Charities Page

HKRFU Charitable Trust

In January 1993 the HKRFU launched the Charitable Trust Fund, to help meet the educational needs of local youths who demonstrate both potential and high interest in rugby. Each scholarship is tenable for a maximum of five years in primary or secondary schools, subject to the successful applicant achieving satisfactory academic progress and conduct in their school. Among the major proponents of the scheme were George Simpkin and Tigers RFC player Noel McCulla. The first recipients to receive assistance from the Trust were the Chan brothers, Fuk Ping and Wai Ping, both of whom went on to enjoy impressive rugby careers. Six of the current national squad members have been beneficiaries of the Trust fund in the past, and this year more than 40 awards have been made.

The Trust is funded by the proceeds from the annual Sevens Long Lunch, the Message Board at the Sevens, and one-off donations - the more money raised each year, the more kids that can be assisted. For more details about Trust applications, visit /eng/academy/scholarships.htm or if you’d like to make a donation e-mail bin.huang@hkrugby.com

Operation Breakthrough

Operation Breakthrough is a youth crime prevention initiative that comprises both boxing and rugby sections. The rugby was set up in November 2003, and is run by the Police RFC with the assistance of the HKRFU. Currently 70 at-risk youths aged between 13 and 17 from the districts of Tin Shui Wai and Wong Tai Sin train every Wednesday evening at the Police Sports & Recreation Club, and in the 2004/05 season they fielded one U16 Colts team under the name "Police Colts" and a joint U18 team with Kowloon Lions. Other recent highlights included playing a match at the Hong Kong Stadium at December’s "Tickets & Tries" event, one of the boys making the U18 Peninsula squad for the New Year’s Day Tournament, and one lad being selected to go on tour with the Hong Kong U16 team to Sri Lanka. An integral part of the scheme is also sending each youth who has shown sufficient commitment on an Outward Bound Course, and the fantastic OB staff (several of whom are also Police players!) have been of huge assistance in developing this programme. The scheme has also received considerable support from throughout the rugby community, including the help of UBS, Heller Ehrman, AVIVA Insurance, Sodexho, and Future Leisure.

The success of the scheme was recognised on March 15^th 2005 when the Laureus World Sports Foundation adopted Breakthrough as one of their "Sport for Good" projects; Laureus Academy members Edwin Moses, Mark Spitz and Sean Fitzpatrick visited Police Boundary Street to join the boys training and present a cheque for HK$100,000.

If you would like to find out more about Operation Breakthrough, take a look at www.breakthrough.hk

Rambo offers some last minute advice before the boys play at the HK Stadium.

Kenyan Connection

What happens to any leftover merchandise from the sevens? A good question, well you might be surprised to learn that amongst the beneficiaries are two clubs based on the outskirts of Nairobi in Kenya. With the assistance of Liberty Travel Hong Kong and Kenya Airways, an array of shirts, hats and t-shirts has been transported to Kenya and will be presented to the Harlequins and Nondies Rugby Clubs, who plan to distribute amongst their members at a pre match Bar-b-que or Nyama Choma to be arranged at the Nondies ground as a pre-match warm up. Clive Hammond of Liberty Travel Hong Kong explains, "I had the idea after a visit to our Safari Office in Nairobi and approached the HKRFU to see if they had any items of no further use here in Hong Kong. "Adding that " You really have to see how little some of these guys have to appreciate what donations of this kind mean", Kenya rugby is well known to sevens fans in Hong Kong who have seen these fine exponents of the shortened game give the games heavyweights more than a few headaches, ask the Australians! Liberty Travel Hong Kong is also helping the Kenyan National Team look for sponsors for their sevens team participating in the World Sevens Circuit. Anyone with any donations either for Kenya in general or interested in sponsoring the national team should contact Liberty Travel Hong Kong at info@libertyhongkong.com.

Tsunami Disaster Relief

The Hong Kong rugby community responded to the dreadful events of last December with "Rugby Tries to Help", a concerted effort to raise funds for the international aid agencies dealing with the aftermath. The campaign kicked off with a collection at the New Year’s Day Youth Tournament, which raised $63,588, and continued with a weekend of sponsored tries, a Pot Bellied Pigs Invitational Challenge Match, and the Taipo Dragons Mini Festival. The end result was a total collection of just over $200,000.

In addition, other members of the rugby community have taken individual initiatives to help out; Gemma Booth has done a fantastic job collecting much needed clothing to send to the survivors, while HKCC/Aberdeen player very kindly donated his Hong Kong Asian Games rugby shirt to the Sri Lankan Puffins rugby club for a charity auction.

The Union’s Charity Committee has decided that that we will continue fund-raising, with a focus on a long-term project such as a community centre, school or orphanage. With this target, the Pot Bellied Pigs organised the first "Pigs-on-the-Piste" charity drink-a-thon in early February, while both the HKFC 10s Dinner and the BCC/KPMG 7s Dinner also raised substantial sums. Efforts will continue…

Appeal to Save Niu Jian’s Life

Niu Jian, a young Chinese Agricultural University rugby player from Beijing, is tragically suffering from leukemia. Mark Thomas, a prominent member of the Hong Kong and China sporting community and former Hong Kong international, has spearheaded efforts to raise 500,000RMB to pay for Niu’s chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant from his mother. The Hong Kong rugby community through a number of initiatives including a special season-ending "All-Stars Match" sponsored by Securicor and Hill & Associates, succeeded in raising over HK$150,000 towards this total. Niu had his bone marrow transplant on 14^th April, and his recovery has gone extremely well. It is hoped that he will resume his university studies this year, and there is even a chance that he may get back on a rugby pitch in the not too distant future…