The Hong Kong Rugby Union’s decision to cut its Elite Rugby Programme (ERP) is not the biggest surprise given the Covid-19 pandemic’s toll on the moneymaking HSBC/Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Sevens – but it is nonetheless a devastating blow to the men’s national 15s rugby set-up, said some of its last batch of professional athletes. Once respective contracts run out on June 30, all players and staff will revert to semi-professional models familiar to the pre-2016 rugby scene. This means no more three-days-a-week national team training sandwiching Tuesday and Thursday club training. Those affected will – with the Union’s guidance – likely be searching for other employment. Hong Kong rugby fans can be reassured that their goal this year is the same: to win the Asia Rugby Championship 2021 against South Korea and Malaysia in May and set up a home-and-away play-off against Tonga and Samoa for 2023 Rugby World Cup qualification next year. What happens between now and then is still very much up in the air, however. Luke van der Smit For the 2018-19 domestic season’s MVP, Luke van der Smit, the news was a tough pill to swallow. The Herbert Smith Freehills HKU Sandy Bay loose forward understood it is a case of freak circumstance but is brainstorming contingency plans post-ERP era. “To be honest, I felt pretty blindsided. My ears did prick up when they called a last-minute meeting but I thought we were going to have another pay cut. It kind of caught me off guard,” said Namibia-born South Africa-raised Van der Smit. “I really enjoyed the ERP. Nothing has been confirmed but going forward [the Union] is offering a lot of help for the boys looking to make that semi-pro transition into a work environment. For me, the main goal is still the World Cup but at the end of the day, I have to think about my future. I’m only 26 and definitely got another few years in me. I want to be playing at a high level of rugby. They did sound like they were keen to keep me in Hong Kong – we’ll see what happens.” What stung most was not the termination of the programme itself, but the temporary plateauing of the team’s exciting trajectory. Van der Smit was confident that the pack could prove doubters wrong and cause an upset against their Oceania counterparts in the World Cup play-offs. “That’s the thing – it’s not like it was a performance-based issue where you haven’t been playing well the past few years and it’s time to let you go. You literally cannot blame anyone for this, it’s a unique situation. I had my little whinge and moan but the next day you’ve got to keep moving forward. It has put more of a spotlight on my future and I’m casting as wide a net as I can as a safety precaution,” he said. “The boys were working really hard and we had a good structure from the Union with great socially distant check-up systems to make sure we were crossing T’s and dotting I’s. But since the announcement, the uncertainty definitely played on the boys’ minds. We’re working really hard with the Union and I honestly do think they have stepped it up.” Sam Tsoi Kin-san For DAC Kowloon prospect Sam Tsoi Kin-san, one of the few ethnic Hong Kong players to pass through the ERP gates and reach the scene’s top tier, the decision was expected but only heightens his fear for the future of the local rugby contingent. “It definitely discourages local players to take [rugby] seriously. Not every player is suitable for sevens rugby so local players who stand out in 15s will now have nothing to train for – and it’s not like scouts from other full-time teams are lining up at Hong Kong youth games. I understand the Union is in crisis mode but axing the whole programme is detrimental to all rugby development in Hong Kong,” the 20-year-old former Diocesan Boys’ School (DBS) shot put and discus star said. Tsoi was identified by Union recruiters over three years ago. “I wasn’t surprised when the news broke, but it hit sooner than expected. The ERP was definitely the most professional environment in Hong Kong’s sports scene. Coming from athletics and DBS where I met a lot of Hong Kong athletes, it was obvious that the ERP was supporting their players better than any other programme. I was lucky to train with players from high-level backgrounds … which really elevated the level of rugby. “Since I’m fresh and still young compared to most in the programme, everyone took care of me and I didn’t get left out of anything despite cultural barriers. The boys did nothing but nurture me and I’m grateful they were there to help me progress as a player. “I’m still at university and I’m not sure what the next step is, but right now I want to be in a full-time environment as I feel like these few years in my life are key for rugby development,” Tsoi said. Josh Henderson For new recruit Josh Henderson, who joined the programme just four months ago having signed for USRC Borrelli Walsh Tigers and announcing his intention to play for Hong Kong , developments have certainly dampened spirits but he has no regrets over leaving his native Scotland. “It was obviously disappointing. It’s a difficult one because everyone in that programme has been working so hard and we were seeing some really good improvements in our sessions,” said Henderson, who is eligible to represent Hong Kong because his mother, sisters and grandfather were born in the city. The 23-year-old former Scotland under-20s fly-half impressed in his first four games in the Saxo Markets Men’s Premiership before it was put on hold. “Everyone was feeling really optimistic about the fixtures coming up this year. That is still the goal of the group but it’s going to take a different route now. Going back to the part-time basis will be a little more challenging as we won’t have as much time together. It was unexpected but given the world’s current climate, you could be in a lot worse a situation. It is what it is. “I’m not thinking I’ve made the wrong decision – I think long-term Hong Kong rugby is going to be in a good place – but at the moment it’s tough to keep everyone’s head above water with everything going on. “I’m still confident that our squad can fulfil our goals. The main thing I saw coming into the programme was the boys’ collective drive towards that. They are hurt at the moment, obviously, but in the grand scheme of things there’s still plenty to be achieved,” Henderson said, reiterating that the Union has been “on top of” holding meetings with players about career advice and keeping them on board. Jack Parfitt For long-serving Hong Kong and ERP player Jack Parfitt, currently on an exchange to RFU Championship side London Scottish from sister club Bloomberg Hong Kong Scottish, the decision was easier to process abroad. The 28-year-old is back in training ahead of the postponed league season – slated for March 6 – after recovering from Covid-19 at the end of last year. “The Sevens is the lifeblood of Hong Kong rugby, so with it being postponed again this year, the question is whether it’ll go ahead at the end of the year. I always chose not to believe it but the boys realistically thought it could be a possibility that we would get scrapped because we’re a massive expense to the Union,” Parfitt said. “When the email went through about a meeting in the morning, from an outsider’s perspective, it ran across my mind. Either further severe pay cuts or they’re binning the programme. It’s upsetting but I completely get it. If there’s no money, there’s no money.” That Parfitt is one of the only Hong Kong-born and raised players to play in both England and Australia has provided an outlet of interest from surrounding players as they set up their own fallback plans. “Some of the boys have asked what my deal is here, and – from my time playing in Australia – about opportunities down there already. Obviously a lot of them are disappointed but I also said there’s no point sitting around whingeing – you’ve got to move on and learn to accept,” he said. “My big thing is with the World Cup qualifiers after the ARC – if we get through. But I’ve always been sceptical as to whether we’d even have the ARC this year with the case numbers. In terms of staying [in England], it makes my job a lot easier because I can focus on this and not have to worry about Hong Kong this year. “[My plan] is always to return. I wouldn’t be here giving it a crack in the UK if it wasn’t for the ERP so it’s really unfortunate that it had to cease. I was speaking to some of the older guys who have been there since the start with me; we really did have the best years that Hong Kong rugby has ever offered. Trips to Kenya, Marseille … where else in the world would you get these amazing opportunities? People took it for granted – realistically, opportunities you would only get if you were a tier one or two nation. I’ll definitely be returning to repay the favour, even if it’s to play in a semi-pro environment. Hopefully, the ERP will come back and provide more opportunities to rugby players in Hong Kong.”