Players to raise funds for hooker

First Division League champions Synovate HKCC/Aberdeen might be a Hong Kong Island team, but today, for the sake of Chinese Agricultural University hooker Niu Jian, they have crossed borders and will play for Kowloon Peninsula in the All-Star charity match at the Hong Kong Football Club.

The Island XV, captained by Asahi Valley centre Brett Forsyth, will take on the Peninsula led by DeA Tigers flanker Nigel Clarke in the showpiece game (kick-off 6pm) to raise funds for Niu, who is battling leukemia. It will be preceded by a hit-out between combined Third and Fourth Division teams. 'The target is to raise 500,000 yuan so that Niu Jian can undergo a bone marrow transplant and the operation is in a couple of weeks time. I believe almost half this money has been raised,' said Robbie McRobbie, Hong Kong Rugby Football Union community manager.