Bright future for Filipino rugby players as Hong Kong Rugby Union steps up to promote Pinoy talent
- Philippine Rugby and HKRU join forces to scout potential talent among Filipino community in the city
- Open training session was led by national team members Kate Palis and Rob Fogerty
Close to sixty Filipino rugby players turned out recently at a talent identification day in Hong Kong, all in the name of rugby and being proudly Pinoy.
Philippine Rugby, in partnership with Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU), joined forces with the aim of bringing more opportunities to Filipino players abroad.
After a successful recruitment day in Brisbane in September, that saw close to 15 players identified, Hong Kong residents showed up in numbers with a record turnout of more than 50 participants.
Jake Letts, the CEO of Philippine Rugby Football Union, called it “an amazing turnout”.
“We expected a higher number in Hong Kong with the amount of Filipinos residing there, but to reach over 50 was very pleasing to see and across all ages,” he said.
The talent identification and recruitment day was one of the strategies implemented because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has also now set an annual platform to better serve the global recruitment drive of Philippine Rugby.
“Philippine Rugby and the Volcanoes is a global family, and we want to engage with Filipinos across the Philippines and across the world. This strategy helps our brand grow globally, and gives a reason for Filipinos to be proud of,” Letts added.
