https://www.scmp.com/rss/310899/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Hong Kong rugby bosses will discuss lowering the tackle height for games in the city after the world governing body’s council unanimously backed a recommendation that unions take steps to implement it. The voluntary trial, which gives unions the freedom to adapt within their own jurisdiction, aims to improve player safety by reducing the risk of head-on-head contact and therefore concussions. Moves to lower the tackle height across the community game in England met with considerable opposition... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3220535/hong-kong-rugby-bosses-consult-clubs-over-lowering-tackle-height-convene-working-group-discuss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3220535/hong-kong-rugby-bosses-consult-clubs-over-lowering-tackle-height-convene-working-group-discuss?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 15 May 2023 00:15:19 +0000 Hong Kong rugby referees and officials have donated almost 200kg of tops, books, shorts, socks and even kit bags to the Rwanda Rugby Federation. The donation by the Hong Kong Rugby Referees Society forms part of a partnership between the city’s officials and their counterparts in Africa, that will include referee exchanges over the coming season. With new sponsors coming on board, including Clement Shield, St James’s Place, Healthy Little Foodies, Monet Floral Gallery and Delaney’s, alongside... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hong-kong-rugby-union/article/3214293/hong-kong-rugby-referees-send-kit-rwanda-counterparts-officials-head-africa-exchange-programme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hong-kong-rugby-union/article/3214293/hong-kong-rugby-referees-send-kit-rwanda-counterparts-officials-head-africa-exchange-programme?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Mar 2023 01:01:15 +0000 Samurai RFC Warriors have laid down a marker for this month’s HKFC 10s tournament, adding ex-Springbok Victor Matfield to a team hoping to better its runners-up spot from 2019. With former England international Nick Easter and Irish star Kevin Maggs among the coaches, the Warriors will be one of the favourites for the event at Hong Kong Football Club. A competitive men’s field boasts the return of some well-known invitational sides, including Tradition YCAC from Japan, A-Trade Overseas Old Boys... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3212314/samurai-rfc-warriors-add-ex-springbok-victor-matfield-squad-hkfc-1os?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3212314/samurai-rfc-warriors-add-ex-springbok-victor-matfield-squad-hkfc-1os?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Mar 2023 02:00:25 +0000 On the heels of Hong Kong’s victory at the Asia Rugby Men’s U19 Championship, age-grade action is to return to the city on Sunday with the 55th New Year’s Day youth tournament. The event will revert to its long-standing format of Hong Kong-based against overseas-based players when it kicks off 2023 at its usual venue of Hong Kong Football Club, after Covid-19 border restrictions reduced the involvement of offshore talent in recent years. There will be added interest in the boys’ under-19 match,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3204758/hong-kong-rugbys-stars-future-ready-55th-new-years-day-youth-tournament?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3204758/hong-kong-rugbys-stars-future-ready-55th-new-years-day-youth-tournament?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Dec 2022 05:00:08 +0000 Hong Kong’s Pot Bellied Pigs rallied the local rugby community over the weekend to raise more than HK$300,000 at the annual Fat Boy 10s tournament, with money going to support charity initiatives, education programmes and medical missions across the region. Ross Bendix, a member of the Pot Bellied Pigs and director of the 10s, described this year’s event, held in Hong Kong for the second consecutive year, as “an enormous success”. “The ladies and men’s rugby community of Hong Kong got together,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3192164/football-club-claim-title-fat-boy-10s-charity-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3192164/football-club-claim-title-fat-boy-10s-charity-event?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Sep 2022 01:25:35 +0000 The key is never to let the metaphorical engine sit idle, says Talking Mental founder Aaron Stadlin-Robbie, who after completing a round-the-city walk launched the inaugural Talking Mental Hub at the Central Harbourfront last weekend. The Hong Kong-Kiwi rugby player is a long-standing advocate for mental health awareness and its limited resources in the city having battled his own anxiety and panic attacks years ago. Though never fully eradicated – many argue that mental health affects... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3153636/how-talking-mentals-one-stop-shop-mental-health-hub-helps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3153636/how-talking-mentals-one-stop-shop-mental-health-hub-helps?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Oct 2021 23:00:33 +0000 With five of Hong Kong’s six Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games medals won by women, there may be no better time to engage the city’s next generation of female athletes. That does not necessarily mean combing the districts for the next potential Olympian, nor imploring mandatory swimming or karate classes at every girls’ school to unearth the next Siobhan Haughey or Grace Lau Mo-sheung. It means giving Hong Kong’s young women the necessary tools to thrive through sport, providing them a steady foundation... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3146888/scheme-aims-capitalise-hong-kong-womens-tokyo-2020-olympics-success?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3146888/scheme-aims-capitalise-hong-kong-womens-tokyo-2020-olympics-success?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Aug 2021 00:00:23 +0000 The postponed Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, scheduled for November 5-7, has been cancelled for the second year running – this time because of the emerging Covid-19 Delta variant and global travel restrictions, organisers announced on Wednesday. The Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU) will look ahead to the 2022 Hong Kong Sevens, slated for April 1-3 next year, after discussions with the government, World Rugby and other participating unions. This year’s edition of the city’s marquee sporting... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3143793/hong-kong-sevens-cancelled-second-year-organisers-turn-april-2022?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3143793/hong-kong-sevens-cancelled-second-year-organisers-turn-april-2022?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Aug 2021 09:37:51 +0000 “Renaissance, Revolution, Reformation”. Jim Rowark wrote this on the chalkboard for his Form Three history students as he was about to begin the chapter on Europe’s emergence from the Middle Ages to global leaders in the arts, philosophy and economics. Rowark was all those things to Hong Kong rugby, from when he first arrived in the city in 1977 to his time as the senior team coach who won two Hong Kong Sevens Plate titles and qualified the squad for the 1989 Cup competition. Hong Kong rugby is... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3132774/renaissance-man-jim-rowark-remembered-mentor-and-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3132774/renaissance-man-jim-rowark-remembered-mentor-and-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 09 May 2021 00:00:25 +0000 Hong Kong rugby is mourning the death of former 15s and sevens coach Jim Rowark. The Englishman, who coached the Hong Kong senior team from 1987 to 1992, died after on Friday morning in the UK after a battle with cancer. He was 73. “The Hong Kong Rugby Union is saddened to hear of the passing of HKRU Hall of Fame and Honorary Life Member, Jim Rowark,” said Hong Kong Rugby Union chief executive Robbie McRobbie. “One of Hong Kong’s foremost coaches, and a ubiquitous presence around local pitches... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3132740/hong-kong-rugby-mourns-death-former-coach-jim-rowark-73?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3132740/hong-kong-rugby-mourns-death-former-coach-jim-rowark-73?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 May 2021 03:18:57 +0000 Hong Kong Football Club player John McCormick-Houston plans to match his club’s staggering 869km charity campaign target on his own. The 32-year-old Englishman of Celtic descent, who plays hooker for the men’s rugby senior team, cited his comparatively “privileged” Hong Kong life as the main reason for taking on this month’s ‘HKFC Rugby to Hanoi’ challenge. Initiated by the mini rugby section last year, club members are partnering up with Laureus Sport for Good in helping to raise funds for the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3129619/hong-kong-football-club-player-runs-and-bikes-869km?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3129619/hong-kong-football-club-player-runs-and-bikes-869km?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Apr 2021 04:50:09 +0000 Hong Kong youths have spent the better part of a year studying in the confines of their homes and remaining socially distant from friends, and while preventing Covid-19’s spread is paramount for the city’s well-being, we tend to forget just how much difference a run in the sun can make. “It felt great to be outside with friends again. Rugby is a little bit difficult – passing, running, juking – but I learned the rules well,” said 11-year-old Abhi Limbu, one of 90 students from ethnic... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3128787/how-rugby-helping-hong-kongs-ethnic-minority-children-overcome-pain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3128787/how-rugby-helping-hong-kongs-ethnic-minority-children-overcome-pain?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Apr 2021 09:21:35 +0000 All of Hong Kong’s rugby leagues are scheduled to resume in April despite the recent Ursus Fitness Covid-19 cluster scare, Hong Kong Rugby Union chief Robbie McRobbie said. Rugby activity was suspended last Thursday after one player tested positive while members of two clubs were forced to undergo government quarantine. As of Tuesday, there have been no further confirmed cases nor additional quarantine related to the rugby community. “The gym community – both instructors and users – are pretty... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3125692/hong-kong-rugby-union-leagues-resume-april-after-covid-19-gym-scare?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3125692/hong-kong-rugby-union-leagues-resume-april-after-covid-19-gym-scare?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Mar 2021 00:00:24 +0000 The Hong Kong Rugby Union will terminate its Elite Rugby Programme (ERP) – the full-time men’s 15-a-side national team set-up – after current player and staff contracts run out at the end of June. The decision to revert to its previous semi-professional model was a reluctant but necessary one given Covid-19 and its resultant financial and logistical impact, the Union said. This means 30 athletes, four part-time “junior ERP players” and five staff members, will not be renewed on a full-time basis... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3118164/hong-kong-rugby-union-axes-professional-mens-15s-elite-programme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3118164/hong-kong-rugby-union-axes-professional-mens-15s-elite-programme?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Jan 2021 07:10:26 +0000 Hong Kong rugby chief Patrick Donovan’s tenure has been unprecedentedly arduous. Elected as chairman of the Union in the summer of 2019, he was immediately thrust into helping navigate the sport through citywide demonstrations – but that was only a prelude to what was to come. “This year has certainly been interesting. I reflect back on a term that was disrupted initially by the protests, then by the global Covid-19 pandemic. The Union has faced challenges unlike any other in our 50-year... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3116196/protests-and-pandemic-hong-kong-rugby-boss-patrick-donovan-keeps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3116196/protests-and-pandemic-hong-kong-rugby-boss-patrick-donovan-keeps?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Jan 2021 11:05:11 +0000 Ada Milby has made history for rugby in the Philippines after becoming the first female president of the country’s governing body. The 37-year-old former figure skater and American Football player was this week chosen as the new president of the Philippines Rugby Football Union, becoming one of the few but growing number of women who hold leadership positions in world rugby. Milby, previously secretary general of the PRFU, was elected unanimously by her peers in the body’s executive, with... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3114532/philippines-new-rugby-chief-ada-milby-waits-day-when?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3114532/philippines-new-rugby-chief-ada-milby-waits-day-when?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Dec 2020 00:00:17 +0000 Next year’s postponed Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens will only go ahead if at least 50 per cent of Hong Kong Stadium can be filled with fans, Rugby Union chief executive Robbie McRobbie said. Following the Sevens being pushed from April to November 2021 – officially confirmed by the Union and organising body World Rugby on Thursday – staff have more time to tighten their already comprehensive Covid-19 protocol blueprints. “It’s disappointing but the overwhelming sentiment is one of relief.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3114384/hong-kong-sevens-makes-no-commercial-sense-unless-least-50-cent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3114384/hong-kong-sevens-makes-no-commercial-sense-unless-least-50-cent?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Dec 2020 11:26:27 +0000 The 2021 Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens will be postponed from April until November, the Post understands. An official announcement will be made by governing body World Rugby on Thursday. Originally slated for April 3-5, the decision comes as no surprise given Hong Kong is struggling to contain cluster outbreaks and untraceable infections in trying to combat its fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The writing was on the wall after the government had earlier this month cancelled its... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3114277/hong-kong-sevens-postponed-second-straight-year-city-battles-fourth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3114277/hong-kong-sevens-postponed-second-straight-year-city-battles-fourth?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Dec 2020 04:00:12 +0000 For most of us, 2020 has been a year to forget. Many have been subjected to mind-numbing lockdowns, makeshift arrangements or lost employment. For Hong Kong-Nepali schoolchildren Sahin and Aris Gurung, who lost their father Sher Bahadur in the tragic Yau Ma Tei fire in November, this year has been incomprehensibly painful. The pair continue to grieve by mother Asha’s side in what will undoubtedly be a long winter. Amid such heart-wrenchingly helpless times for the Gurungs – not to forget the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3112751/hong-kong-rugby-community-raises-hk12000-nepali-children-who-lost?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3112751/hong-kong-rugby-community-raises-hk12000-nepali-children-who-lost?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Dec 2020 04:25:10 +0000 As the city endures another month in this traumatic year, it must be remembered that – similar to the coronavirus – physical and mental challenges are not subject to tiredness or burnout. The causes and symptoms can range from mild headaches from work stress, to depression from being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. November, or Movember to many in the rugby community, is a month for men to open up and reflect on these so-called “delicate” or “uncomfortable” matters. Not that they are... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3111905/hong-kong-cancer-survivors-their-personal-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3111905/hong-kong-cancer-survivors-their-personal-challenges?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Nov 2020 05:28:14 +0000 More than half of Hong Kong’s rugby players are Chinese but there is still much work to do in the women’s game, which constitutes just 28 per cent of players, says the Hong Kong Rugby Union. Findings from its “Rugby Participation in Hong Kong” survey – conducted primarily by partners KPMG on 12,514 members of the rugby community – concluded that 54 per cent of its playing population is Chinese and the average player lives in the New Territories and plays for “health, fitness and friendship”. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3111420/hong-kong-rugby-union-survey-reveals-promising-ethnic-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3111420/hong-kong-rugby-union-survey-reveals-promising-ethnic-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Nov 2020 06:00:15 +0000 Five years ago, Claudia Ling Leung’s father was diagnosed with late-stage prostate cancer. The news came as a devastating blow to the family and, naturally, certain topics became difficult to raise. Leung, a Hong Kong Scottish Pipers netball player, trawled the web as a means to educate herself on the specific cancer, but also to find any way to alleviate the pent-up emotions and potentially help shine a light on the still-underexposed topic of men’s health. Enter Movember, the foundation made... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3110486/hong-kong-netball-player-claudia-leung-finds-movember-solace-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3110486/hong-kong-netball-player-claudia-leung-finds-movember-solace-after?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Nov 2020 05:22:22 +0000 Following a season heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, rugby players young and old are eagerly anticipating Hong Kong Rugby Union’s 2020-21 season tentatively scheduled for November 7. The HKRU has rolled out its “Return to Play” programme – a four-week plan outlining different hygiene and safety protocols – that applies to the seniors all the way down to the vital grass roots. Hong Kong Mini Rugby Football Union chairman Olly Stratton remains optimistic its 21 clubs and more than 5,000... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3107190/hong-kong-mini-rugby-chief-confident-safe-and-robust-restart-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3107190/hong-kong-mini-rugby-chief-confident-safe-and-robust-restart-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Oct 2020 00:00:25 +0000 For newly retired Hong Kong national team player Suzanne Sittko, rugby is far more than just a sport. The 2018-19 KPMG Premiership women’s player of the year was forced to leave the city for her native Denver, Colorado, earlier than planned because of incoming US government health restrictions, to which her Societe Generale Valley Black Ladies teammates flooded her flat for their inevitable tearful farewells. “The one something that I really loved about playing rugby was the community and family... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3105128/hong-kong-premiership-star-suzanne-sittko-reflects-beloved-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3105128/hong-kong-premiership-star-suzanne-sittko-reflects-beloved-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Oct 2020 00:00:11 +0000 The Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU) has announced tentative plans to kick off the 2020-21 season on November 7, following the government’s relaxing of Covid-19 pandemic control measures for sports venues. The four-week return to play protocol will be in line with underlying government regulations around social distancing and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department’s (LCSD) scheduled reopening of its public sports grounds on September 18. As of Friday, all leagues – including the Saxo Markets... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3102215/hong-kong-rugby-union-kick-2020-21-season-november-7-teams-resume?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3102215/hong-kong-rugby-union-kick-2020-21-season-november-7-teams-resume?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2020 07:16:00 +0000 Philippines international Rob Fogerty is set to leave his “comfort zone” in the UK and join Hong Kong Premiership side Societe Generale Valley for the next league campaign. The 23-year-old centre is one of five players Valley have recruited during the break in global rugby caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, along with South African fly-half Siya Alam. “Since I was a little boy, rugby was something I wanted to pursue, it’s been my dream and my late father’s to push the rugby as much as I could,”... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3092816/filipino-rob-fogerty-set-play-hong-kong-valley-rfc-step?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3092816/filipino-rob-fogerty-set-play-hong-kong-valley-rfc-step?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Jul 2020 03:09:35 +0000 Jordanne Grey said her dog Loki, named after the mischievous but ultimately redeemable brother of Thor in the Marvel Comics movies, definitely lives up to his name. “He does test our patience at times,” said Grey, who works as a partnership account manager for the Hong Kong Rugby Union. “But he is a really well-behaved dog. He just recently had his full set of vaccinations so we can take him outside, he is very sociable and loves meeting other dogs and people.” Grey, who adopted Loki along with... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3089090/hong-kong-rugby-community-members-share-their-dog?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3089090/hong-kong-rugby-community-members-share-their-dog?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Jun 2020 00:00:05 +0000 Filipino rugby player and administrator Ada Milby said she was “blissfully naive” when she became the first girl to suit up for her high school’s American football team. Growing up in the small town of Tipp City in Ohio, US, she was shielded from many of the life challenges faced by women such as gender bias, sexism and the general aversion of teenage boys to being floored by a girl in front of their friends. Especially a dewy-eyed, daddy’s girl whose athletic feat until then was 12 years as a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3088734/how-filipino-ada-milby-went-playing-american-football?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3088734/how-filipino-ada-milby-went-playing-american-football?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Jun 2020 00:00:14 +0000 Gary Cross had just shared a hotel lift with hulking giants Mesake Rasari, of Fiji, and New Zealand’s Zinzan Brooke. At under six-foot, he was feeling a bit inadequate ahead of the Hong Kong Sevens. “I don’t think they even noticed me until I got out,” he said. Some time later, Hong Kong coach George Simpkin offered some advice. “He asked me if I was feeling a bit intimidated by facing big names. I said ‘yes’,” said Cross, who was probably closest to Simpkin in the 90s having played for him and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3083639/we-were-his-guys-past-players-pay-tribute-late-ex-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3083639/we-were-his-guys-past-players-pay-tribute-late-ex-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2020 08:58:57 +0000 China may not be a major rugby power but what they have achieved is the result of George Simpkin’s efforts in the mid-90s to clear a political path for the mainland to be part of the global family, according to a close associate. Simpkin, who played a major role in the development of rugby in Hong Kong, China and Asia, died on Thursday in New Zealand after battling cancer. He was 77. KK Chiu, Simpkin’s right-hand man at the Hong Kong Rugby Union in the 90s, said the mainland was prevented from... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3083426/ex-hong-kong-coach-george-simpkin-persuaded-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3083426/ex-hong-kong-coach-george-simpkin-persuaded-taiwan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 May 2020 01:52:14 +0000 Hong Kong rugby was on Thursday mourning the death of New Zealander George Simpkin, the former head coach who played a major role in the overall development of rugby locally, in China and Asia. Simpkin died on Thursday near Hamilton in New Zealand after a battle with cancer. He was 77. “During George Simpkin’s 10 years with the HKRU, he changed the face of Hong Kong rugby,” said Hong Kong Rugby Union chief executive Robbie McRobbie. “He introduced rugby to China and played a key role in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3083275/george-simpkin-ex-hong-kong-coach-who-took-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3083275/george-simpkin-ex-hong-kong-coach-who-took-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2020 05:21:04 +0000 World Rugby needs to make the most of a massive and largely untapped Asian market in its efforts to globalise the game – and the sevens format may be the way to achieve this quest, said the sport’s top official. Bill Beaumont, speaking to the media for the first time since being re-elected chairman of World Rugby on Saturday, said sevens has been successful in bridging the gap between traditional powers and rising nations. And gaining Olympic recognition has also helped to introduce an exciting... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3082721/rugby-sevens-can-help-unlock-massive-untapped-asian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3082721/rugby-sevens-can-help-unlock-massive-untapped-asian?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2020 05:55:27 +0000 Around 1.8 million new rugby enthusiasts have emerged across Asia since 2016 as World Rugby prepares to open the first-ever Rugby World Cup in the continent. Japan, hosts of the 2019 tournament that kicks off on Friday, is responsible for 1 million new participants as a result of the global governing body’s Impact Beyond legacy programme. The mission to grow the game globally and make a positive impact through the power of rugby is part of a partnership between World Rugby, the Japan Rugby... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3027907/rugby-world-cup-2019-18-million-new-rugby-participants?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/3027907/rugby-world-cup-2019-18-million-new-rugby-participants?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Sep 2019 00:00:13 +0000 As the sun set on another Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens it begins to rise on the 2019 World Cup in Japan, Asia’s time in the rugby spotlight has officially begun. Throw in a compelling men’s and women’s sevens competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and there is no better time for the game in the area. Andrew Forrest’s Global Rapid Rugby, while only able to pull together a condensed showcase series for 2019, just landed broadcast rights on multiple Asian channels for its... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3006028/rugby-world-cup-hong-kong-can-take-advantage-asian-rugbys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3006028/rugby-world-cup-hong-kong-can-take-advantage-asian-rugbys?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Apr 2019 09:18:42 +0000 There’s a buzz in the air around Hong Kong that has nothing to do with spring – and everything to do with Hong Kong Sevens – considered the premier tournament of the World Rugby Sevens Series. Every year, as the world’s best players arrive from rugby sevens hotspots such as Fiji, New Zealand, England and Australia, the normal level of anticipation ahead of the weekend goes into overdrive. This year’s 44th Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens gets underway on April 5. The event itself is... https://www.scmp.com/native/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/topics/hong-kong-city-action/article/3003424/hong-kong-sevens-when?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/native/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/topics/hong-kong-city-action/article/3003424/hong-kong-sevens-when?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Mar 2019 04:15:09 +0000 When Alessandro Calanca moved to Hong Kong he had never player rugby before. So, it might seem like a bizarre decision to begin a brutal sport at the age of 27. But Calanca, originally from Italy, has found a level of “unconditional camaraderie” at City Rugby Club he never expected. The club attracts local Hongkongers, making Calanca the only non-Cantonese speaking player. He is forced to rely on his teammates for translations during huddles and coaching sessions. His decisions to start rugby... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3002826/watch-gay-rugby-player-finds-camaraderie-cantonese-team-and-hopes-his?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3002826/watch-gay-rugby-player-finds-camaraderie-cantonese-team-and-hopes-his?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Mar 2019 06:22:53 +0000 Sri Lanka’s rugby community is in a frenzy of deep soul-searching after footage emerged of a World Rugby-appointed high school “coach from hell” slapping a player three times in a show of high-handed discipline during a training session. While the actions of the widely respected St Peter’s College coach Sanath Martis elicited the usual storm of outrage on social media – especially by mothers who allow their sons to play rugby – a number of disciplinarians and toughened former players found... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/2187217/sri-lanka-divided-after-rugby-coach-hell-slaps-teen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/2187217/sri-lanka-divided-after-rugby-coach-hell-slaps-teen?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Feb 2019 03:08:13 +0000 World Rugby has given its approval for a new five-a-side version of the sport with an international tournament likely to be held in London this year, according to a report in the Times. The sport’s world governing body is hopeful the shortened version – Rugby X – can improve the game’s finances and boost its international appeal much like Twenty20 did for cricket, the report said. Five more tournaments have been planned around the world for next year, with broadcaster ITV in talks to acquire... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/2185086/ex-fiji-sevens-coach-ben-ryan-helps-develop-five-side?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/2185086/ex-fiji-sevens-coach-ben-ryan-helps-develop-five-side?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Feb 2019 10:58:28 +0000 Hong Kong sport won a minor but significant victory in its never-ending battle to preserve grounds with the proposal to re-zone the Tin Shui Wai rugby pitch withdrawn. However, the sporting community is nervously awaiting results of a land supply task force study, expected to be announced on Monday, that may result in bulldozing and redevelopment of the Fanling golf course – home to the Hong Kong Golf Club and the 60-year-old Honma Hong Kong Open. The Hong Kong Rugby Union has revealed that the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2180035/rugby-ground-tin-shui-wai-saved-bulldozers-hong-kong-now-awaits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2180035/rugby-ground-tin-shui-wai-saved-bulldozers-hong-kong-now-awaits?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Dec 2018 10:57:16 +0000 Cycling queen Sarah Lee Wai-sze has thrown her support behind the Hong Kong Rugby Union’s bid to save the Tin Shui Wai Community Sports Ground. Lee, the 2012 London Olympic bronze medallist in the keirin track cycling event, posted a message on Facebook calling on the authorities to reject an application to rezone the area. The HKRU, meanwhile, says it has submitted more than 1,800 letters to the government, while an unknown number of people have made online submissions to save the field. “Each... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/2171731/cycling-queen-sarah-lee-backs-hong-kong-rugbys-bid-save?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/2171731/cycling-queen-sarah-lee-backs-hong-kong-rugbys-bid-save?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Nov 2018 07:04:54 +0000 Land use disputes usually pitch locals against high-powered, rich real estate developers looking to erect massive towers for a substantial profit. This is a bit different. Mo Kai-hong, who calls himself the community organiser of the Tin Shui Wai New Force, made an application via the Hong Kong Town Planning Board to “rezone” the government-owned land site at Tin Shui Wai, which features a 10,486 square metre area that is known as a rugby hotbed . The pitch is currently home to the Pandas rugby... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/2170500/tin-shui-wai-field-community-activist-wants-boot-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/2170500/tin-shui-wai-field-community-activist-wants-boot-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Oct 2018 10:34:49 +0000 Peter Ng Chi-ho’s parents would complain about how late he would return home from rugby training. It was a four-hour round trip from Tin Shui Wai, in the New Territories, to King’s Park, in Kowloon. So Ng was delighted when the Hong Kong Rugby Union took charge of the Tin Shui Wai Community Sports Ground several years ago. The ground is close to his heart because of the role rugby continues to play in his life – first as a player with Pandas, and now as a coach for Kowloon and a full-time job... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/2170494/we-grew-field-hong-kong-players-make-passionate-plea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/2170494/we-grew-field-hong-kong-players-make-passionate-plea?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Oct 2018 09:27:39 +0000 Hong Kong rugby’s HK$40 million investment in a Tin Shui Wai sports ground will go up in smoke if developers have their way. The Hong Kong Rugby Union this week launched an urgent appeal to the public to put pressure on the government to refuse an application to rezone a 10,486 square metre area in the heart of Tin Shui Wai. According to the union, “some influential members of the political community” want to turn the field and immediate area into a shopping complex and a car park. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/2170284/save-our-rugby-pitch-hk40-million-tin-shui-wai-ground?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/rugby-community/article/2170284/save-our-rugby-pitch-hk40-million-tin-shui-wai-ground?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Oct 2018 02:18:13 +0000 They were stretched to their limits on the field at the Fiji Coral Coast Sevens on Friday but it is a trip to a remote village that is likely to have a longer lasting effect on Hong Kong’s players. Chris Maize, in particular, felt the impact of Thursday’s jet boat ride to Nalebaleba in the interior of Fiji’s main island, getting a first-hand insight into something his dad has dedicated his life to. “He works for the International China Concern charity. They look after orphans and people with... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2129715/tsunami-cups-kava-and-healthy-dose-perspective-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/2129715/tsunami-cups-kava-and-healthy-dose-perspective-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jan 2018 09:52:53 +0000 Just over a year ago, Sam Tsoi Kin-san was busy practising his shot put and discus ahead of the interschool games. The Diocesan Boys’ School (DBS) senior caught the eye of Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU) development coach “Sailo” Lai Yiu-pang, who drafted Tsoi into last year’s New Year’s Day Youth Rugby Tournament, a showcase for up and coming players. “I was doing athletics for years,” said 18-year-old Tsoi, fresh off a narrow loss at this year’s U19 boys edition of the tournament at Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2126537/plucked-athletics-field-teenager-tsoi-finds-cross-cultural-calling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2126537/plucked-athletics-field-teenager-tsoi-finds-cross-cultural-calling?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jan 2018 09:42:42 +0000 He’s the heartbeat of Hong Kong rugby and Salom Yiu Kam-shing’s impact on the sport extends well beyond his extensive on-field resume, with the 29-year-old taking great pride in inspiring the next generation. He’s often been subject to rumours of his playing future – good performances inevitably attract attention from outside eyes – but the Tai Po native says staying put has been a no-brainer. “One big thing is that I started here so I’m happy to finish here,” said the 29-year-old after teaching... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2124779/inspiring-hong-kongs-next-generation-stars-still-comes-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2124779/inspiring-hong-kongs-next-generation-stars-still-comes-first?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Dec 2017 08:41:19 +0000 To many, rugby is a release and a way to feel part of the culture that is so unique to sports clubs, but for a group of girls at Po Leung Kuk’s residential care home, it is so much more. It gives them purpose in their disjointed lives, with 14-year-old Lisa Wong Wai-Lam hailing her rugby family as “another home”. Wong, along with Candy Lo Wai-sze (14), Cathy Wong Sze-man (16), Kinki Lam Tsz-ki (13) and Polly Liu Chun-chun (12), attended the Tony Ho Rugby Camp in England last month as part of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/community/article/2111665/po-leung-kuks-disadvantaged-kids-hong-kong-rugby-unions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/community/article/2111665/po-leung-kuks-disadvantaged-kids-hong-kong-rugby-unions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Sep 2017 07:11:34 +0000 At a time when getting kids active is a high priority, many Hongkongers are still waking up to the benefits of sport. There are a number of issues faced here – space is at a premium and education is often put before all else – but the attitude is slowly shifting. Physical education is gradually starting to come under the consideration of local Hong Kong families, although it is taking time to convince parents that sport can play a vital role in a balanced education and a healthy lifestyle. “For... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/community/article/2077700/rugby-pulling-its-weight-hong-kong-slowly-surely-wakes-role?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/community/article/2077700/rugby-pulling-its-weight-hong-kong-slowly-surely-wakes-role?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Mar 2017 01:50:22 +0000 The HSBC Try Rugby programme represents a seismic shift not only for rugby sevens in Hong Kong but also for children here in general, says Hong Kong Rugby Union chairman Pieter Schats. HSBC, the HKRU and the Education University of Hong Kong are teaming up to deliver the three-year programme, which is expected to reach 50,000 primary school students in its first 12 months. Launched on Monday, the programme will see physical education teachers armed with the knowledge and equipment necessary to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/community/article/2074454/hong-kong-rugby-union-chairman-pieter-schats-predicts-seismic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/community/article/2074454/hong-kong-rugby-union-chairman-pieter-schats-predicts-seismic?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Feb 2017 13:07:58 +0000 Sunday’s New Year’s Day Youth Rugby Tournament may have unearthed a star of the future in hooker Callum Tam, who before this week had never even been to Hong Kong. Tam was named best afield as the Overseas Lions held off a fast-finishing Hong Kong Dragons to win the under-19 boys match 19-17 in the 50th edition of the annual competition. The 17-year-old has spent his whole life in Canada but is eligible to represent Hong Kong because of the fact his father was born here. “Right now I’m just... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/community/article/2058572/canadas-callum-tam-takes-liking-hong-kong-rugby-50th-new-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/community/article/2058572/canadas-callum-tam-takes-liking-hong-kong-rugby-50th-new-years?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Jan 2017 14:45:45 +0000