bc magazine

New Makati 29th Anniversary – 17 May, 2018

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Wanchai bar and nightclub New Makati celebrated it’s 29th Anniversary on the 17 May, 2018. A good night was had by all, with longtime regulars reminiscing and re-connecting over free drinks and cool tunes.
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New Zealand Food and Wine Connection @ Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel – 16 May, 2017

The second New Zealand Food and Wine Connections promotion organised by New Zealand Trade & Enterprise saw a range of new Kiwi products showcased at the Marco Polo Hong Kong Hotel on the 16 May. Among the tasty and predominantly organic products on show were meat, seafood, wines, beer, fruit juices, herbs and tea.

Some are already available locally and you’ll find them in supermarkets and used by restaurants. Others to look out for soon are Zealong teas and Kare honey.
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Hong Kong Should Bid, Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021

World Rugby has launched the host selection process for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 and Hong Kong would be the perfect venue. The Hong Kong Rugby Union pays lots of lip service to women’s rugby and talking ‘legacy’ while pouring money into the men’s team. Hosting the Women’s World Cup would be massive for the game locally and for women’ sport in Asia.

Realistically Hong Kong can never host the men’s rugby World Cup, but we are the perfect venue for the Women’s Rugby World Cup. Hong Kong has the stadiums, lots of affluent sponsors including a cash rich government with money to spend on events that build on Hong Kong’s global visibility. While the HKRU is rolling in cash from the Sevens which it claims is for investing in the game…

Accommodation will be expensive, but with three years notice a hotel could be block booked for a month or one of the many university /student dorms depending on the proposed dates.

The Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 was the best-attended, most-viewed and most socially-engaged ever: 70 million viewers across the five match days and over 750,000 fans visited the official website www.rwcwomens.com.

Looking to build on the success and popularity of the last Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 in Ireland – the Rugby World Cup Board have announced several format changes for the 2021 tournament which include: a revised match schedule; the addition of a quarter-final stage; longer rest periods between matches and an increase in squad size.

The 12-team format will remain in 2021. The revised match schedule will guarantee longer rest periods – four days between pool matches, and five or six days during the knock-out rounds – to benefit player welfare and aid in recovery and preparation. The addition of a quarter-final stage and the longer rest periods will see tournament expand from 23 to 35 days.

Following feedback from teams and players the World Rugby tournament review also concluded that squad size should increase by two – from 28 to 30 players.

World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said: “The launch of the host selection process for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 is an exciting milestone and follows a fantastic 2017 for women’s rugby. The exceptional Women’s Rugby World Cup in Ireland was the best attended of all time, inspiring on and off the field, and underscored why the event is such an attractive hosting proposition for unions and nations.

“We want to keep building the momentum, which is why we are introducing these changes to the format for the 2021 process. By ensuring an even more competitive and exciting tournament in the future, women’s rugby can continue to play an instrumental role in driving forward the development of the game and significantly broadening rugby’s global fan base.”

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Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 host selection process timelines

31 May 2018: Deadline for formal expressions of hosting interest from unions
1 June 2018: Bid documents distributed to interested unions
10 August 2018: Bid responses submitted by unions to World Rugby
14 November 2018: World Rugby Council selects Women’s Rugby World Cup 2021 host.

Björn Frantzén’s The Flying Elk to Open in June

Chef Björn Frantzén, the man behind the three Michelin star Frantzén in Stockholm and Frantzén’s Kitchen in Sheung Wan, is soft opening his second outlet in Hong Kong in June.

The Flying Elk is a ‘casual eatery’ offering dishes with a Nordic influence. Located at 32 Wyndham Street – the restaurant’s name derives from one of Sweden’s oldest folklore, which tells the tale of a gigantic elk adorning an ornate crown, flying over the forests of Jämtland.

The Flying Elk
1 & 2/F, 32 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong
Reservations: [email protected], 2565 6788

Hong Kong Salento International Film Festival 2018

The seventh Hong Kong Salento International Film Festival (HKSIFF) presents six of the best films from last year’s Salento Film Festival at the Grand Cinema from the 8-13 May. The films are from from Italy, Russia, Israel, Taiwan and Iran.

American Fango, the semi-autobiographical film by Italian director Gabriele Altobelli, presents a love and self-searching story about an Italian actor who leaves Rome and goes to New York where he pursues romance with several beautiful ladies.

Blue Hollywood, the feature directorial debut of award-winning Italian director Francesco Gabriele, is about two young actors who meet on the path to a shared dream, the Acting Summer Programme held in London. Stepping foot in Hollywood, they walk at their own pace due to different approaches, priorities and even life-changing decisions. It is a journey filled with desire, determination and disappointment.

Beneath the Silence is set in 1973, a time when PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) was not recognized as a medical condition. Daphna, the wife of an ex-soldier, struggles to get help from the military in order to maintain her husband Menashe’s last bits of sanity while their 10-year-old son, Shlomi, tries to understand what has happened to his father and why he is different from what he was. It is the debut feature film by the Israeli filmmaking duo Erez Mizrahi and Sahar Shavit.

About Love, directed by the famous Russian Director Vladimir Bortko, is inspired by L. Tolstoy’s novel “Anna Karenina”. It is a film about adultery and erotic romance, showing the life and moral values of modern elites.

The Iranian film Cold Breath, directed by Abbas Raziji, illustrates the struggles of Maryam, an impoverished person who was born as a woman but lives as a man. When her daughter succumbs to cancer she must find a way to pay for treatment. Trusting in love for survival, Maryam faces her greatest fears head on when her secret is revealed.

The Receptionist is the debut film of London-based Taiwanese director Jenny Lu. The story is based on real facts and portrays the dark underworld of the illegal massage parlours business in London. It is filmed in the first person angle of the Taiwanese college graduate Tina who has resorted to work as a receptionist in a massage parlour during the economic crisis in 2008.

HKSIFF Screening Schedule:

8 May, 7:50 pm – About Love
Vladimir Bortko | Russia 2017 | 93 min | Category: III

9 May, 7:50 pm – Beneath the Silence
Erez Mizrahi & Sahar Shavit | Israel 2016 | 106 min | Category: IIB

10 May, 7:50 pm – American Fango
Gabriele Altobelli | Italy/USA 2017 | 104 min | Category: IIB

8 May, 9.45 pm / 9 May, 9.55 pm / 10 May, 9.50 pm / 11 May, 7:50 pm (SOLD OUT) / 13 May, 7.50 pm – The Receptionist
Jenny Lu | Taiwan/UK 2016 | 100 min | Category: IIB

12 May, 6:10 pm – Blue Hollywood
Francesco Gabriele | Italy/UK/USA 2017 | 82 min | Category: III

13 May, 6:10 pm – Cold Breath
Abbas Raziji | Iran 2017 | 85 min | Category: IIA

Ruby Law’s Debut Playboy Shoot

Local photographer Rugby Law celebrated the release of her first USA Playboy shoot – which appears in the May/June 2018 issue – in Wanchai on 4 May. The surprise event organised by her friends saw Law presented with a smoking jacket and a pipe in honour of her Playboy debut.

Law is the first female Hong Kong photographer to appear in the US print edition of the famous magazine – and she’ll soon be appearing again as she’s been commissioned to shoot another set.

Featuring a local model Reluca the 5 hour shoot took place in Bali and showcases Law’s slightly dark, personality driven style.

You can see more of Ruby’s work here: www.rubylaw.photos

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9 May, 2018 – edited for clarity that it was a surprise party

First Step Towards Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup

Hong Kong’s men begin their attempt to qualify for the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup when they kick off their Asia Rugby Championship campaign away to Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur (16.30) on the 5 May.

With Japan already qualified for the World Cup as hosts, this year’s Asia Rugby Championship will be contested by Hong Kong and South Korea (second and third on last season’s table) and Division I champions Malaysia in the home-and-away competition. South Korea beat Malaysia 35-10 in the opening round last weekend to go top of the table.

Hong Kong need to win the Asian Championship outright to advance to the second stage of RWC 2019 qualification, a home-and-away series against Oceania qualifiers Cook Islands. The winner of that series advances to a four-team knockout competition in the final stage of qualification in France in November.

Coach Jones has kept faith with the squad that started Hong Kong’s recent 49-27 warm-up match loss to the University of Waikato Chiefs Development side on 21 April.

“There is an element of ‘we’re not sure’ ahead of this match,” said Jones, “But, we’re going in with good preparation and confident that we can perform and cope with anything that Malaysia can throw at us.”

There’s one change in the forwards and one in the backs for Saturday, with lock Jamie Pincott and up-and-coming winger Max Denmark earning starts. Kyle Sullivan and wing Conor Hartley, both of whom started against the Chiefs Development squad, have moved to the bench for the Malaysia test.

“We have a couple of injuries heading into the campaign but are not making any excuses. We feel that this the best team to start the Asia Rugby Championship and are respecting Malaysia,” added Jones.

“The unknown elements on Saturday are primarily the conditions, which were horrendous last week, and perhaps did not give a fair impression of the quality of the players that were on show from both sides. We are very comfortable going to Malaysia and Korea and hopefully can steal a few wins, which would set us up nicely for a feel-good finish at home,” said Jones.

“We are not looking to get ahead of ourselves and know we have to focus on one game at a time and make sure we are playing to our structures and plans. We are not worrying about the outcomes because if we do we will put some pressure on ourselves that we don’t need,” Jones added.

The match will be live streamed on the HKRU Facebook page.

Hong Kong squad v Malaysia:

1. Daniel Barlow, 2. Benjamin Roberts, 3. Dylan Rogers, 4. James Cunningham (Captain), 5. Jamie Pincott, 6. Nicholas Hewson, 7. Toby Fenn, 8. Thomas Lamboley, 9. Liam Slatem, 10. Matthew Rosslee, 11. Max Denmark, 12. Tyler Spitz, 13. Max Woodward, 14. Salom Yiu Kam-Shing, 15. Jack Neville.
Reserves: 16. Alexander Harris, 17. Adam Fullgrabe, 18. Jack Parfitt, 19. Kyle Sullivan, 20. Michael Parfitt, 21. Jamie Lauder, 22. Robert Keith, 23. Conor Hartley.

Additional reporting and photos: HKRugby

Big Rowing Day

Under the sunshine and gentle breezes of the Shing Mun River more than 500 rowers celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Hong Kong, China Rowing Association.

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The ‘Big Rowing Day’ was the kickoff event of the HKCRA’s 40th anniversary and featured many past and present Hong Kong Olympians including Lee Ka Man (2016), Lee Yuen Yin (2016), Tang Chiu Mang (2016), Chiu Hin Chun (2016), Leung Chun Shek (2012), Lok Kwan Hoi (2012), Chow Kwong Wing (2008), So Sau Wah (2004, 2008, 2012), Lo Ting Wai (2004), Michael Tse (1996), Ho Kim Fai (1992), Lui Kam Chi (1992), Chiang Yun Kuen (1992), plus upcoming Asian Games medal hopes: Chan Tik Lun, James Wong Pak Yan, Yuen Yun Lam, Wong Wai Kin, Wong Sheung Yee, Loo Ka Fu, Hui Wing Ki And Winne Hung Wing Yan.

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If you would like to learn more about rowing in Hong Kong check out the HKCRA’s website www.rowing.org.hk or their facebook page www.facebook.com/hkrowing.