Hong Kong Football Club player runs and bikes 869km for underprivileged children in Hong Kong and Vietnam
- Senior men’s rugby player John McCormick-Houston helps to double club’s ‘HKFC Rugby to Hanoi’ virtual distance in month-long campaign
- ‘It was a way to give back to the sport that has provided me with so much,’ says the hooker, who is aiming to raise HK$20,000
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 Po Leung Kuk charity organisation in Hong Kong and ChildFund Rugby in Hanoi.
As of Tuesday, the club’s rugby section had amassed more than HK$170,000, while McCormick-Houston – known as “Johnnie Mac” in rugby circles – has raised about HK$13,000, having already run or biked more than 500km and reached 8,000m in total elevation.
“We were at the Football Club the other day with our families looking out at the facilities and everything at our disposal. It’s quite often easy to take that for granted and it’s a far cry from the rusty rugby posts and dusty pitches of some of the places that I’ve played at and that these charities have worked at. It’s really important not to lose sight of how privileged we are in Hong Kong,” said the former University of Leeds, USM Morlaas, Old Colfeians and Richmond player.