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”

Rocky Clark MBE

Ashbury Tropics won the plate final against hosts HKFC Ice

Ashbury Tropics Plate winners HK10s 2023

HK10s Women's pool standings 2023

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

Rugby Week 2023

After the individual creativity of Art Week, the wonders of team creativity are on display as Rugby Week 2023 scrums down.

Unfortunately, the traditional rugby week curtain-raiser Kowloonfest has been postponed again until 2024 – the old and venerable taking longer to recover and reboot post covid.

This year’s action starts with, perhaps the best rugby of the week, the Hong Kong 10s at Hong Kong Football Club on Wednesday 29 March. Proper scrums and brutal power forward play are features of the Tens, especially on Thursday night. It’s perhaps the closest we in Hong Kong can get to seeing modern rugby up close and personal. Select teams packed with talent and big names, new and old, from around the world put a physicality and rawness to images seen on television that really needs to be experienced in person.

Amidst the Sevens partying,  a rugby tournament takes place… After November’s empty stadium, harsh crowd restrictions and drab atmosphere – can the Sevens recover its allure as one of the world’s great sporting/social events?

Here are the dates for your Rugby Week 2023 diary.

Kowloon Fest
When: postponed to 2024
More info: www.rugbyfest.org

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

HK Sevens
Date: 31 March – 2 April, 2023
Venue: HK Stadium
Tickets: $1,950
More info: www.HKsevens.com

Rugby Week 2019

After the individual creativity of Art Week, the wonders of team creativity are on display as Rugby Week 2019 scrums down.

The action starts at King’s Park on Wednesday 3 April with KowloonFest where the old and venerable rumble around the pitch and have a lot of fun as their brain sees them sprinting to score a fantastic try only to find their legs unable to keep up…

While the 7s is all speed and patterns, perhaps the best rugby of the week is at the Hong Kong Tens. With proper scrums and brutal power forward play the Tens features, especially on Thursday night, perhaps the closest we in Hong Kong can get to seeing modern rugby up close and personal. Select teams packed with talent, new and old, from around the world put a physicality and rawness to images seen on television that really has to be experienced in person.

The wonderful HK Women’s Seven is again a qualifier for the Women’s World Series. If you can’t get a ticket to the Sevens then head to So Kon Po and cheer on Hong Kong.

The Sevens, amidst the partying a rugby tournament takes place. The quality of the other World Series tournaments isn’t as good as in the past – empty stadiums on the World Series attest to that. Yet Hong Kong still sees teams raising their game…

Here are the dates for your diary for what promises to be some fantastic sport and a lot of fun.

Kowloon Fest
When: 3 April, 2019
Where: Kings Park
How much: Free
More info: www.rugbyfest.org

Hong Kong Tens
Date: 3-4 April, 2019
Venue: HK Football Club
Tickets: $125, $100 (advance)
More info: www.hongkongtens.com

Hong Kong Women’s Rugby Sevens
Date: 4-5 April, 2019
Venue: So Kon Po
Tickets: Free
More info: www.facebook.com/hkwr.sevens

Hong Kong 7s
Date: 5-7 April, 2019
Venue: HK Stadium
Tickets: $1,950 (sold out)
More info: www.hksevens.com