Chan Fuk-ping

I was born in 1976.

My parents died from inhaling poison gas underground. They were going into a well to rescue my trapped brother. My brother survived.

I went to St. Christopher’s Home orphanage when I was around 10 years old, and started to play rugby at 12 with the other orphans.

At the orphanage, I met [future Hong Kong squadmate] Liu Kwok-leung, and he became one of my best rugby friends.

When I was a kid, I would always go to Hung Shui Kiu with my hing-dai [“brothers”]. We called it “the bridge of ghosts.” There was a rumor saying that those waters were magic healing waters, and whenever we got hurt, we would go there and wash.

1997 was a significant year for me.It was the year I became a father; my first year as a representative for the Hong Kong Sevens team; and of course, the handover.

I was playing as the wing in our team. At that time I wasn’t afraid of anything.

Back in the day, there were no full-time athletes in Hong Kong. We all had day jobs.

I am a repairman. I fix broken air-conditioners. I have been doing it for 20 years.

When I was on the Hong Kong team, I worked for a repair company owned by Trevor Gregory, the chairman of the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union.

On my team, there were nine or 10 rugby players working for him. He was a good boss: we could take time off during match periods.

I was the first Chinese representative of Hong Kong to take part in international matches. Before that, rugby was a sport for wealthy westerners, like bankers. They were all huge and strong.

To cope with westerners, I needed lots of energy. Luckily I have a muscular body: that’s a gift I was born with.

I am also the first Chinese athlete with a stamp and first-day cover launched by the Post Office.

I didn’t know they were going to make a stamp of me. Reporters shot those pictures during matches, and then the Post Office chose one.

I never got any revenue for that. I bought some of the stamps on my own. What I regret the most is not getting the medal in Busan [at the 2002 Asian Games]. At first our team was in the lead by 10 or so points, but we didn’t get the chance. We were so close.

If we did it again, I think we would be much better. We would live together during training and practice more, like full-time athletes.

There were strict rules for us before matches. We had to eat bananas and sandwiches, while meat was forbidden.There was a curfew after 11pm.

There were subsidies: $150 for matches and $1,800 for tours. We didn’t get regular salaries like athletes nowadays.

But that’s OK. Playing sports is not for money, but for glory. We only wanted to win and be proud of Hong Kong. We never thought of any returns.

My favorite rugby player has always been Jonah Lomu. He is always able to score a lot within a short period.

I have a wife, a son and a daughter. My 18-year-old son is also playing rugby for his school team. I rarely tell him about my history. I want him to choose his own path.

Nowadays, I rarely play rugby, except for a few invitation matches. I am also a volunteer for some rugby charities.

I believe in fate. If I had never lived in the orphanage, I wouldn’t have had the chance to touch a rugby ball.

Need to Know…
Chan Fuk-ping’s first international match was as a teen against Japan in 1992. He then joined the Hong Kong senior squad in 1995 at the age of 19. He played for Hong Kong three times in the Sevens from 2002 to 2004, and three times in the Asian Games. Chan was an inaugural inductee into the HKRFU’s Hall of Fame in 2014.