Sponsorship deals ‘add competitive charge’ to Premiership, say clubs

On the back of what was considered one of the best and most entertaining Hong Kong Premiership seasons in 2013/14, several top clubs have attracted new sponsorship deals that will help them strengthen their top-flight teams and grow their local player base across all divisions.

Dave Whiteford, general manager of the newly monikered Bloomberg Hong Kong Scottish, is confident the financial backing will add a highly competitive charge to the Premiership, which kicks off on September 27.

“The league will be incredibly competitive this year,” he said. “And with every team recruiting heavily I’m sure [the Premiership] will be especially intense.”

Thanks largely to Bloomberg’s contribution, Hong Kong Scottish have made a raft of changes in their bid to mount a more serious challenge for the title, after they finished fourth last term.

Key among their new signings is South African-born Scottish centre Bryan Rennie, who played more than a hundred games for Exeter Chiefs and Bristol in the English Premiership.

Rennie will link up with a trio of talented youngsters from Queensland University – number eight Kane Boucaut, flanker Austen Smith and fly-half Diggy Bird – as well as front-rowers Daniel Moussa and Frazer Wilford from Scotland, and Duncan Chubb, who will arrive in November once he finishes his commitments in the new NRC competition in Australia.