the officiating map!

We have again provided officials for nearly 1,300 domestic competition fixtures. I am delighted to see young referees joining, and enjoying their refereeing. Brayden Hudson, 12 years old, and Rory Crombie, 15 years old, are showing huge potential.

We now have a clear pathway for all of our referees to get to the top. We are using experienced referees to develop young referees with coaching and guidance.

Regular masterclasses are held every month to discuss a particular topic..

Our Junior Academy under Matt Rodden is going from strength to strength, and it is tremendous to see increasing numbers of youngsters taking up the whistle.

We have worked hard to develop a clear pathway for all aspiring refs, with regular monthly master classes and mentoring from our experienced cadre of coaches, and we have exciting potential even as young as 12 year old Brayden Hudson and 15 year old Rory Crombie. Meanwhile the older Academy members are given the opportunity to put themselves forward for overseas exchanges, including the chance to officiate at the world-famous Rosslyn Park School 7’s, the premier youth tournament in the UK. On the international stage, we saw Gabriel Lee officiate at the Rio Olympics, where Rugby Sevens made its historic debut, while Matt Rodden had an impressive run on the HSBC World Sevens Series with appointments in Wellington, Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore. Matt’s progress during the Series was rewarded with the Fiji vs South Africa match in Singapore, where he put in an accomplished performance. Meanwhile Tim Baker was clocking the air miles as he became the first Hong Kong ref to be given a Women’s Six Nations game, he also took charge of the Junior World Trophy final In Zimbabwe, the American Pacific Cup in Uruguay, a Scottish Premiership match between Hawick vs Stirling County, and London Irish vs Richmond in the English Championship. To cap it all, he has been selected to referee at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Ireland this summer, an outstanding achievement.

Not only have our referees been successful, but our Performance Reviewers Stan Harman, Peter White and Andrew Tranent, have also been busy on duty in the Asia Rugby Championship, as usual doing a fine job, and we have supplied TMOs (Television Match Officials) for the ARC, the first time they have been used in Asia Rugby.

All in all, we have a great team and as a group we continue to develop and progress - congratulations and thanks to each and every one of our officials for their contribution to a memorable season. Finally thanks also to the clubs, players and supporters who continue to uphold the values of this great game by respecting the laws and the officials, keeping it safe, and most importantly of all, fun.

Here is to a fantastic season ahead.

Hugh Watkins HKRU Head of Match Officiating

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MEN’S PREMIERSHIP

Societe Generale Valley battle hard to keep the Premiership title.

Another season, another brace of cups to cram in the bulging Societe Generale Valley trophy cabinet, as the big red and black rugby machine reigned supreme once more.

There were a few wobbles along the way, however, as Hong Kong Scottish nipped their heels throughout the league campaign and Kowloon challenged them in the Grand Championship final, contributing to certainly one of the most open and competitive seasons in the Premiership in recent years. But when it comes to big match temperament and winning under pressure, no one comes close to Valley, and they have now won 5 consecutive Premiership titles, a truly impressive feat.

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Bloomberg HK Scottish

Kowloon

Natixis HKFC

So near…and yet so far! The brave boys from Bloomberg Hong Kong Scottish came within a whisker of filling the Premiership cup with a good single malt, before falling away in the last few weeks and finally coming in 3rd. A disappointing Grand Championship campaign never really got started as they fell at the first hurdle to surprise package Tigers, but overall the club will have taken huge heart and much confidence from a season that demonstrated they have truly arrived as title challengers.

It was almost a fairy tale 40th anniversary season for the ‘Loon, as they came so close to finishing with some silverware. However a late run that secured them 2nd place in the league and an exciting Grand Championship campaign that saw them just loose out in the final will certainly have left the King’s Park faithful with some memorable moments, if not an actual trophy on their birthday.

Natixis Club had an ultimately frustrating season, with some inspired displays punctuated with some equally disappointing performances. “We always knew this season would be one of rebuilding,” explained coach Phil Bailey, and on the bright side there were a number of promising young talents exposed to Premiership rugby for the first time, which bodes well for the future. Overall not a vintage year for the Sports Road boys however, and they’ll be hoping for better things next season.

hongkongscottish.com

kowloon-rugby.com

hkfcrugby.com

Borrelli Walsh USRC Tigers

Herbert Smith Freehills HKCC

The Borelli Walsh USRC Tigers left their best for last…whilst the record books will show they finished propping up the Premiership table, they came down the closing straight at a gallop, and then proceeded to see-off high-flying Hong Kong Scottish in their Grand Championship Quarter-Final clash which will certainly go down as the upset of the season.

“It is proof of what we are capable of,” Tigers coach Craig Stewart said afterwards, and perhaps a warning of what is yet to come…beware a wounded Tiger!

It was also a relatively disappointing year for Herbert Smith Freehills HKCC, by their own usual high expectations.

Whilst they clung on to 5th place in the league, just ahead of a resurgent Tigers team, their tenure in the Grand Championship was short-lived, and although there were still moments when the HKCC boys dazzled, there were more often occasions when they fizzled…But just like big Arnie, they’ll be back…

usrctigers.com

hkccrugby.com

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Their line speed was very fast and their backs tackled well and that slowed down our game.�

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Fresh off the back of one of the most competitive games of 15-man rugby between Hong Kong and Japan, Leigh Jones, Head Coach and General Manager of Rugby Performance at HKRU rues the opportunity lost, but also the possibilities ahead.

“Hong Kong were very physical for the whole 80 minutes.” Said new head coach of Japan Jamie Joseph. “I was surprised they maintained it for the whole match. Their line speed was very fast and their backs tackled well and that slowed down our game.”

Japan has been the shining light of consistency in their game. They have shown that dedication to the workload and a touch of natural fire power can go a long way. This has been something that Hong Kong has aimed to replicate under the guidance of Jones. Part of plan includes the Elite Rugby Programme (ERP), which aims to bring professionalism to the city’s representative fifteen-man game. Based out of The Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong, the programme provides a full-time avenue for professional athletes, while also working towards achieving the overarching goal of bridging the performance gap between the domestic Premiership competition and the Hong Kong representative team by way of skills transfer from the ERP players to their respective club sides.

Another welcome byproduct of this skills transfer is an increase in the quality of players. There were a number of new players blooded in the first match against Japan, including Herbert Smith Freehills HKCC prop Dylan Rogers and Kowloon Rugby flanker Phil Whitfield.

Their mentality and game awareness will almost certainly gain a notch as they enter their second international match, and even more so by the time the next Men’s Premiership season begins, which can only be a good thing for the domestic competition.

The ERP players have been working on the very simple things that have maximal impact. Things such as quickly getting up off the deck and back into position in defense, and upping the intensity of general play. This is having a direct impact on both the domestic competition, and at the national level.

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WOMEN’S PREMIERSHIP

Societe Generale Valley claim the Premiership title once again.

What can be said about the mighty Societe Generale Valley Black Ladies who have once again dominated the Women’s Premiership? They finished the season with a perfect 12 wins from 12 games, extending their winning streak to an incredible 42 consecutive games – time to check the record books! Head coach James Eliot puts it down to attitude; “Valley are a great group of ladies for sure…they really don’t like to lose – it’s a mental game.”

He praised the team culture and the constant mutual support amongst the team; “The experience of our core group of players who have been through numerous big games now rubs off on the younger girls, and gives them the confidence to step up and perform when the pressure is on – for us that’s been a winning combination.”

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CPM Gai Wu Falcons

Borrelli Walsh USRC Tigers

Natixis HKFC Ice

Another second place for perennial contenders the CPM Gai Wu Falcons, but the gap continues to close with their fierce Valley rivals…The final regular season game between the two giants of the game saw a compelling contest played out, with a determined Gai Wu turning down several opportunities for easy penalty points, instead training their sights on securing the bonus point that might have secured them the league title. Valley proved too strong in the end, and the Gai Wu trophy cabinet will stand empty for another year, but coach Lai Yiu-pang has been happy with his side’s continual development, and there is a feeling that next season might be the one that finally sees them take home the silverware…

The Borrelli Walsh USRC Tigers finished a strong 3rd in the KPMG Women’s Premiership, and while a gap still remains between them and the top two there is no doubt that the Tigers are on the prowl and heading in the right direction.

Their strong representation in the national squads, with up to 10 girls involved at times, has been a double-edged sword, stretching their player pool but at the same time building the experience and confidence that will help push them into title contention before too long.

Natixis HKFC Ice had an encouraging campaign, finishing a close 4th behind the Tigers and seeing an increasing number of their players break into the national representative squads. A bit of a fall-off in form late in the season probably made the difference in missing out on a top 3 place, but there is much ground for optimism looking forward, and it seems this potential sleeping giant of women’s rugby is starting to stir…

gaiwurugby.org

usrctigers.com

cityrfc.org

SCAA First Pacific CWB Phoenix

Kowloon Ladies

Comvita City Sparkle

“This was a good season for Phoenix in my opinion,” according to outgoing coach Ocean Chow, “many of our players had made the step up from NL1, with only 6 Premiership veterans left from last year.” That new generation of youngsters will certainly help the club’s rebuilding as they seek to recapture the glory days when they were regularly tussling for the title with Valley - the Phoenix actually won more games than the fourth placed Football club, but missed out through fewer bonus points.

“Getting so close to HKFC in the table was a great effort, and with a bit more work on fitness and power there’s no reason why results won’t continue to improve next season,” predicts Chow.

The 2016/17 season took its toll on the Kowloon Ladies, with several major injuries during a gruelling campaign not helping the cause. A sixth place finish may not have been all that coach Jonathan Ho had been hoping for, but he felt that was a fair reflection of a tough year; “We hit a few unexpected road bumps early on, which combined with a growing injury list, meant that we were always up against it. We’ve certainly learnt that relying on 2 or 3 experienced players to carry the team isn’t sustainable, and our challenge is to convert plenty of interest and enthusiasm into a more hardened and gritty unit.”

It was an encouraging debut season for the Sparkle as they dipped their toes into the KPMG Women’s Premiership competition for the very first time. A number of players stood out as exciting prospects, and overall the squad coped well with what was inevitably a steep learning curve.

“We need to improve our game understanding, and to play with speed even when we are under pressure,” said coach Fung Kai-hang. “I think our players need to challenge their own expectations, commitment levels and preparation requirements – we need to adopt a performance mind set if we hope to be competitive at this level.”

scaacwbrugby.com

kowloon-rugby.com

cityrfc.org

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National team gear up for Women’s Rugby World Cup in Dublin.

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Jo Hull, the Women’s Head Coach was been watching on as the season unfolded, and while she freely admits that there is still a big skills gap between club and national levels, she is also beginning to reap the benefits of the improvements in the KPMG Women’s Premiership.

“I have been pleased with many of the games this season, and a high level of competition is important to allow for the identification of a wider pool of development players – we’re not quite there yet however, and there’s still a gap between our domestic competition and national team level,” explains Hull.

For those players who are selected for national team duty, not only is this an opportunity for them to develop individually but also importantly they take invaluable knowledge back to their clubs. Their impact, along with the influence of a number of overseas players who have bolstered the Premiership clubs’ playing roster this year, is all contributing to raising the overall standard of the domestic league.

“The Union continues to invest in the domestic league, and while Gai Wu and Valley have dominated the KPMG Women’s

Premiership again this season, we’ve also seen some standout players from both Causeway Bay and Kowloon,” notes Hull, and goes on to say she wouldn’t be surprised if both Kowloon and SCAA Causeway Bay go on to become real contenders in the next five years.

One exciting new initiative this year was the three team Super Series, which provided a much needed intermediary link between the domestic league and national team selection, and gave the chance for more girls to play at a higher level. “The Super Series worked like the equivalent of provincial competitions in every other country that has a professional team,” according to Hull. “It adds to the depth of strength in the National team, and has been a valuable addition to the preparation process for the Women’s Rugby World Cup”.

Women’s Game Leaps and Bounds This season, the women’s competition saw in a number of new changes in response to the growing demand for the game by the girls and women in the community. Earlier this year it was found that rugby is the fastest growing sport, among all sports, for girls and women in Hong Kong.

“There were two major developments to the Women’s domestic league this previous season. First off, we moved away from the 10’s game to three tiers of 15’s. Clubs tend to recruit more for the 15-women game, and this has definitely been the case and has led to the second major development, with the growth from 21 teams in the prior season to 23 in the season just finished.” Said Samantha Feausi, Women’s Rugby Development Manager.

The combined effect of the 15s format and increment in teams means that there are effectively an additional 60 or more engaged and participating players in the adult women’s competition alone, and Feausi expects this growth to

continue into the next season.

“The growth of the women’s game has been both organic and strategic.” Said Feausi. “The sponsorship of the Women’s Premiership by KPMG has been really beneficial to the game.

It has increased awareness of the competition and we have seen additional reporting of the game in the media. KPMG’s support extends beyond just the competition itself too, they have kindly offered internships for some of our key players, and their support has enabled better analysis of games through the use of video.”

played the game but have a curiosity for rugby.

In an attempt to level up the playing field, HKRU will be providing more skills specific coaching staff to clubs that might be languishing in the Premiership. It is also expected that there will be some seismic shifts in the coming year and a half in the form of player retirements en masse after the Women’s Rugby World Cup and the Asian Games. This will see a rebalancing of the competitiveness of the KPMG Women’s Premiership teams.

Watch this space.

This year, the HKRU held a Women’s Club Rugby 7s competition in April, and will hold another Women’s 7s series in August. Under the guidance of Feausi, the Women’s Under 19s have seen an increase in the number of games - The more games they play, the better they become. HKRU, along with the clubs, will also be running a number of rugby introductory summer courses for women who have never

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HONG KONG MEN’ DOMESTIC LEA MEN’S PREMIERSHIP Societe Generale Valley

NATIONAL LEAGUE 1 Societe Generale Valley Knights

NATIONAL LEAGUE 2

Bloomberg Hong Kong Scottish Nomads

NATIONAL LEAGUE 3

The Vistra Typhoons

NATIONAL LEAGUE 4

Discipline Services XI

NATIONAL LEAGUE 5 Herbert Smith Freehills HKCC Raiders

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’S AND WOMEN’S AGUE WINNERS NATIONAL LEAGUE 6

Kowloon Beavers

NATIONAL LEAGUE 7

Societe Generale Valley Mai Jais

WOMEN’S PREMIERSHIP Societe Generale Valley Ladies

WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE 1 Transact 24 Tai Po Dragon Ladies

WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE 2A SCAA First Pacific CWB Lammergeier

WOMEN’S NATIONAL LEAGUE 2B Comvita City Ladies 2

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Warriors’ Path to Success The Warriors programme has now been in place for two seasons, and already has demonstrated its value as a key cornerstone of the Union’s broader development focus that seeks to identify and nurture homegrown rugby talent. Under the watchful eye of the Union’s Development Rugby Manager, Fung Kai-hang, players at both Junior and Senior level are picked up and exposed to a high performance environment, which in turn helps to bridge the gap that exists in the domestic competition between the Premiership and the National leagues.

The Senior Warriors are recruited primarily from those on the fringes of the Premiership or currently playing in National Leagues 1 or 2. Potential talent is identified by HKRU coaches, Club Coaching Officers and

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Development Officers, and those players then undergo a period of assessment and evaluation by the experienced Warriors coaching team. For those who make it onto the programme, the additional support and coaching is already bearing fruit, with a number of Warriors progressing up through the divisions this past year.

The Junior Warriors programme began back in 2015, and originally targeted youngsters identified through HKRU Summer Camps – the net has since widened to encompass youth club and schools players. The objective is to help youngsters who are aged 19 and below, and who are holders of a Hong Kong SAR Passport, to realize their potential and there have already been a number of players who have graduated through to the national U19 representative squad and then the U20s.

Overall the Warriors initiative represents a crucial investment in local rugby development, offering top quality coaching and a clear pathway through to Premiership and even national representative level. The early results have been encouraging, both on the annual tour to the Philippines where the Warriors secured the Transcom Cup, and also with the impact of Warriors players in the recent Hong Kong Games, which resulted in a number being invited to join Sevens training at the Sports Institute.

PARTNERS & SPONSORS The Hong Kong Rugby Union is proud to be sponsored by and work in partnership with the companies you see below.

We will work together to put your name in front of an ever-growing community of rugby enthusiasts through either the performance end of the game, the mini/junior sections, our numerous outreach community programmes, media partnerships or a little bit of everything; and in doing so help you achieve the returns on investment and objectives that you desire.

For more information or to find out how you can become a Sponsor or Partner of the Hong Kong Rugby Union please visit our website.

www.hkrugby.com