Rugby union in Hong Kong
Encyclopedia
Rugby union
in Hong Kong
is long established, partly as a result of its being a British colony. In contrast to the People's Republic of China
, it has had a continuous existence dating back over a hundred years, and is most notable for its sevens
tournaments.
was founded in 1953, and joined the IRB
in 1988.
has been played in Hong Kong for over a hundred and fifty years.
Hong Kong is best known for its development of rugby sevens
, an abbreviated code from Melrose
in the Scottish Borders
, which is also popular in the city of Edinburgh
itself. This is partly due to the fact that there were large number of Scots amongst the British colonials in Hong Kong. Naturally it became popular amongst other groups in the city, particularly other white ex-patriates, but a notable feature of many of the early national sides, whether seven-a-side, or fifteen-a-side was that they were largely or completely white, and often contained little or no Chinese. Occasionally these white sides resorted to bolstering themselves players from the British Army
stationed in Hong Kong at the time, but this still did not win them the Asian Championship
against the like of Japan
. In the 1990s, director of rugby at the HKRFU, George Simpkin tried to remedy this situation by evangelising the colony's Chinese population to ensure it had a future after the handover.
The transfer of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China was not the total disaster for rugby there that some predicted. Since the handover, the Hong Kong Sevens continue to flourish, and there is increasing interest in the game within Mainland China
as well.
would be more useful in promoting the game than 15-a-side.
The Hong Kong Sevens
have proven a powerful missionary force in Asia, allowing nations with small numbers of players to compete at a high level, and improve the standard of their game. Perhaps because of this high profile, Hong Kong was allowed to compete in the Asian Championship
, a predecessor to the Asian Five Nations
.
Bill McLaren
, in his autobiography Talking of Rugby writes at length about his Hong Kong Sevens experiences:
The Hong Kong Sevens
(Chinese:
香港國際七人欖球賽) is considered the premier tournament on the IRB Sevens World Series
in rugby union
. The tournament was set up in 1976, and attracted clubs from Asia and beyond, from Indonesia, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Japan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Fiji for the first tournament alone. It was held at the Hong Kong Football Club
in Happy Valley
. After an initial proposal was refused by the Rugby Football Union
in England, the HKRFU changed focus and sent out invitations to Asian and Pacific sides.
The Rugby World Cup Sevens
have been held twice in Hong Kong - see 1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens
and 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens
.
In addition to the nine venues located in Japan for the 2019 Rugby World Cup
, one venue each from Singapore
and Hong Kong
have also been proposed to host five matches respectively. The Hong Kong Stadium
, with a capacity of 50,000, will be hosting some of the matches.
and women's
The men's team is a third tier rugby
playing nation. They first played in 1969 and have played 78 games to date. In general, their players consist of a mixture of both Hong Kong Chinese, and Caucasian
players.
They have competed in the first Asian Five Nations
recently.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
is long established, partly as a result of its being a British colony. In contrast to the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, it has had a continuous existence dating back over a hundred years, and is most notable for its sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
tournaments.
Governing Body
The Hong Kong Rugby Football UnionHong Kong Rugby Football Union
Hong Kong Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in Hong Kong. It was founded in 1953 and became affiliated to the International Rugby Board in 1988. They organise the annual Hong Kong Sevens tournament....
was founded in 1953, and joined the IRB
International Rugby Board
The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...
in 1988.
History
Rugby footballRugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
has been played in Hong Kong for over a hundred and fifty years.
Hong Kong is best known for its development of rugby sevens
Rugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
, an abbreviated code from Melrose
Melrose, Scotland
Melrose is a small town and civil parish in the Scottish Borders, historically in Roxburghshire. It is in the Eildon committee area.-Etymology:...
in the Scottish Borders
Rugby union in the Scottish Borders
Rugby union in the Scottish Borders has a long, and significant history.The region has been responsible for several major innovations, and a presence in the national game which is disproportionately large, due to the fact it is the one part of Scotland, where rugby is the main sport and played by...
, which is also popular in the city of Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
itself. This is partly due to the fact that there were large number of Scots amongst the British colonials in Hong Kong. Naturally it became popular amongst other groups in the city, particularly other white ex-patriates, but a notable feature of many of the early national sides, whether seven-a-side, or fifteen-a-side was that they were largely or completely white, and often contained little or no Chinese. Occasionally these white sides resorted to bolstering themselves players from the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
stationed in Hong Kong at the time, but this still did not win them the Asian Championship
Asian Championship
There are various championships held in a variety of sports on an Asian Level:*Athletics: Asian Championships in Athletics*Badminton: Badminton Asia Championships*Baseball: Asian Baseball Championship*Basketball:**FIBA Asia Championship...
against the like of Japan
Japan national rugby union team
The Japan national rugby union team represent Japan in international rugby union competitions. Japan is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia but has both enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years...
. In the 1990s, director of rugby at the HKRFU, George Simpkin tried to remedy this situation by evangelising the colony's Chinese population to ensure it had a future after the handover.
The transfer of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China was not the total disaster for rugby there that some predicted. Since the handover, the Hong Kong Sevens continue to flourish, and there is increasing interest in the game within Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
as well.
Hong Kong Sevens
Because of the territory's small size, it was argued that rugby sevensRugby sevens
Rugby sevens, also known as seven-a-side or VIIs, is a variant of rugby union in which teams are made up of seven players, instead of the usual 15, with shorter matches. Rugby sevens is administered by the International Rugby Board , the body responsible for rugby union worldwide...
would be more useful in promoting the game than 15-a-side.
The Hong Kong Sevens
Hong Kong Sevens
The Hong Kong Sevens is considered the premier tournament on the IRB Sevens World Series in rugby sevens—a variant of rugby union....
have proven a powerful missionary force in Asia, allowing nations with small numbers of players to compete at a high level, and improve the standard of their game. Perhaps because of this high profile, Hong Kong was allowed to compete in the Asian Championship
Asian Championship
There are various championships held in a variety of sports on an Asian Level:*Athletics: Asian Championships in Athletics*Badminton: Badminton Asia Championships*Baseball: Asian Baseball Championship*Basketball:**FIBA Asia Championship...
, a predecessor to the Asian Five Nations
Asian Five Nations
The Asian Five Nations, known as the HSBC Asian 5 Nations due to its sponsorship by HSBC, is an annual international rugby union competition held between the top five Asian national rugby sides...
.
Bill McLaren
Bill McLaren
William Pollock "Bill" McLaren CBE was a Scottish rugby union commentator, teacher, journalist and one time rugby player. Until his retirement in 2002, he was known as 'the voice of rugby'...
, in his autobiography Talking of Rugby writes at length about his Hong Kong Sevens experiences:
- "I remember a big South Sea islander saying that, in his view, the Hong Kong sevens were really the Olympic Games of Rugby Union. Certainly, the Hong Kong event encapsulates all the really good things that the game has to offer —splendid organisation, wonderful sporting spirit, universal camaraderie, admirable field behaviour, the most enjoyable crowd participation, the chance for emergent rugby nations to lock horns with the mighty men of New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Wales, Scotland and the Barbarians. There is, too, scintillating running and handling which is what the game is supposed to be all about."
The Hong Kong Sevens
Hong Kong Sevens
The Hong Kong Sevens is considered the premier tournament on the IRB Sevens World Series in rugby sevens—a variant of rugby union....
(Chinese:
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
香港國際七人欖球賽) is considered the premier tournament on the IRB Sevens World Series
IRB Sevens World Series
The IRB Sevens World Series, known officially as the HSBC Sevens World Series as of the 2010-11 season, through sponsorship from banking group HSBC, and also sometimes called the World Sevens Series, is a series of international rugby union sevens tournaments organised for the first time in the...
in rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
. The tournament was set up in 1976, and attracted clubs from Asia and beyond, from Indonesia, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Tonga, Japan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Fiji for the first tournament alone. It was held at the Hong Kong Football Club
Hong Kong Football Club
The Soccer Section of Hong Kong Football Club has few teams. The First Team is competitng in Hong Kong Second Division League.-History:...
in Happy Valley
Happy Valley, Hong Kong
Happy Valley is a mostly residential suburb of Hong Kong, located in the northern part of Hong Kong Island. Administratively, it is part of Wan Chai District....
. After an initial proposal was refused by the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
in England, the HKRFU changed focus and sent out invitations to Asian and Pacific sides.
The Rugby World Cup Sevens
Rugby World Cup Sevens
The Rugby World Cup Sevens is the premier international Rugby sevens competition. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Rugby Board , and is contested by the men's national sevens teams every four years. The inaugural tournament was held in 1993 in Scotland, the...
have been held twice in Hong Kong - see 1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens
1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens
The 1997 Rugby World Cup Sevens was the second edition of the tournament and held in Hong Kong. Fiji defeated South Africa 24-21 to take the title for the first time. The match is still considered one of the best Sevens matches of all time...
and 2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens
2005 Rugby World Cup Sevens
-The winning team::Fiji national rugby sevens team*Waisale Serevi*Sireli Bobo*Vilimoni Delasau*William Ryder*Marika Vunibaka*Semisi Naevo*Nasoni Roko*Ifereimi Rawaqa*Jone Daunivucu*Lepani Nabuliwaqa*Norman Ligairi*Viliame Satala*Apolosi Satala...
.
2013 British and Irish Lions Tour to Australia
The 2013 British and Irish Lions Tour to Australia will start with a match against the Barbarians in Hong Kong.2019 Rugby World Cup
2019 Rugby World Cup
The 2019 Rugby World Cup is scheduled to be the 9th edition of the Rugby World Cup. At a special IRB meeting held in Dublin on 28 July 2009, Japan was announced as the host for the competition. This will be the first time this tournament to be held in Asia. Hong Kong and Singapore are expected to...
, one venue each from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
have also been proposed to host five matches respectively. The Hong Kong Stadium
Hong Kong Stadium
Hong Kong Stadium is the main sports venue of Hong Kong. Redeveloped from the old Government Stadium it reincarnated as Hong Kong Stadium in 1994...
, with a capacity of 50,000, will be hosting some of the matches.
National team
Hong Kong has two 15-a-side teams - men'sHong Kong national rugby union team
The Hong Kong national rugby union team is a third tier rugby union side. Hong Kong first played in 1969 and since then have always been in the group of the best Asian teams. Their team is made mostly from British origin players, with some natives from Hong Kong. They have yet to qualify for the...
and women's
Hong Kong women's national rugby union team
The Hong Kong women's national rugby union team are a national sporting side of Hong Kong, representing them at rugby union. The side first played in 1998.-Results summary:-Results:...
The men's team is a third tier rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
playing nation. They first played in 1969 and have played 78 games to date. In general, their players consist of a mixture of both Hong Kong Chinese, and Caucasian
Caucasian race
The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, Western Asia , Central Asia and South Asia...
players.
They have competed in the first Asian Five Nations
Asian Five Nations
The Asian Five Nations, known as the HSBC Asian 5 Nations due to its sponsorship by HSBC, is an annual international rugby union competition held between the top five Asian national rugby sides...
recently.