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Ladies Day at King’s Park

It’s Ladies Day at King’s Park with 10 women’s league rugby matches taking place, the highlight being the first clash of the season between Premiership Champions Valley Black and the team they’ve faced in the last three Grand Finals Gai Wu Falcons – that match kicks off at 4:30pm. But the action, spread across two pitches starts at 1:30pm with the last kick-off at 7:30pm.

If there’s a negative to Ladies Day, it’s that the HKRU has done nothing to promote it. No advertising, not even a banner on Facebook or on their website. In marked contrast to men’s tournament currently taking place. Which then raises the very pertinent question when will there be a Women’s Cup of Nations?

Last season’s Grand Final was a thrilling affair with Valley scoring in the dying seconds to claim a 12-10 win. Both sides enter this match in fine form with perfect records and squads laden with Hong Kong internationals. Gai Wu (seven forwards, six backs) and Valley (four forwards, two backs) account for 19 of the 31 players in the current Hong Kong training squad preparing for upcoming matches against Kazakhstan and the Womens’ Rugby World Cup qualifiers here in December.

The Gai Wu Falcons are coming off a tough 12-0 win over Tigers last weekend while Valley Black were inactive after their match with HKFC Ice was postponed. With the unexpected break in the action, Valley coach James Elliot ensured that his team was on hand to watch Gai Wu in action as added preparation and motivation for tomorrow’s tie.

Elliot was confident ahead of the match saying, “It’s a crunch game for sure. Both teams have a lot of balance with good backs and good forwards. A lot of the Valley and Gai Wu girls play and train together for Hong Kong, so they know exactly how each other play. I think it will come down to who wants it more.”

Valley will be without winger Laurel Chor who is unavailable due to work commitments, so Elliot has called upon a few of his side’s younger players, Kelsie Bouttle and Clare Coey, to back up the team with Coey covering for Chor out wide.

Elliot expects that it will all come down to defence on the day. “The 16.30 start suits both sides. Both teams have speed and that gets more opportunity in an afternoon game so I expect some good running rugby, and some good contact too. We’ve got some muscle up front, and Gai Wu have ability there too. They are fit all over the park, so our defence has to be rock solid,” Eliott added.

“The break last week gave our Hong Kong players a bit of time to recover, especially for those that had trained with Hong Kong the day before, so I’m not worried about missing that game last week in terms of how sharp we will be. Hopefully we can spring a few surprises on Saturday,” said Elliot.

Gai Wu have one their most dangerous players back with the return of Aggie Poon Pak-yan from injury. Hong Kong rugby fans are well aware of Poon’s class and Elliot is no different. “We’re pleased that Aggie Poon will be out there. She is one of Hong Kong’s top players so you always want to see them healthy and on the pitch. With her in the side, we know we are playing their best team which fires us up,” said Elliot.

Valley enter the match with confidence but are also well aware of where they are in the season and their wider objectives. “We’re looking forward to the game. Personally, I expect to win but it’s still early in the Premiership. We are still trying new things and looking to be a bit more creative, but we’re ready to grind out a win in the Valley fashion if we have to; but it’s a nice expansive pitch and I expect a good open game.”

Elliot is also comfortable with his side wearing the mantle of favourites. “It’s not a burden. We just have to back up our reputation on Saturday,” Elliot added.

Gai Wu Falcons coach Lai Yiu-pang wouldn’t be drawn on the revenge angle, saying, “We don’t see it that way. We take every game and opponent as they come and treat each one with the same seriousness.

“Having said that, we know that Valley are one of the strongest teams in the competition. This match is hugely important to us because our goal is the league crown and Grand Championship. Valley scouted our games over the last two weeks, so I think they are under more pressure than us, as they want to maintain their unbeaten streak,” added Lai who commented that a complete game will be necessary on Saturday.

“It will start with our defence. We were really good defensively last week against Tigers and if we can maintain that then I think we can put pressure on them. We have to secure the breakdown first and foremost, and then try to build attacking momentum from there.

“We are expecting a physical game because they have some strong bodies and a few very experienced individuals. Our backline will need to put in an improved performance on attack. They need more confidence given that most of them are sevens players and need time to adapt to the fifteens play a bit.”

Lai will be able to call upon Poon for a second time this season after her debut last weekend. “Aggie is fit and ready for Saturday,” said Lai, who will still miss some of his key cogs up front with Lee Ka Suen given a rest due to a recent illness and the fact that she has been training with the Hong Kong squad this week.

“Lee was ill last week and we are concerned with her conditioning. It’s safer to give her a rest to help her recover, but luckily our front row has stayed healthy. They will have to have another key performance this weekend. We have promoted a few forwards from the second team to give us more options and bench depth and it is one of our goals for the season to get them more experience,” Lai concluded.

While all eyes will be on the top-of-the-table clash, in the other Premiership action the match between Tigers and HKFC will also impact the league standings with both sides entering the game level on 15 points, although HKFC have a game in hand on Tigers. Tigers’ two losses have come against Valley and Gai Wu in back-to-back weeks with HKFC yet to face Valley this season. City Sparkle will look to take capitalize on its game against Causeway Bay Phoenix – just one spot ahead of them on the league table – as they hunt for their first win in their debut Premiership season.

With all of the league matches this weekend taking place at Kings Park, Saturday will offer an opportunity for supporters to catch up with the action in the National Leagues 1 and 2. Highlight National League matches see Tai Po Dragons take on Tigers in what is expected to be a very tight encounter. Tai Po, who dropped from the Premiership this season, are at the top of the NL1 table with a perfect four-win, no-loss record. Tigers are in fourth place with a game in hand on Tai Po. Seventh-ranked HKCC will look to claim their first win of the season against fellow foot-of-the-table side Revolution SRC.

The National League 2 match between Kowloon and City’s second teams will offer a compelling preview of some emerging Women’s players as both teams feature a large number of players from the most recent Hong Kong Rugby Union Summer Rugby course.

Additional reporting, images: HKRU

Women’s Rugby Fixtures – 12 November, 2016

Belgium Week Brings Vibrant Culture to Hong Kong

An eclectic introduction to modern Belgium culture is perhaps the best description for Belgium Week which runs from the 12-19 November and showcases a diverse range of artists including Filip Jordens, Jacques Brel, Peter Lenaerts, DJ Maxime Firket, Yves Ullens de Schooten, Harold Ancart, Sophie Whettnall, Belgian comics and gastronomy.

The weeks events launch with DJ Maxime Firket at Kee Club on the 12 November. On Sunday one of the more interesting performances is Filip Jordens Homage a Brel where he performs a repetoire of the legendary singer-songwriter and actor Jacques Brel songs at Ping Pong Gintonería in Sai Ying Pun, tickets are $500.

https://youtu.be/E7zgNye6HTE

The most unusual event is sound artist Peter Lenaerts MicroSleepDub ‘residency’ at Wing in Chai Wan from the 17-27 November. MicroSleepDub is about micro sound, architecture and urbanism. It’s a durational performance built around a sound composition for dub plates where Lenaerts listens and looks for sounds that are too quiet, too vague, or too low to be heard normally. Using a microphone as a microscope, he zooms in and amplifies these neglected, underexposed and discarded sounds. MicroSleepDub is an all night performance, where listening and sleeping are both encouraged. Entry is free, but registration is required.

A series of art exhibitions at the Kee Club and Artone will showcase established and new artists from Belgium whose artworks reflect Belgium as a country; rich in culture and artistic expression. Exhibition curator Emilie Rolin Jacquemyns commented that “I wanted to showcase a wide spectrum of artists that could really give a deeper feeling of Belgium. Each time I look at their artwork, there is a part of our culture, history and way of life that I see. Light is at the core of all their work, everything is subtle, minimalist and perfect. To me, there is a calming sense that unite all these pieces, and a sense of brightness, an expression of colour, that brings Belgium closer to home for me here in Hong Kong.”

Artists exhibiting at the KEE Club include:
Harold Ancart: born in Brussels but now lives and works in New York, he will be presenting an untitled piece. Using space and repetition for his architectural installations and works on paper, his work is often minimalist with recurring motifs of parrots, the jungle and palm trees.

Ann Veronica Janssens: an artist who uses distribution of light, colour, and reflective surfaces to reveal the instability of perception of time and space. She will showcase her art piece named Magic Mirror.

Sophie Whettnall: lives and works in Brussels and focuses on light but also has an eye for its absence, as well as landscape – a frequent theme in her work, uses raw and natural elements to reflect contradictory concepts and perceptions and will be exhibiting Border Lines #26.

Poetic Views
Date: 11am-11pm, 14-18 November, 2016
Venue: KEE Club
Tickets: Free

Photographer Yves Ullens de Schooten who will be showcasing The Theatre of Lights using abstract photography as his medium to express emotion and energy brought by light and colour at ArtOne.

Matières et contrast (Materials and Contrast)
Date: 10am-9pm, 12-19 November, 2016
Venue: Artone
Tickets: Free

In addition to the KEE and ArtOne exhibitions, Michel Mouffe has a solo show at the Axel Vervoordt Gallery and Andy Wauman, a solo show at Art Statements, Wong Chuk Hang. There is also an exhibition of photography, by Jean-Pierre Ruelle – Hong Kong and Islands at the Lightstage Gallery, Sheung Wan.

For a full program of events see www.belgiumhk.com

Belgium Week
Date: 12-19 November, 2016
Venue: Various
Tickets: See individual events
More info: www.BelgiumHK.com

Cup of Nations Preview

The Cup of Nations returns this weekend. The four-team competition features countries selected with an eye on Hong Kong’s potential opponents in the Rugby World Cup 2019 qualification stages. 2015 champions and favourites to defend their title Russia, Zimbabwe, debutants Papua New Guinea and hosts Hong Kong play a round-robin series on three match days, – the 11, 15 and 19 of November.

“We want to win of course” said coach Leigh Jones. “The tournament will provide some important insight, specifically where we are and where we still need to improve, which is particularly important given the new pathways established for Rugby World Cup qualification.”

Under the new Rugby World Cup qualification format, Asia will send it’s top-ranked side, currently Japan, through to the World Cup as Asia 1. Asia 2, the spot filled by Hong Kong in the 2015 Rugby World Cup qualification campaign, will now play a home and away series versus Oceania 4, with the winners advancing to the penultimate stage of qualification, an international repechage series, which in the past has featured Russia and Zimbabwe.

In preparation for the tournament Jones has been working with an expanded training squad of 36 players who were given an extended break from the local Premiership rugby to participate in international training. The extra week allowed Jones to put the squad – comprised of Elite Rugby Programme players, Hong Kong sevens squad members, semi-professional players in the domestic leagues and National Age Grade graduates, through their paces.

“During the training week, we played a mini Cup of Nations format, effectively simulating the varying styles we are likely to face in the Cup of Nations,” said Jones. Who added “This is a great competition for us as it offers the opportunity to expose our players to high intensity matches against teams outside of Asia. With three very different tests in the space of nine days, we will need to be smart in how we use the squad and in selecting the right players to suit the different approaches we will see.”

First up for Hong Kong on the 11 November at King’s Park are Papua New Guinea who will be looking to continue a run of wins over Tahiti, American Samoa and the Solomon Islands that saw them win the 2015 Oceania Cup.

“It’s been difficult to get information on Papua New Guinea, so they are a bit of an unknown but we expect a tough encounter,” said Jones. “They should be quite physical and hard-hitting, so we will need to counter that with a very structured game and will rely on our set piece to perform.”

In Zimbabwe, Jones expects a similar style to that Hong Kong faced when touring Kenya last summer. “Zimbabwe aren’t too dissimilar to Kenya in that they are very athletic and play a very individual style of rugby. We will need to rely on our collective strength and discipline to overcome their individual skills.”

Zimbabwe will be hunting for it’s first win in Hong Kong and it’s first test victory in over a year, after losing all three matches here last year, including a 30-11 loss against Hong Kong. The Sables’ most recent test action was this summer when they lost to Namibia, Kenya and Uganda in the Africa Cup.

Russia, at 21, the highest ranked team in the competition return in good form and are likely to prove the biggest hurdle to Hong Kong’s efforts to win the Cup for the first time. Russia played their most recent tests in June – against tier one unions Canada and USA (both losses). Prior to that they beat Spain, Germany and Portugal in the 2016 European Nations Cup, losing only to Romania.

“Our approach for Russia will be almost diametrically opposite to the first two matches. They are power orientated with a big set piece and play a Northern Hemisphere style game. We will need a different philosophy for this test, one where we try to bring a high tempo into the game, negate their forward dominance and rely on more of our game-changers in the backline,” said Jones.

Cup of Nations
Hong Kong, Russia, Zimbabwe, Papua New Guinea
Date: 11, 15, 19 November, 2016
Venues: King’s Park, HK Football Club
Tickets: Free
More info:
11 November @ King’s Park
5pm – Russia v Zimbabwe
7pm – Hong Kong v Papua New Guinea

15 November @ King’s Park
5pm – Russia v Papua New Guinea
7pm – Hong Kong v Zimbabwe

19 November @ HK Football Club
5pm – Zimbabwe v Papua New Guinea
7pm – Hong Kong v Russia

Additional reporting and image: HKRU

Match Report: University Pirates 0-39 HKFC Fire @ Sandy Bay – 5 November, 2016

With the bitter taste of recent defeat still lingering in their mouths, Tash Ellis-Enright reports the HKFC Fire were in no mood to admire the beautiful Sandy Bay sea view.

Recent changes to player positions and some of the girls playing against former team mates meant that the Fire went onto the pitch full of excitement and nerves. As always, they were ready to fight for a win!

The first half saw the University Pirates working really hard with some tough girls on defence. The Fire forwards were equally as tough, hitting hard and low, and managing to win most of their scrums. These strong girls showed an excellent display of pod work and created the platform that saw the Fire score three first half tries through Crystal Wray, Apple Lau and Maggie Wong who snagged her first of season. Half-time score 17-0.

After half time Fire went back onto the pitch; they fought hard, as if no points had already been scored. Fire sharpened up their defensive line and played most of the game in the Pirates half of the pitch. The forwards continued their strong work on offence as well allowing Apple score her second try of the match. The backs shone through, working hard as a unit, to see Crystal score 2 break away tries and complete her hat-trick. Rabbit joined Maggie in scoring her first try of the season while Helen successfully kicked 2 conversions!

With a great display of sportsmanship from players and supporters, it was a well-deserved 39-0 win for Fire! Just goes to show that hard work and extra practice really does pay off!

HKFC Fire
Nicole Lai, Lok Ting Chan, Marueen Cheng, Caroline Lau, Lu Hou, Zuza Osinska, Cynthia Luk, Apple Lau, Helen Lee, Rabbit Leung, Maggie Wong, Tash Ellis-Enright, Crystal Wray, Mo Cheng, Casey Gallagher, Karus Leung, Amy Kong, Selene, Morgane, Tracy Tong, Alex Fraser.
Tries: Apple Lau (2), Maggie Wong (1), Crystal Wray (3), Rabbit Leung (1) Conversion: Helen Lee (2)
Coaches: Gloria Cheung, John Hannon, Ed Barker

Babar Hayat and Anshuman Rath Steer Hong Kong to Series Victory

Babar Hayat and Anshuman Rath stared in a rain-affected match as Hong Kong triumphed in the third and final One Day International against Papua New Guinea to seal a 2-1 series win at Tin Kwong Road Recreation Ground.

After being set an intimidating 245 on a slow surface, captain Babar Hayat (82*) and Anshuman Rath (52*) produced an unbeaten 120-run partnership to guide the home side to victory. The target was adjusted to 178 runs in 38 overs after rain shortened the match while Hong Kong were 170-3 after 31 overs.

In the PNG innings a brilliant unbeaten 76 off 62 balls from Mahuru Dai, smashed in the final overs, saw the visitors recover from 144-6 to 244-7 from their 50 overs.

The chase was far from comfortable for Hong Kong, especially after Nizakat Khan was dismissed for 9 with the score reading 61-3. But Hayat and Rath both scored at near a run-a-ball to quickly shift the pressure back on to the Barramundis. Rath was named man-of-the-match after also taking 3-25 with the ball.

Hayat was named man of the series and was understandably delighted after the match. “I’m really proud of how we played and came back after losing the last game to win here,” Hayat said.

“It means a lot to us to win at home in front of our family, friends and fans and really pleased that our senior players stepped up. Obviously it gives us a lot of confidence for the Kenya series in a couple of week’s time.” Hayat added “I thought we improved on our fielding and rotating the strike today which is what we wanted to do.”

PNG coach Dipak Patel said the experience for his side had been a worthwhile one despite the loss. “We don’t handle the Asian conditions all that well and to lose the series was disappointing but from what we have learned it will be valuable for us,” Patel said.

“We’ve loved it here in Hong Kong and been looked after really well and we take away a huge positive of having come back to win that second game after going behind. It’s the last game for us this year so I was really pleased with their attitude.”

Hong Kong will travel to Nairobi next week to play two ICC World Cricket League fixtures against Kenya.

Match Summary
Hong Kong 181-3 in 33.3 overs
(Babar Hayat 82* Anshuman Rath 52*) def
Papua New Guinea 244/7 (Target revised to 178 off 38 overs due to rain)
(Mahuru Dai 76* Anshuma Rath 3-25)

Additional reporting: HK Cricket
Photo: Phoebe Leung

Beijing’s Reinterpretation of Article 104

Article 104 of the Hong Kong’s Basic Law states:
When assuming office, the Chief Executive, principal officials, members of the Executive Council and of the Legislative Council, judges of the courts at all levels and other members of the judiciary in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region must, in accordance with law, swear to uphold the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and swear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.

Today Beijing offered it’s unsought interpretation which make s three points:

1: Content of the oath
The passage in Article 104 “swear to uphold the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China and swear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China,” is the “statutory content” of the Legco oath.

It is also the “statutory requirement and condition” for people to take public office stated in that article, including lawmakers.

2: Definition of “in accordance with law”
a) Taking the oath is a statutory condition and mandatory procedure for people to assume public office.

If one has not taken a valid oath accepted by law, or if one declines to swear in, he or she cannot assume office, and cannot exercise the duties and enjoy the privileges of public office.

b) The oath-taking must fulfil the statutory requirements in format and content. The person taking the oath should take it sincerely and solemnly and must accurately, completely and solemnly read out phrases such as “uphold the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China” and “bear allegiance to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China” as stated in the statutory oath.

c) If the oath-taker refuses to take the oath, he or she shall be disqualified from assuming public office. One is deemed to have refused to take the oath – and subsequently have his or her oath invalidated – if he or she deliberately reads out an oath different from the statutory oath or does it in an insincere or frivolous manner.

d) The oath administrator has the duty to confirm the oath taking is carried out legally and that the oath complies with this interpretation and Hong Kong law.

Any oath that does not satisfy the above interpretation should be confirmed as an “invalid” oath. Retaking the oath is forbidden.

3: Consequences of breach

Those who make a “false oath” or engage themselves in acts that violate the oath after taking it will bear legal responsibility.

Since this interpretation adds things not explicitly written into the existing law, can it be applied retroactively to those who took the oath in the past? If Hong Kong’s judicial system, the most fundamental difference between Hong Kong and China, remains truly ‘independent’ then that will be for the lawyers to argue over and ultimately the Court of Final Appeal to decide.

Logic and common sense would say that you can’t be guilty of something that wasn’t a ‘crime’ when you did it. But the law, common sense and logic make strange bed-fellows. The law has lots of ways to circumvent law changes. eg driving at the legal speed of 40 only for the limit to be reduced the next day to 30. You can’t be charged with speeding because your speed was legal at the time, but you could be charged with careless driving…

So will the judiciary fall over to kiss Beijing’s derriere, for those of us who love Hong Kong we have to hope not. While the law is a living evolving thing, precedents and case law establish a framework for how that happens.

If the CCP is allowed to trample over the law, then tragically Hong Kong is a dead man walking. If the law has no meaning, why will multi-nationals and big companies remain here when a contract isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. They will just move to China where contracts are always open to reinterpretation, often by a sack of money under the table or a fist.

Read the Basic Law here

Falcons beat Tigers in Women’s Premisership

USRC Tigers ran unbeaten Gai Wu Falcons close at So Kon Po, losing a tight encounter, 12-0. In the weekend’s other Women’s Premiership match Kowloon beat City Sparkle 21-0. The match between Valley Black and HKFC Ice was postponed. For the National league 1 & 2 results click here.

The tight contest between last year’s second and third places finishers saw the Tigers trail 5-0 at the break despite Falcons exerting a strong territorial advantage in the first forty minutes.

“We played superb rugby in the first half,” said Falcons coach Lai Yiu-pang. “We kept Tigers under a lot of pressure and penned them back in their half for most of the opening period. We knew that the game was going to be a physical test and we matched up with them well. I think they only managed to get the ball in our half one or two times in the first half.”

Lai credited his forward pack, laden with Hong Kong fifteens and sevens stars, as the difference makers this afternoon, saying, “Our forwards did really well in both attack and defence. We have a lot of sevens players in the backline who are just coming off their international season and I think they need to develop their fifteens-sense a bit more as we made a lot of errors in the backline today.”

The Falcons had their full compliment of 13 national squad representatives available including Aggie Poon Pak-yan who played for 65 minutes in her first fifteens game of the season, after being injured in the Asian sevens series.

Despite the loss, Tigers coach Liu Kwok-leung was proud of his team’s efforts: “Compared to our game against Valley [a 32-3 loss] last weekend we played much better today. The girls took the lessons from last week to heart and showed a big improvement.”

Ahead of the game, Liu had warned his side of the importance of closing down Gai Wu’s speed and attack in open play. That comment proved true as Gai Wu pulled away for good in the second half after capitalising on a rare defensive miscue by Tigers, when a botched clearance kick failed to make touch and was returned by Falcon’s speedy wing Chong Ka-yan for a try that put the game out of reach for Tigers.

Liu also bemoaned his side’s inability to convert their chances saying, “We had a lot of possession but we couldn’t take our opportunities to score. The game was really close especially in the first half with both teams’ defences playing very well and forcing a lot of errors.

Our defensive effort was top notch. We really shut them down in the first half and our line speed and communication on defence was really good, but we just lacked some composure on attack.”

“We are looking forward to the second round of matches and will analyse our early performance with the players, but there is a lot we can build off from this match. I think we may need to refine some of our patterns and structures when we play against the top teams like Valley and Falcons, but it is coming together well,” Liu added.

The Falcons’ win brought its hot streak to five matches, during which they have only conceded a single unconverted try. Next up they taken on Valley Black for what promises to be the match of the season so far next week. While the Tigers now prepare to take on Football Club.

Kowloon collected its first win of the season, 21-0 over Premiership debutants City, who were hunting for their first win in Hong Kong Women’s Rugby’s top flight.

Additional reporting and image: HKrugby