Updates from Steve Tarrant - Director of Rugby

The first league games of the season kick off today but some sudden repairs to the Tin Siu Wai pitch meant our matches were cancelled. Our first games will now be on 5 October and I will send details nearer the time. Training continues on a Wednesday night and the U19s are looking sharp. The U16s are struggling with numbers, with a number of the boys only turning up occasionally. We are working hard to get the required commitment. Anyway the good news for this week is that Ken, our Filipino prop who is in the HKRFU Academy, is in the HK U19 team who are in Sri Lanka competing in the Junior World Trophy Qualification Tournament from Saturday 20th - Saturday 27th September.

The HK team will go into the competition as favourites

but will face tough opposition in the shape of Sri Lanka, Korea and Chinese Taipei as all teams fight for the top spot and a place at the Junior World Trophy (JWT) in Portugal next April. I am sure Ken will play well and a trip to Portugal is a big incentive. On Thursday Robbie and Gunny visited the Sir Ellis Kadoorie School in Mong Kok, which Ken attends. The headmaster and indeed the whole school are obviously very proud of his success. The school is now taking up rugby, with Gunny assisting with the coaching and hopefully we will get a few referrals, particularly for our U16 team. Lastly I understand there are a few tables left for the upcoming boxing dinner on 17 October, which is our big fund raiser for the year. If you and a few friends fancy watching the Breakthrough boxers in action please contact BJ and reserve a table. It will be a great evening and as sporting super stars go, one doesn’t get much bigger than Hagler or our very own Sures, who will be fighting, for that matter!