Almost two years ago, on June 17, the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union dropped a bombshell when in a terse statement, it announced: 'John Walters is to leave and return to his native New Zealand for personal reasons.'
Walters was the head coach of the national team, and his departure came as a shock to the players, many of whom the previous day had been with him enjoying a game of tenpin bowling.
There were all sorts of rumours about his sudden 'here-today, gone-tomorrow' act, including that he hadn't seen eye-to-eye with the then head of performance Ivan Torpey, and that the HKRFU was unhappy Hong Kong had managed to finish only third in the inaugural HSBC Asian Five Nations competition that year.
It was a shame that Walters didn't clear the air. He left without saying a word. And two years down the road, it is still unclear if he was sacked or whether he returned home for 'personal reasons'.
I believe he was sacked. That was personal enough for him to depart in a huff. The reason apparently is that the HKRFU needed someone to carry the blame for Hong Kong finishing third. So Walters, with his wife and young kids in tow, left town despite having 10 months on a two-year contract remaining.
Rugby fans will have a tingle of d?j? vu reading all this - well almost. Let me explain. Last Sunday, Hong Kong lost 94-5 to Japan to finish third in the Asian Five Nations.