bc magazine

Taking the Piss!! $5,288.50

Tickets for the Hong Kong Sevens at the new Kai Tak Stadium go on sale today and the HK Rugby Union have decided in their infinite wisdom, and outright greed, to add a ‘South Stand Upgrade’ price to the basic entry ticket.

The daily, yes daily, upgrade prices are $750 (Fri), $1,250 (Sat) and $1,250 (Sun) on top of the $1,950 ticket. Spending the weekend in the South Stand – without drinks or food- will cost $5,200!!!

Talking about ducking destroying part of what made the HK Sevens unique – hopefully, everyone will boycott the new ‘South Stand’ and there’ll be a big embarrassing empty stand exposing HK rugby’s greed to the world.

Hong Kong Sevens
Date: 28-30 March 2025
Venue: Kai Tak Stadium
Tickets: $1,950
South stand surcharge $750 (Fri), $1,250 (Sat), $1,250 (Sun)
More info: www.HKsevens.com

Congratulations Hong Kong!

Hong Kong’s dream of qualifying for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 remains alive after a 22-0 victory over Kazakhstan in the Asia Rugby Women’s Championship saw the women qualify for the WXV 3 tournament later this year.

Image: HK Rugby

Hong Kong Sevens Tickets

Tickets for the Hong Kong Sevens go on sale today from 10am. The tournament, 5-7 April 2024, will be the 30th and last at the Hong Kong Stadium before the event moves to the new Kai Tak Sports Park in 2025.

Hong Kong Sevens
Date: 5-7 April, 2024
Venue: HK Stadium
Tickets: $1,950
More info: www.HKsevens.com

Samurai RFC Win Inaugural Women’s HK10s

Unbeaten over the two days, Samurai RFC beat Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix 14-12 in the final to win a fiercely competitive and entertaining inaugural Women’s HK10s.

Samurai’s ex-England International Rocky Clarke MBE posted on twitter after the final “To say I’m over the moon is an understatement. To pull on the Samurai jersey and win the HKFC10s is amazing. Thank you for the belief in me and memories we’ve created. You’ve made an old girl very happy. Thank you for the amazing experience”

Ashbury Tropics won the plate final against hosts HKFC Ice

Hong Kong Tens
When: 29-30 March, 2023
Where: Hong Kong Football Club
How much: $120
More info: www.hkfc10s.com

Additional reporting and images: HK10s

Tradition YCAC Win Men’s HK10s 2023

In a close and competitive men’s final Tradition YCAC beat Samurai RFC 7-0 to win the 2023 HKFC10s

Hong Kong Tens
When: 29-30 March, 2023
Where: Hong Kong Football Club
How much: $120
More info: www.hkfc10s.com

Additional reporting and images: HK10s

Women’s 10s Debuts in Rugby Week 2023

It’s taken thirty-five years but the inaugural HKFC Women’s 10s Competition kicks off as part of 2023 Hong Kong 10s and will see five teams compete in a round-robin format. The top four teams will progress to the knock-out phase of the competition, with the winners of two semi-finals progressing to the Cup final and the losers to a Plate final.

The competing teams are Samurai Warriors, Ashbury Tropics, Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix, FindRugbyNow as well as hosts and Hong Kong Premier League champions, HKFC Ice.

Samurai Warriors will be coached by two titans of England Rugby (a.k.a. the Red Roses) in Rochelle ‘Rocky’ Clark, who with 137 national appearances is one the most capped English players of all time, and 115-cap team-mate, Tamara Taylor.

Going head-to-head with the pair is fellow World Cup winner and legendary open-side flanker, Heather Fisher, who joins as part of the coaching team for Ashbury Tropics. Fisher is a veteran of both the Sevens and 15s having represented England and Great Britain in the 2014 World Cup and the Rio Olympic Games respectively.

Rocky Clark, who is also the Official Tournament Ambassador, said “I am massively grateful to Samurai for inviting me to coach the team. After the opportunities they gave me as a player back in the day when I started my playing journey, to now be coaching the team, it is a massive honour and where better to do it than the world’s best tens.”

The Red Roses’ involvement in the tournament reflects the calibre of the new Women’s Competition and HKFC Chairman, Neil Jensen, said “As a club, we are delighted to see that Hong Kong Football Club can still attract the biggest names in sport. We are really looking forward to seeing the return of the HKFC 10s to the Club and to once again present this exciting precursor to the Sevens which started over three decades ago.

We’re particularly pleased to see the introduction of a Women’s Competition which is an important milestone for the tournament and something we have been working towards for a number of years. Thank you to the teams that are making the journey to Hong Kong and we look forward to seeing a new dimension to the World’s Best 10s out on pitch.”

The 2023 HKFC 10s marks the 35th edition of Hong Kong Football Club’s flagship rugby event. It takes place at Hong Kong Football Club from 29-30 March. Matches are 10 minutes each way, gates open at 8.30am. Tickets cost $120 per day.

Hong Kong Tens
When: 29-30 March, 2023
Where: Hong Kong Football Club
How much: $120
More info: www.hkfc10s.com

Additional reporting and images: HK10s

Auckland and The World Awaits… The Women’s Rugby World Cup

The bitterly cold wind has faded as the weekend approaches leaving the City of Sails bathed in spring sunshine for the start of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 – played in 2022.

Covid forced a twelve-month delay and destroyed the qualification hopes of several countries including Hong Kong. But for those who made it, the extra year has allowed them time to improve…

The opening day’s matches at the iconic Eden Park are a 45,000 sell out and the merchandise booth in the city centre is doing brisk business as young and old get ready for the tournament to begin.

New Zealand is a rugby-mad country, but Auckland in its first major event post covid is not really ‘feeling’ the RWC2021 yet… And it’s the visiting Fijians who are making the noise as Fijiana make their debut at a Women’s World Cup.

All the matches can be enjoyed on World Rugby’s free live stream and Auckland is 5 hours ahead of Hong Kong.

https://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2022/20221007-Womens-World-Cup-in-New-Zealand/i-TXxrf3n

Hong Kong Target Sevens World Series

The 2022 Sevens Challenger Series kicks off in Santiago, Chile on the 12-14 August, with qualification to the World Sevens Series awaiting the winner. As Hong Kong’s coach Paul John puts it “Everybody wants to be on the World Series and test themselves against the best in the world.”

Speaking about the squad he’s picked John continued “There’s a lot of experience in the boys who got picked. They’re the ones who have been consistently putting their hands up during training and the competitions we’ve had recently.”

The Challenger Series is three-day tournament, with 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams competing to achieve core status on the Series. Hong Kong are in Pool B with Tonga, Jamaica and Zimbabwe.

Captain Max Woodward says the squad want to shed their ‘nearly men’ tag and is blunt about his desire: “As long as I’ve been playing 7s for Hong Kong I’ve wanted to get on the [World Sevens] Series. It would mean a massive amount to me, and I know the rest of the squad feel the same way. We’ve been so close before and the yearning is there.”

“We’re very excited to play a winner takes all tournament – knowing that we are one of the favourites and the chance to win is very much within our capability is a real boost.,” added Woodward.

Watch the 2022 Sevens Challenger Series live on the World Rugby website.

Hong Kong Men’s Sevens Squad
Max Woodward (Captain), Callum McCullough, Michael Coverdale, Kane Boucaut, Alessandro Nardoni, Pierce Mackinlay-West, Sebastian Brien, Lee Ka To Cado, Hugo Stiles, Russell Webb, Alex McQueen, Harry Sayers, Max Denmark, Yiu Kam Shing.

Additional reporting and images: World Rugby, HKRU