Tour plans in disarray
THE only certainties about Hong Kong's back-on-track tour of South Africa are that they are booked to leave on August 12, return on August 27, and that the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union are willing splash out funds - whatever the costs.
Who they will play and where they will play remains in the uncertain hands of international flight connections. And whether twin hosts, the Natal Rugby Union and the Namibian Rugby Football Union can accommodate the territory's last minute requests.
This last factor has created all the uncertainty. Trying to fit in a tour at the very last minute has created all sorts of problems for Dave Roberts, chief executive officer of the HKRFU.
His main problem now is to try and see whether he can arrange connecting flights between Johannesburg, Durban and Windhoek, in varying combinations and on different days so that Hong Kong's national team can play two games in Natal and two games in Namibia.
''The only definite bookings I have are on Cathay leaving Hong Kong to Johannesburg on August 12 and returning from Jo'Burg to the territory on August 27,'' said Roberts, who added the Union had decided to go ahead with the tour despite Natal's guaranteeof only one game against top quality opposition.
''As Namibia have said they are willing to play against us, I have to see if I can get connecting flights,'' added the exasperated Roberts.
Hong Kong's campaign to win October's Asian Rugby Football Tournament, and thus win a berth for the 1995 Rugby World Cup, will rest on whether Roberts is successful or not.
''We've got to get these games. It is very important to our preparations,'' said national coach George Simpkin. ''Apart from the competition, the main thing is to get a group of people on compatible terms with each other. And that can only be done on tour.'' The team to South Africa, unlike that to tour Japan next month, is certain to be the one which represents Hong Kong at the Asian championships in Malaysia.
With Natal confirming that they will give Hong Kong one game against top class opposition and Namibia saying that they are prepared to give two games, including an international, Roberts will now have to dexterously juggle around with the flight plans.
And the costs: ''The Union is paying because we realise how important this tour is to Hong Kong's hope at the Asian Championships,'' said Roberts.
