Nine standouts join Rugby Hall of Fame as HKRU names end-of-season award winners

The Hong Kong Rugby Union has added nine new members to its Rugby Hall of Fame and announced the season’s top performers from the local leagues.

Societe Generale Valley swept the domestic coaching awards for a second year running with Jack Isaac and Chris Garvey named men’s and women’s Premiership coaches of the year, while Sabre Kowloon number eight Rory Martyn-Smith and CPM Gai Wu Falcons front-row forward Tammy Lau Nga-wun took men’s and women’s Premiership player of the year honours.

The nine new Hall of Fame inductees bring its total membership to 28. This year’s intake focuses on influential sevens and 15s players from both genders, with seven of the nine having represented Hong Kong.

Referees are also well represented with three new members in the group – lieutenant commander Harry Brickwood MBE RN, Bill Mason and Tobi Lothian.

Brickwood was attached to the then Royal Navy Base at Tamar from 1974-1987, and as an RFU qualified referee he was involved with the Hong Kong Society of Rugby Union Referees as a match official and referee coach. He refereed at the inaugural Hong Kong Sevens in 1976 and was a key proponent of schools rugby in the city.

Tobi Lothian, the current president of the HKSRUR, was the top ref of his era and remains the last local referee to officiate at the World Sevens Series competition in Hong Kong. He has also refereed numerous internationals throughout the region as a member of the Asia Rugby referees panel.