Tag: 2015

Women’s Rugby Results – 24 January, 2015

Premiership

Valley Black v CWB Phoenix
@ Happy Valley, Kick-off: 16:30

Kowloon v Taipo Dragon Ladies
@ KGV, Kick-off: 16:30

Gai Wu v USRC Tigers
@ KGV, Kick-off: 18:00

Women’s National League 1

HKFC Ice 46-0 Police Sirens
@ HKFC, Kick-off: 16:30

HKCC Ladies 7-0 CWB Phoenix
@ Aberdeen Sports Ground, Kick-off: 18:00
HKCC Babes: Carolyn Champion (c), Cheryl Gourley, Jo Harvey, Lauren Petersen, Lainie Man, Rosie Wright, Emily Tuck, Sarah Higgins, Lynda Nazer, Harriett Jamieson, Christy Ma, Lucy Thomson, Tinley Wong, Steph Zhang, Wendy Sham
Substitutes: Joan Yip, Ellie Storey, Jess Gilbert, Brenda Chan, Kirsty Reid, Serene Yee
Try: Rosie Wright; Conversion: Harriett Jamieson

Valley Red v SRC Ladies
@ Happy Valley, Kick-off: 18:00

HK Scottish Kukris 5-0 City Sparkles
@ Tai Hang Tung Recreation Ground, Kick-off: 18:00

Women’s National 10s

Taipo Dragons v University
@ So Kon Po, Kick-off: 18:00

Hong Kong Sevens 2015 – Teams Announced

New-Zealand-7s-captain-DJ-Forbes

As the Sevens turns 40, the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) have announced details of the format and participating teams at the 2015 Hong Kong Sevens. 2015 which takes place from March 27-29 at the Hong Kong Stadium.

The defending champions New Zealand will be joined by the other 14 core teams on the Sevens World Series: Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, Fiji, France, Japan, Kenya, Portugal, Samoa, Scotland, South Africa, United States of America and Wales.

The sixteenth team invited by World Rugby to round out the SWS core competition is Belgium who will be making their first appearance in Hong Kong. They become the 57th nation to have participated at the Sevens since the tournament’s inception in 1976.

As last year, a 12-team qualifying competition will accompany the core team action at the Hong Kong Stadium. The 12 teams, comprising two teams from each of World Rugby’s six regions, will be battling for the sole spot available for promotion to the Sevens World Series in the 2015/2016 season. The winner of the qualifier will replace the bottom placed team on the HSBC Sevens World Series after the completion of the final event on this year’s Series at Twickenham in May.

The twelve confirmed teams for the qualifier tournament are Russia and Spain from Europe, Papua New Guinea and Tonga from Oceania, Zimbabwe and Tunisia from Africa, Mexico and Guyana from the Americas and Uruguay and Brazil from South America.

Hong Kong as champions of the Asian Rugby Football Union’s regional sevens series in 2014, will be joined by South Korea as Asia’s representatives in the qualifier competition. 2013 Asian sevens champions Japan were victorious in last year’s international qualifier and are participating in the core Sevens World Series this season.

The official tournament draw for all 28 participating teams will be held in Hong Kong on February 16, 2015.

This year, Friday will see two rounds of the qualification pool matches played alongside the opening pool matches of the SWS core competition (one match per core team). Gates will be opened one hour earlier at 11am with the first kick-off at 1pm and matches finishing at 9pm.

Saturday sees the world’s best rugby sevens action taking place from 7am (first kick off at 9am) until 7:30pm while Sunday’s match action will kick off at 9:30am (gates open 7am).

Additional reporting HKRFU

The Thurston Moore Band @ The Vine Centre – 8pm 24 February, 2015

Thurston Moore @ The Vine Centre - 8pm 24 February, 2015

Thurston Moore, the founder and ringleader of Sonic Youth, has been at the forefront of the alternative rock scene since that particular sobriquet was first used to signify any music that challenged and defied the mainstream standard. Thurston’s current band line-up includes Deb Googe (of My Bloody Valentine, bass, UK), Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth, drums, USA) James Sedwards ( Chrome Hoof, guitars, UK).

The Thurston Moore Band
When: 8pm 24 February, 2015
Where: The Vine Centre
How Much: $450 from eventbrite

The Bollands – Farewell Hong Kong @ Backstage Live – 10pm, 28 February, 2015

the bollands

The Bollands wish Hong Kong adieu with a final gig at Backstage Live. The New Zealand folk duo, who have gained a well earned reputation for their passion filled live shows, have been performing together since 2011 when Joyce, a classically trained pianist, met Christian, a hairy folk singer, at a campfire jam on a remote beach in their home country. They clicked instantly. Since that fate filled night, they have been playing their passion filled and heartfelt songs across the globe.

The Bollands – Farewell Hong Kong
Special Guests: The Privateers, Rich Phipson
When: 10pm, 28 February, 2015
Where: Backstage Live Restaurant
How Much: $100
More info: www.thebollands.com

Hong Kong Women’s 7s Turns 18

http://bcmagazine.smugmug.com/Bcene-photos/2014/HK-Womens-7s-28-March-2014/38118806_K9BhxJ#!i=3147865231&k=9rbzgwg

The women’s game goes from strength to strength globally as well as locally. A reflection of this is that the world’s oldest women’s rugby 7s tournament returns to its original two day format. bc spoke to tournament mother Ruth Mitchell as her baby turns 18.

Ruth MitchellWhat does a two day tournament offer, especially to the players, that a single day event doesn’t?
Originally the tournament was a two day event. It was changed to a single day because of constraints on pitch availability and other logistics. Over the last few years we have been asked several times to expand it back again to two days as most tournaments are a two day event. The advantages are:

  • Teams get to play extra games and time to rest in between
  • Our own Sports Institute girls gain more game time against stronger teams
  • Teams are travelling from all over the world it makes it more worth while expanding the tournament to a two day event.
  • Provides a more meaningful competition because overall rankings are more accurate.

Rugby week is already pretty packed, how will a two day tournament fit in, will the final still be at the Stadium.
Thursday 26th will be played at Kings Park alongside the Youth Tournament.
Friday 27th will be played at HK Football Club with the final being played at the HK Stadium.

How will the format change?
The format will not change too much other than giving more games to the teams. It will still be based on a pool competition followed by knock out. Pool matches will be at Kings Park with the finals at HKFC and the Cup Final at the stadium. The schedule is still under review.

Which teams have confirmed for 2015?
Just waiting for the 12th team to confirm their attendance, we will then release the full team list.

Have you thought of including some select teams in a parallel tournament to the main event event where local players and women’s rugby veterans and stars could play – something similar to the HK Tens?
We did this last year at the Kowloon Fest where four teams took part. However, as you mentioned, it is a packed week and trying to fit in all the current tournaments can be a challenge.

Funding seems to be a factor in getting some teams to the tournament, with the women’s game expanding globally at a fantastic rate is getting sponsorship becoming easier?
There is no indication that sponsorship is getting any easier. There continues to be increasing demands on sponsorship from every quarter.

Beyond 2015 how do you hope the tournament will develop?
Each year the Tournament is under review to see how we can improve and to fit in with other tournaments that are being played. The HKWR7’s is a great tournament for teams to be playing ever stronger teams, as all teams are looking to play on the World Rugby Women’s Sevens World Series as well as qualifying for the Olympics.

HKWR Sevens 2014 Team
HKWR Sevens 2014 Team

Hong Kong Women’s Rugby 7s
When: 26-27 March, 2015
Where: 26- Kings Park; 27- Hong Kong Football Club; Final – HK Stadium
How much: Free
More info: facebook.com/hkwr.sevens