Hong Kong Premiership star Suzanne Sittko reflects on beloved rugby community after emotional farewell
- The retired 2018-19 women’s MVP describes being in hospital for days after last season’s Grand Championship final
- Sittko says her Valley Black Ladies will be just as strong after the pandemic – ‘I have so much FOMO right now’
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 aspect of it. Amidst all that’s going on right now, that’s going to be something that carries people through,” the 33-year-old forward said.
“It’s not the sport; it’s the community that people build. I’m so thankful and honoured to be a part of the Valley family. That’s the present tense – not something that I was, but something that I’ll be a part of for a long time. I know that’s a bit on the cheesy side, but rugby gave a platform for a lot of people’s stability.”
Sittko cited being stuck in a hospital after last year’s Grand Championship final as one reason why she called it a day – from competitive rugby, at least. Despite her hankering for “big hits and contact”, her final season was ridden with the dreaded injury-rehabilitation cycle.