Year in Review : Hong Kong Rugby League

Twelve months on since the formation of the Hong Kong Rugby League we look back at everything that has happened since that first ever board meeting in December 2014.

Foundation / Incorporation
The Hong Kong Rugby League was formed in December 2014, after a group of Rugby League fans spread throughout the region held the inaugural board meeting.
The meeting saw the formation of the inaugural board:

Chairman: James Hall
Secretary: Ray Meli
Treasurer: Ian Molyneux
Board Member: Brad Newman
Board Member: Jason Fairleigh
Board Member: Jack Muir
Board Member: Malcolm Pratt
Board Member: Daniel Mascord

From this meeting the HKRL was formed and went through the process to become incorporated as a not-for-profit entity and recognised as the governing body for rugby league in Hong Kong.

Recognition
Hong Kong Rugby League’s efforts on the ground in the region received recognition from the region’s governing body, the Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation, with the HKRL being given Observer Member status.

The HKRL also enjoyed an opportunity to present to the Rugby League Parliamentary Group in the United Kingdom as part of a tour by some of the HKRL board members in early February.

Schools Rugby League
Rugby League made significant strides into the school system in Hong Kong in 2015 with training sessions held at four schools, seeing around 100 school children get a taste of rugby league.

Harrow International, King George V, Sha Tin Colllege and the Australian International College all took part in various Rugby League programs under the guidance of Hong Kong Thunder coach, Jason Fairleigh.

Harrow International and King George V also played in a competitive game of Rugby League, with the more experienced King George V school running out 20 – 4 victors in the match. Both sets of children loved the sport; they are itching to play again.

Hong Kong Rugby League will look to continue and expand its School Rugby League offering in 2016, including running more competitive matches between each of the Secondary institutions.

Friday Night Lights
Friday Night Lights was a new program run by the Hong Kong Rugby League in July and August designed to educate curious locals of ins and outs of Rugby League.

The seven-week program saw more than 50 players descend down to Kings Park in Kowloon to learn the basics of the game in a series of training sessions and simulated games co-ordinated by HKRL Chairman, James Hall, and Hong Kong Thunder coach, Jason Fairleigh.

The Friday Night Lights program not only helped the HKRL establish that there was an appetite for Open-Age Rugby League competitions within the region, but also expose more individuals to help spread the game.

Social
Hong Kong Rugby League’s mission was not just to get people playing the code of Rugby League within the region, but also to encourage locals to watch and follow the sport.

As such, in 2015, the Hong Kong Rugby League ran a range of social events designed to encourage people to get together and follow the code.

From the Four Nations in 2014 to the Auckland Nines, State of Origin and the NRL Grand Final, the HKRL ran a series of major and minor events over the year, attracting sometimes well over 200 individuals to come down and catch some of the best players in action.

Nines Tournament
The inaugural Hong Kong Rugby League Nines was held on October 21 in King’s Park, Kowloon.

The Hooked Fish & Chips sponsored event, saw four teams and a total of 60 players representing regions around Hong Kong go head to head to claim the first piece of Rugby League silverware on offer.

The teams, the Mong Kok Creepers, Coastal Cobras, Hong Kong Hunters and Wai Chan Warriors played each other in the group stages before the Creepers defeated the Cobras in the tournament final to be named Nines champions for 2015.

The success of the tournament provided the HKRL with the foundation to build the Residents XIII team which toured the Philippines later in the year, and to plan for new Nines tournaments in 2016.

Tag Tournament
Tag Rugby League is a low contact version of Rugby League where tackles have been replaced by players removing a ‘tag’ from the shorts of a player. Unlike Touch Rugby League, Tag Rugby League still inherits a number of other Tackle Rugby League rules including kicking, scrums and markers.

Tag Rugby League is one of the many variations of Rugby League the HKRL are using to help spread the code.

In the inaugural Tag Rugby League tournament, the HKRL saw an unprecedented amount of interest from locals that they had to cap entries to seven teams.

The event, comprising of 100 male and female players, ran in parallel to the Nines tournament at Kings Park’s in Kowloon and saw a team from Discovery Bay, Team Bacchus, take out the tournament after defeating CWB Loxi in the final.

Residents Tour
The Hong Kong Residents XIII was the first Representative team pulled together by the Hong Kong Rugby League.

Featuring players living in the Hong Kong region, the Residents XIII toured the Philippines in November, playing the Manila Storm in the first clash between the two nations ever in Rugby League.

Despite the limited preparations and time together, the Residents XIII brought pride to the HKRL name, winning the clash 40 – 34 and assisting the Philippines National Rugby League in their continued attempts to spread the code.

Click here to view the full 2015 – Year in Review document