Mini-rugby players' epic proves Guinness World Records breaker
Six-year-old rugby player Fiona Kenny, of Sai Kung Stingrays, was doubly delighted yesterday.
Not only was her mother's favourite rugby union star, former Scotland international Gavin Hastings, nearby but she was also one of the 2,854 children in Hong Kong to earn a place in the Guinness World Records for playing in the world's largest mini-rugby event.
'I'm very excited to be here today to break the world record. I love rugby because it's so much fun,' said Fiona, who, took part along with her twin sister, Seona.
The day proved one joyous collage of colours as youngsters from 263 teams played 410 matches on 39 pitches at the Hong Kong Football Club and Happy Valley grounds in Happy Valley under the eagle eye of Guinness World Records adjudicator Stuart Claxton. He had an easy job in declaring that the old record, of 832 players and 95 teams, held for 461 days by Morris Rugby Corporation in the United States, was broken.
'Mini-rugby in Hong Kong is as popular as ever and it is fun. I must thank all the children, their parents and clubs for helping us out today,' said Kim Lam, Hong Kong Mini-Rugby Football Union chairwoman.
Fun must be the key element in attracting children and their parents to enrol in mini-rugby - the first step to becoming a future international, former Australia winger Matt Burke said. Burke, a guest of HSBC, hosts of the world record endeavour, said there was nothing like playing with friends to instil a long love affair with the sport.
'This is just magnificent - to have it on a day the world's best rugby players will be in action. All the basics a kid learns here today will be seen at the Bledisloe Cup; having fun is a key part of playing rugby,' said Burke, a member of the 1999-World Cup winning team.
As if the Bledisloe Cup was not enough of an attraction for the world, the Guinness World Records success would add extra spice said Trevor Gregory, Hong Kong Rugby Football Union chairman.
'This record will draw attention to the development programme we have in Hong Kong,' Gregory said. 'This is where it all begins. The kids who might be playing when the 2019 World Cup comes to Asia [Japan] could be playing out there today.' It should take some time - if it happens at all - before Hong Kong's name is erased from the record book.
'I can't see any other place doing something like this. Even traditional rugby strongholds, like England or Scotland, will be hard-pressed to match this,' said Giles Morgan, HSBC's group head of sponsorship.
Case Everaert, tournament director, added: 'We are excited to give so many young players the opportunity to say, 'I'm a world- record holder'.
'We trust this mini rugby tournament will be a memory they will cherish forever.'
