I have just returned from yet another delightful Sevens Dinner, organised by the Southern African Association in Hong Kong.

The guest speaker this year was former Springbok captain Morne Du Plessis who had the guests hanging onto his every word.

Morne recounted some of his experiences as the manager of the Springbok side who won the 1995 Rugby World Cup as well as his thoughts on the role of former President Nelson Mandela.  I could be wrong but I seem to notice a glint in his eyes when he shared his excitement after meeting “his idol” Clint Eastwood.  Eastwood, of course, produced the movie Invictus which is based on the 1995 RWC.

Morne’s visit to Hong Kong is two-pronged as he also brought along 10 kids from a Laureus Foundation-sponsored project.  He also shared some of the projects that the Foundation is currently spearheading in South Africa.  More about this initiative in another post.

I’m not going to recount bits of his speech here.  Rather, I’m busy editing the clip I took and will post it on YouTube and on this page shortly.

In the meantime, here are some pics I Tweeted from the Dinner:

These 2 ladies parked themselves at the door and grabbed the Boys as they were leaving the Dinner.  Branco Du Preez may be fleet-footed on the pitch, but this time around he couldn’t escape! (Pic: Via iPhone on Twitter/FaceBook)

Morne Du Plessis’ speech at the SAAHK Sevens Dinner:

As the SAAHK indeed represents the Southern African community in Hong Kong, Bruce Fowler, together with Gavin and Lyndsay Walker, have arranged a meet-and-greet with the Zimbabwe Sevens Team, affectionately known as The Cheetahs.

The event, open to all, will be held tomorrow night, Tuesday, the 22nd March at Nana Banana, 117 Lockhart Road, Wanchai from 6:30pm onwards.

There will also be a lucky draw and prizes include a rugby shirt signed by the team, a bottle of champagne, a hamper of South African food favourites donated by Gavin and Lyndsay Walker, a couple of bottles of wine by the Sheppard Brothers Ltd. and a bottle of wine by the SAAHK.

Tickets for the raffle will cost HK$100 per ticket.

If you haven’t been, this is where you can find Nana Banana

The Zimbabwe Cheetahs celebrate winning the Shield in George

Needless to say, the team is in town for this weekend’s Hong Kong Sevens where Zimbabwe will face Australia, Argentina and Canada in Pool F.

Also read:

Rwandans eye silverware in Hong Kong

Dream Sevens trip for Soweto youngsters

Hook us up on Twitter for more on the Hong Kong Sevens

Welshman Dai Rees has been the Hong Kong Sevens coach since 2008.

The Asia Wall Street Journal ‘s Marissa Wong has written a fine story about Sevens Rugby’s “late starter.”

My favourite:

When I was playing, I always made sure to polish my boots with newspaper every Saturday morning before a game. I’d do that and eat poached eggs on toast. I only had one pair of boots and was brought up to take care of them every week. You couldn’t play a game in dirty boots.

Read Marissa Wong’s story here

 Hong Kong 7s coach Dai Rees (Pic: Mike Jansen)

(Source and addition picture: Asia Wall Street Journal)

For more news on the Hong Kong Sevens, hook us up on Twitter @BlitzBokke

Howzit-HongKong.com was at Repulse Bay today to witness the curtains coming down on the first AirAsia Hong Kong Beach 5s in spectacular style this afternoon.

Escapade 6 Bros and a White Boy (Men’s) and Valley Boom (Women’s) were crowned the Cup champions in front of hundreds of spectators at a custom-built beach rugby venue at Hong Kong’s iconic Repulse Bay.

Escapade 6 Bros and a White Boy defeated University Bachelors 11-1 in a spirited men’s final, with Valley Boom defeating Lost & Found by a margin of 7-0 in the women’s division.

The winning men’s team picked up flights to Phuket courtesy of AirAsia and HK$16,000 (approx. US$2,000), while the women’s champions banked HK$10,000 (US$1,250) and AirAsia flights to Kota Kinabalu.

More than 200 competitors took part in this weekend’s rugby competition, with dozens of mini-ruby players also having the chance to learn from rugby legends including David Campese and Christian Cullen as part of the festivities. However, the inaugural AirAsia Hong Kong Beach 5s was about more than just the rugby.

In addition to the volleyball and rugby, DJs, kids rugby games, instant giveaways and a bucking bronco ride were all part draw for the public.

I attended the event with my son Ethan, who had great fun drawing beach art (strategically) in front of the Pimm’s stall!

With hundreds of competitors and the backing of the world’s best low-cost carrier, AirAsia, the inaugural AirAsia Hong Kong Beach 5s was the region’s biggest beach rugby tournament. The first edition of the two-day event, played the weekend before the famous Hong Kong Sevens, featured men’s and women’s teams contesting the beach version of the game in a five-a-side format with three reserves also on each team.

Beach rugby is an exciting shortened version of the game that is becoming increasingly popular around the world, with major events held in France, Italy and the US to name just a few. At 35 metres by 25 metres, the field is a fraction of the size of a standard rugby pitch, with fewer players on each team, shorter matches and a simplified scoring system making the competition fast paced, entertaining and action packed.

See you at Repulse Bay next year for the Air Asia Hong Kong Beach 5s!

How to mix a Pimm’s…

In the run-up to the biggest rugby-week in Hong Kong, when asked about who the skipper of the 2011 Hong Kong team will be, national coach Dai Rees was always going to play his cards close to his chest.

However, having attended a couple of events prior to yesterday’s Hong Kong Team announcement, it was as clear as dai-light (pun absolutely intended!) who the anointed one was.

At a special function held for UBS and its clients and families at the Hong Kong Football Club, Rees announced Anthony Heynes as Skipper of the home team.

Ant Heynes (centre) at the Cathay World Record Rugby Ball event (Pic: Mike Jansen)

“Ant is a natural leader and he will be assisted by the many senior players in the squad especially Hong Kong 15s captain Simon Leung and other veterans like Rowan Varty and Keith Robertson,” said Rees.  “It is important for us to introduce new players to the captaincy and Anthony has the benefit of being young (21) and will likely still be in contention as we approach qualification for the Rugby World Cup Sevens and ideally the Olympic Games in 2016,” added Rees.

Ant Heynes (3rd from the right) at the joint HKRFU/HKSO coaching clinic (Pic: Mike Jansen)

Four of the squad will be making their Hong Kong Sevens debut including Sebastian Perkins, Jamie Hood, Edward Haynes and Adam Raby.

Rees commented on the men’s squad saying, “We are happy with the squad’s readiness. Eleven of the 12-man squad are veterans of the silver-medallist Asian Games squad, so the players are really coming off an 18-month campaign in terms of their preparations.”

“But we have told the players that this month starts an entirely new phase in their preparations…the build-up to qualification for the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Russia in 2013. With this group of players it is important to keep the focused on achieving new goals.”

Since 2009, the Hong Kong Men’s Sevens squad has taken the silver medal at the East Asian Games and at the Guangzhou Asian Games 2010. In February, the squad won the Hong Kong Sports Stars Team Award.

Hong Kong is pooled with South Africa, Wales and Spain in this year’s Hong Kong Sevens and plays the Springboks at 13:04 on Saturday (Hong Kong time)

Last year, Hong Kong beat European teams Wales and Russia at the Hong Kong Sevens. Adding to the excitement in 2011, Hong Kong’s opening game will be a re-match against Wales on Friday evening at 19.05.

Last year Hong Kong won the Hong Kong Sevens shield competition on the trophy’s debut in 2010.

The Hong Kong Team is:

Anthony Haynes, Simon Leung, Kwok Ka Chun, Sebastian Perkins, Tsang Hing Hung, Jamie Hood, Fan Shun Kei, Edward Haynes, Rowan Varty, Keith Robertson, Salom Yiu Kam Shing, Adam Raby.

Anthony Heynes will captain the local team at the Sevens next week

Follow us on Twitter @BlitzBokke for all the latest from the 2011 HK Sevens

Cathay Pacific Airways yesterday unveiled the world’s largest rugby ball, as certified by the Guinness World Records, which was created as part of the build-up to the 2011 Hong Kong Sevens.

The ball, which has been manufactured using authentic rugby ball materials, measures about 2.9metres in height, 4.7m in length and 2.9m in diameter – it can accommodate more than 3,300 standard-sized rugby balls inside!

The record setting giant ball will be auctioned to raise funds for those affected by recent natural disasters in Japan, Yunnan Province in China and Christchurch in New Zealand. The funds raised will be given to the Hong Kong Red Cross to assist its relief efforts in the three countries.

Howzit-HongKong.com/BlitzBokke.com was there and recorded some footage from the afternoon’s event:

The world’s biggest rugby ball… the unveiling (Footage: Mike Jansen)

The HK7s players’ impromptu skills display (Footage: Mike Jansen)

Here are some more pics from Cathay and some that I took in the afternoon:

After an astonishing performance at the Altus Kowloon RugbyFest last year, (they finished Plate Runners-up) Rwanda’s rugby players return to Hong Kong next week focused on winning a trophy to cap a remarkable 12 months for the sport in their country.

They will also undertake another IRB coaching course and train with elite teams who will be in town for Hong Kong’s famous Rugby Week.

“Our first visit to Hong Kong in 2010 was very much an eye-opener and a steep learning curve for the boys,” said captain Djuma-Adams Mugabo, one of 11 players returning from last year.

“We are better prepared this time and now we know the standard required to compete with the best teams at RugbyFest. We’re looking forward to the challenge.”

Rwanda won admirers on and off the pitch during their first visit to Hong Kong – a historic trip that had huge benefits for rugby back in the East African country.

More young players have taken up the sport as a result of the positive publicity and playing kit and equipment donated by Hong Kong clubs has been put to good use.

Two of Scotland’s top coaches – former national team coach Frank Hadden and Scottish Rugby Union referee development manager Colin Brett – visited the country last November to conduct a series of clinics. The duo’s visit was organised by the famous Penguins Coaching Academy, which provides tuition clinics at rugby backwaters all over the world.

Former Scotland coach Frank Hadden (Pic: PA/The Telegraph)

More good news arrived last month when the Rwandan Rugby Federation at last secured a home pitch, taking out a three-year lease on a playing field belonging to a school in the capital, Kigali.

“This is a huge step forward,” said Hong Kong-born rugby enthusiast and Rwanda volunteer worker Dave Hughes, organiser of the Silverbacks’ Hong Kong tours.

“Securing a dedicated pitch is a direct result of the expansion rugby is undergoing in Rwanda and the Hong Kong tours are driving this. With continued investment, we are putting in place development programmes designed to give the game a solid base and build it up from the grassroots.”

One player who has benefited directly from last year’s Hong Kong trip is captain Mugabo, who grew up homeless on the streets of Kigali, selling cigarettes for a living, before taking up rugby.

An anonymous benefactor who read his inspiring tale stepped forward to fund his further education, meaning the Silverbacks skipper was able to start college last September.

The five newcomers to the Rwandan squad for this year’s tour are Jean-Baptist Itanzi, Felix Nsengimana, Sylvain Nkurunziza, Kevin Makmot and Enock Muhire.

“The tour is due reward for the commitment and enthusiasm these young players have shown and it will be a fantastic rugby and cultural experience for them,” added Hughes.

The Silverbacks’ 2011 tour is being funded by the sponsorship from CB Richard Ellis, G4S, Woodland Pre-Schools and Emboss Capital.

“Once again the Hong Kong rugby community has been extremely generous and welcoming,” said Hughes. “Numerous companies and individuals are contributing to make the tour happen.”

After playing in the tournament, the Rwandan squad will once again be spectators at the famous Hong Kong Sevens from 25-27 March.

The Altus Kowloon RugbyFest will take place at King’s Park on Wednesday 23 March and will feature 16 teams from around the world.

Ten youngsters from a Laureus-supported project in South Africa are about to undertake the trip of a lifetime as they visit Hong Kong next week.

The ground-breaking exchange will be highlighted by a 2-day visit during which they will be guests at the famous Hong Kong Rugby Sevens tournament.

Laureus World Sports Academy Member Morné du Plessis, Chairman of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation South Africa, will join the young people from the Soweto Schools Rugby Programme (SSRP) who will be sharing experiences and playing rugby with another Laureus-funded project, Operation Breakthrough, in Hong Kong from March 21-26.

The youngsters, who will be lead by Dalisizwe Ndebele, the leader of the Soweto Schools Rugby Programme, will participate in an ideas exchange and discuss how sport in general and rugby in particular can play a positive role in their lives. Other highlights will include:

· A training session with the South Africa team competing in the Hong Kong Sevens, at King’s Park on Wednesday, March 23 (11.00-12.30hrs)

· The chance to meet Laureus Academy Member and All Blacks rugby legend Sean Fitzpatrick, who is President of the Asia Pacific Barbarians team which will be playing in the Sevens.

· Meeting members of the Asia Pacific Barbarians team, who are coached by Australian legend David Campese, whose team includes All Blacks Christian Cullen, Rico Gear and Justin Marshall, Australian George Gregan and Samoa ’s Semi Sititi

· Taking part in the International Youth Rugby Tournament at King’s Park along with Operation Breakthrough, Sandy Bay Youth Team, a New Zealand school team, a team from Rwanda and Penguins International Coaches, at King’s Park on Thursday, March 24 (10.00-11.30hrs)

Morné du Plessis (pictured above), former manager of the South African 1995 Rugby World Cup winning team, said:

“This is a great opportunity for the Laureus South Africa Foundation to see how we can develop our projects and provide an even better future for disadvantaged children from our great nation.

The youngsters will have the opportunity to share their experiences and at the same time give Sean Fitzpatrick and myself, as Academy Members, the opportunity to motivate and inspire them.

“With the itinerary that has been fixed up for the youngsters, you can see that this is going to be an unforgettable few days. I am sure they will especially love meeting their fellow countrymen from the South African Sevens team,” added Morné.

A dream meeting with Sean Fitzpatrick & David Campese awaits the Soweto youngsters (Pic: Mike Jansen)

Bruce Fowler from the Southern African Association in Hong Kong (SAAHK) sent word that there are still a few seats available for this year’s Sevens Dinner.

Springbok legend and former captain Morne Du Plessis (pictured below) will be the guest-speaker at the Hong Kong Football Club event next week, while the Springbok Sevens team will again grace us with their presence.

While I didn’t attend last year when “the voice of rugby” Hugh Bladen was the guest-speaker, every other Sevens Dinner I have been to have been a special event.

Needless to say, many South Africans will be flying in from back home, so if you’re looking for something to do in Hong Kong next Wednesday evening… come join us at the Hong Kong Football Club.

Contact Bruce Fowler for more details.

bfowler@pacific.net.hk

Below are some images from previous Sevens Dinners:

CWB is the abbreviation for Causeway Bay. The busy shopping and eating district is, of course, also home to the Hong Kong Stadium; home the Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens.

Those of you who choose to stay as close as possible to the Hong Kong Stadium, here are several options within walking distance. In fact, most hotels are virtually equidistant between the Hong Kong Stadium in So Kon Po and the party district of Wan Chai. On the Hong Kong Island MTR-line, Causeway Bay is right next to Wan Chai.

(Click on the MTR map for a larger view)

Here are some hotel options in the Causeway Bay district:

MetroPark Hotel (here)

Excelsior Hotel (by Mandarin Oriental) (here)

Regal Hotel (here)

Very popular option with Sevens tourists as the Hotel is about 10 minutes away on foot.

Park Lane Hotel (here)

The Park Lane is situated right in the busy Causeway Bay shopping district with some great restaurants meters away. Depending on the room, you can have a great view of Victoria Harbour and the next-door Victoria park.

Holiday In Express (here)

Charter House Hotel (here)

Again, visit this page often as I will be updating the information in the next few days.

Here’s a static Google Map of the Causeway Bay area, click here for an online/interactive version

Below is the great view you could get from the Park Lane Hotel. You can even see my apartment across the Harbour!