Updates from Steve Tarrant - Director of Rugby
Despite the summer break from rugby we have had plenty going on during the last couple of months.
Unfortunately the police pitch at Mong Kok has been closed due to some construction work so our normal training has been held at the Tin Siu Wai pitch on a Saturday morning. It has therefore been the turn of the boys from WTS to travel. With holiday jobs, trips to China to visit relatives, the heat and the 11am start we have only been averaging about 30 boys and girls but everyone has enjoyed it and things are looking good for the new season.
We have had a touch tournament with the TM Boys home and already one of the lads, who is a big, fast U16 player is training regularly. He looks like a good recruit. The touch tournament with the boys home went well, despite it being so hot, but I am not sure what many of the boys' parents who turned up to watch made of it all.
We also sent 12 boys (9 from rugby and 3 from boxing) on a weeklong outward bound course. This to me is one of the best things we can offer the kids and yet again the experience will have done their self-confidence, teamwork and many other positive attributes you can name, the world of good. A picture of the boys at yesterday’s closing ceremony is attached.
Additionally, we have been running a summer course for young people who have never played rugby before. We had about 60 boys and girls started off on this from Wong Tai Sin and Tin Siu Wai and although we had a few drop outs as we went along. About 45 got a certificate from Robbie, last Friday. The group was coached by our own boys, who have attended a coaching course, which gave them some good experience. Hopefully about 20 of these will stay on and play this coming season, otherwise we will be a bit short in the U16s. Although Ivan is due to visit some of the discipline masters in some of the worst Tin Siu Wai schools in the next few weeks, to see if they have any more kids they want to recommend to us, I was worried how Ivan would manage with the discipline masters on his own, but he told me that he had plenty of experience with them !!
We seem to have a few more girls now, but they are all spread out over the age groups, so we are looking at maybe entering a team in the touch leagues or partnering another club.
The pitch at the police club is only available in October and training only for most of this season. This is obviously making things difficult for us as training time and locations changes regularly, but Ivan and Tank are doing a great job keeping everyone up to date and hopefully we won’t lose too many boy because of it.
We have also been working on a conference to be held in HK in October and as part of that we are holding a boxing dinner. The details are:
Date: Friday 17th October 2014
Venue: Banquet Hall, Kai Tak Cruise Terminal
Time: 7 pm onwards
There will be six bouts, some pro and some amateur. The guest of honour is confirmed as Marvellous Marvin Hagler and there should be some other famous sporting names attending.
Choose your table of 12 pax from;
Heavyweight $18,000
Middleweight $14,400
Lightweight $12,000
Contact bjay@netvigator.com for details and bookings.
It should be a great night.