With all due respect to the fact that Hong Kong successfully staged the 2008 Olympic Games Equestrian events as well as the East-Asian Games, but the 1 week countdown to Hong Kong’s BIGGEST sporting week starts in a couple of days!

Here is what the week looks like so far:

Wednesday March 24, 2010  Kowloon Rugby Fest 2010

Venue: Kings Park Sports Ground, Wylie Road, Kowloon

Wednesday & Thursday March 24-25, 2010 GHF HKFC Tens

Venue: HK Football Club, Happy Valley

Friday March 26, 2010 Cable & Wireless Worldwide HK Women’s Rugby Sevens

Venue: HK Football Club/HK Stadium (Cup Final)

Friday – Sunday, March 26-28, 2010 Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens

Venue: HK Stadium, So Kon Po

Other rugby-related events:

SAAHK Sevens Dinner

The Southern African Association in Hong Kong’s annual Sevens Dinner takes place at the HKFC on Wednesday  March 24.  This year’s guest speaker is the popular TV commentator Hugh Bladen, also known as the voice of SA rugby.  The Springbok Sevens Team will of course also be in attendance.

Hugh will probably also have several other speaking engagements around the city and we’ll bring you news about that as it becomes available.

Tens Dinner

The Ten’s Dinner will this year be open to the public.  It takes place at the HKFC on Thursday evening (March 25)  Fee: HK$300

More information about these and other events will be updates as they become available.

At yesterday’s unveiling of the Hong Kong FIFA 2010 countdown clock, a local TV presenter asked one of the diski dancers to help him blow the soon-to-be iconic Vuvuzela.  It was a struggle, but he got it right in the end.  Well done, Boet.

It’s all in the lips!

Let me try… the lips you say?

                                                                                                              Here goes… lips (check) cheeks (mo)

                                                                                        Die laaitie is al klaar moeg!

You have to imitate Bra Hugh Masekela with the cheeks!

Happy ending. Oh… I see la!

                                                                                           The Pro Vuvuzela-blowjob!

If there’s one thing that Hong Kong people love it’s their seafood. This time around it was fish…

Mark Anthony Fish.

FIFA 2010 Ambassador Mark Fish this afternoon unveiled a special 2010 Countdown Clock at Causeway Bay’s Times Square. 

The South African Consulate in Hong Kong, under the energetic leadership of Consul-General Ms. Tembi Tambo has been very busy promoting what will certainly be South Africa and indeed Africa’s biggest sporting event:

The 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup.

The Consulate partnered with local broadcast rights-holder Hong Kong Cable TV, the Hong Kong Football Club and the Leisure & Cultural Services Department to organise what was a very enjoyable media event.  The afternoon kicked off with a Diski Dance performance by a South African dance group who travelled to Times Square directly from the airport.  There was no jet-lag to be seen as the energetic troupe entertained the assembled media and local shoppers on stage.

  Diski Dance… This is how we do it in Africa, La!  Ke Nako / It’s out time!

Mark Fish was then invited to the stage to tell the audience about, amongst other questions, just what the 2010 World Cup means to him as well as to South Africans at large.  Feeeeeesh (as the fans would shout when Fish touched the ball back in the days) did himself and the South African Local Organising Committee (LOC) proud by giving the assembled media a glimpse of what they can expect at the World Cup in just under 100 days.  In typical Hong Kong style, questions from the MC opened about the recent addition to the Fish family!  (The Consulate had alerted the local media that Mark’s girlfriend had given birth to a baby girl recently.)

    SA Consul-General Ms Tembi Tambo joined Mark Fish at Times Square (Pic: Mike Jansen)

The event ended with Fish joining invited guests to unveil a special 2010 countdown clock.

As will be the case come the FIFA 2010 World Cup, the sound of the Vuvuzela was heard throughout the ceremony, courtesy of the Diski Dancers!

Ke Nako!  It’s our time.

Bring on 2010!

(If you’re in SA, please click on theInsurance4Women.co.za ad to support Howzit-HongKong.com)

With the Hong Kong Sevens 2010 and Hugh Bladen’s appearance at the SAAHK’s Sevens Dinner fast approaching,  I was planning to introduce all our readers to a blog called “Over to Hugh.”  Run by two very enterprising young blokes called “Blades” and “Chowgaps,” Over to Hugh parodies the famous South African commentator using everything from the real Blades’ love for a good Scotch to his trademark words and phrases. 

Catch Hugh Bladen at the SAAHK’s Sevens Dinner in March 2010.

However, in the light of the sad passing of “the voice of rugby” Mr Bill MCLaren last month, a video on their website made me decide to use this opportunity to give you a sneak preview of “Over to Hugh” while paying tribute to the great Scotsman.

William Pollock “Bill” McLaren CBE (16 October 1923 – 19 January 2010) was a Scottish rugby union commentator. Until his retirement in 2002, he was known as ‘the voice of rugby’. Renowned throughout the sport, his enthusiasm and a memorable turn of phrase endeared him to many rugby lovers the world over.

Here’s to you Bill McLaren.

Farewell.

Late last year, we reported on the Hong Kong-leg of the World Corporate Golf Challenge (WCGC) to be hosted by the Discovery Bay Golf Club on Friday March 5, 2010.  The winner of this leg will represent Hong Kong at the finals of the WCGC to be played back home at the stunning Fancourt & OuBaai Golf Clubs between 3-8 May 2010.

Today we can proudly add that South African golfing-legend-turned-winemaker David Frost has decided to contribute to the success of the Hong Kong-leg of the World Corporate Golf Challenge by supplying the tournament with his exclusive range of wines.

The South African great – winner of more than 20 titles worldwide – has combined his golf career with a hugely successful wine producing business in his homeland.

In addition, to aid the development of the game in under-privileged communities, Frost donates R1 of every bottle sold to the Raymond Ackerman Golf Academy.

 PGA player David Frost enjoying the fruits of his (other) labour (Pic: David Frost)

Now his Hong Kong importer, WINE2U.com.hk has been unveiled as the Official Wine Supplier of the WCGC Hong Kong.  “We are very proud to present exclusively to the World Corporate Golf Challenge Hong Kong the range of David Frost wines, a natural connection between the game of golf, business and fine wines,” said Ruth Sellers, of WINE2U. 

Frost grew up on his family’s wine farm near Stellenbosch and it was through earning pocket money picking grapes that he bought his first set of golf clubs. He went on to enjoy a stellar career, collecting 10 US PGA Tour titles and winning the 1994 Hong Kong Open. 

He and his brother Michel bought a 300-acre wine farm near Paarl in 1994 and began producing the David Frost Signature Series, with each vintage named after a famous golfer. 

The WCGC Hong Kong will be held on Friday, 5 March at Discovery Bay Golf Club. Twenty teams – comprising four players who each have a maximum handicap of 24 – will take part. 

The winning team will earn an all-expenses-paid trip to the WCGC World Final in South Africa from 3-8 May during which they will also be given a guided tour of Frost’s wine estate. 

Companies wishing to register a team – only one member of the team needs to be a full-time employee of the company – should call Amy Broomhead on 3579 8110 or email amy@laxtonmarketing.com.

Contact the aptly-named Ruth Sellers at Wine2U.com.hk  for David Frost’s signature range of wines like the great Shiraz below:

The Springboks will play all four of the ‘Home Unions’ in November as part of their end-of-year tour. SARU made the announcement today (Friday, January 29, 2010) following confirmation of the fixture programme by the International Rugby Board (IRB). 

The Springboks start the tour against Ireland in Dublin on November 6, having accepted an invitation to provide the opposition for hosts Ireland when they officially open the new Aviva Stadium (the redeveloped Lansdowne Road).

 The Springboks then play Wales, Scotland and England on the following Saturdays. The tour is planned to end with a fixture against the Barbarians at a venue to be confirmed.

Meanwhile the venue of the Springboks’ season-opening Test against France on June 12 remains undecided. SARU are hoping to meet the local organising committee of the FIFA 2010 World Cup to arrive at a final decision on the availability of the Newlands Stadium in Cape Town.

Springbok end-of-year tour fixtures: 

Saturday, November 6, Ireland v South Africa (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)

Saturday, November 13, Wales v South Africa (Millennium Stadium, Cardiff)

Saturday, November 20, Scotland v South Africa (Murrayfield, Edinburgh)

Saturday, November 27, England v South Africa (Twickenham, London)

Saturday, December 4, Barbarians v South Africa (TBC)

Stay close to Howzit-HongKong.com to hear where we in Hong Kong will follow the Springboks on their end-of-year tour… right here in the SAR!

Late last year, we received an e-mail from Gustav Preller, a South African businessman in a previous life who has now turned to writing.  Gustav penned Icarus over Hong Kong and will be introducing his first novel to audiences in Hong Kong next month.

Preller, the grandson of Gustav Preller, one of the originators of the Afrikaans language, was born in Cape Town into a well known South African literary and artistic family. After an international career in business he has now turned his hand to writing.

Icarus over Hong Kongis set in Durban and Hong Kong and relates the story of a fall of an investment banker who lived the high-life in, amongst other, the city that we call home.  In it rookie trader Rorke Summers flies too high. High stakes, high bonuses, high living – in Hong Kong and Macau he is seduced by them all. He is caught up in triangles of passion, betrayal and death. And in the most feared triangle of all: that of the Chinese triads.

Pegasus Publishers has the following in their website:

Icarus Over Hong Kong

by Gustav Preller

Pages: 286

Imprint: Vanguard Press

ISBN: 978184386507 0

Was there no one who could help him? So many people, so orderly out in the sun, but he might as well have been alone deep inside Mrs Song’s alleyway. The blade would find him. He’d lie bleeding in the heat and the man would simply melt away.

Like the mythical young Icarus, rookie trader Rorke Summers flies too high. High stakes, high bonuses, high living – in Hong Kong and Macau he is seduced by them all. He is caught up in triangles of passion, betrayal, and death. And in the triangle most feared in the East: that of the Chinese triads.

All the while, on the trading floor, Rorke has to cope with his unrelenting job under the watchful eye of his boss, Quinn.

Will he find the middle way or will he meet the fate of Icarus? And whom does he choose: Vicky, the girl of his dreams back home, seductive Kristin, or the exotic Ling?

Icarus over Hong Kong moves at a fast pace between the trading floor, the casinos of Macau and the teeming streets of HongKong, exposing the money-driven world of investment banking as well as the dark world which exists beneath Hong Kong’s glittering veneer.

Bruce Fowler of the SA Association in Hong Kong (SAAHK) has kindly arranged for Gustav Preller to introduce his first novel to audiences in Hong Kong, as well as giving a talk about the time he spent in Hong Kong and how it inspired him to write this book.  He will also talk about his transition from a corporate life to the “lonely life” of a writer.

Catch Gustav Preller at The Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) on Friday 25th February 2010

I picked up my copy of Icarus over Hong Kong at Bookazine at the Central Ferry Pier (HK$139.00)  My missus is very into Malcolm Gladwell these days so, as soon as I finish all 4 of his books (Eish!) I will get stuck into Icarus Over Hong Kong.

Belowe.

After a miserable start to the 2009/2010 IRB Sevens World Series, Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu declared that their aim this year is to win the Hong Kong sevens, a feat not yet accomplished by the 2008/2009 IRB Sevens Series Champions.

Howzit-HongKong.com will of course hold our fellow-South Africans to that and in the next 2 months, we will feature the MOTHER of all Sevens tournament, the Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens right here on www.Howzit-HongKong.com  

So, mense, if you’re back home and planning to join us here in this part of China, stay close to find out where you can stay, what you can do, where you can dop (“party/drink” for the Englishmen amongst you) and if you’re up to it before and after the rugby… what you can see in and around our wonderful city.

Stay close!

Here’s a teaser from the MOTHER of all party-districts in Hong Kong: Lan Kwai Fong, during Sevens week (practice how to say that name to taxi-drivers, OK?!):

The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union announced that after yesterday’s successful online ticket sale, the Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens is now sold out.  Online and telephone sales opened at 10am (Hong Kong time) on Saturday January 16 and by 3pm the SOLD OUT signs for the 5000 ticket allotment went up.

With strong demand from local and overseas audiences, the Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens expects to welcome 120,000 visitors over three days from March 26 – 28, 2010.

As in the past, the HKRFU made 5,000 tickets available to the members of the public who are not directly involved in local rugby. Combined with ticket sales to members of local rugby clubs and other rugby stakeholders fully 75% of the 40,000 event tickets were sold to Hong Kong residents.

Despite the customary delays for ticketing for events of this scale, the ticketing agent system continues to be the most convenient and safe means of distributing tickets to the public.

Mr Warrick Dent, Head of Commercial, Communications & Events for the HKRFU commented on today’s ticket sale saying, “The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union is satisfied that today’s sale proceeded smoothly in light of the high demand. We are pleased to have recorded another sell out and want to thank the Hong Kong community for their continued support. We look forward to another fantastic Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens this March.”

For more information on the Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens visit www.hksevens.com

1995 Rugby World Cup winner and Springbok rugby player Marius Hurter (the most aptly-named tight-head rugby player in the world) spoke at the Gala Charity Premiere of the movie Invictus.

(Picture insert: Ms. Tembi Tambo, Consul-General: SA Consulate in Hong Kong/Macau)

This is Part 2 of his chat with Robbie McRobbie of the Hong Kong Rugby Union: