Shandong tour offers local talent a chance to get noticed

A squad of promising Hong Kong players from the HKRFU’s Championship and Premiership A domestic leagues have embarked on a two-match tour to China starting on Wednesday.

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Players from the “Hong Kong Champions” squad get psyched up before their departure on a two-match tour to Shandong. Photo: HKRFU

Published: 10:00pm, 17 Dec 2014Updated: 9:59pm, 17 Dec 2014

A squad of promising Hong Kong players from the HKRFU’s Championship and Premiership A domestic leagues have embarked on a two-match tour to China starting on Wednesday.

The invitational squad, dubbed the “Hong Kong Champions”, will play two matches against a Shandong Province XV. The second match will take place on Saturday.

The initiative is designed as a “talent identification exercise” with HKRFU performance player development coach Craig Wilson evaluating the players.

The HKSI’s Andy Yuen Kin-ho will coach the team on tour. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Standouts from the tour will be invited to join the HKRFU’s Senior Academy Programme.

Wilson said the tour offers “an exciting opportunity for local Chinese players who have not previously been identified or come through the HKRFU age-grade development system”.

The squad features strong representation from current Championship league leaders SCAA Causeway Bay who have had six players selected, while eight players from Premiership A outfit Tin Shui Wai are in the line-up.