Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR) this evening marked the highly anticipated return of our top domestic competition with a ceremony held at The Airside, Kai Tak. 

This is the second season of the Nan Fung Group|SEWIT partnership that encompasses the HKCR Men’s and Women’s Premierships, and runs through until the end of the 2024/2025 season.

"Nan Fung Group and SEWIT are delighted to extend our partnership with Hong Kong China Rugby into the 2023/2024 season. We have established the SEWIT sustainability framework to engage the community and stakeholders with our five strategic pillars: Social Cohesion, Environment, Wellness, Innovation and Technology. Rugby, both on and off the pitch, embodies admirable values, and we are grateful to Hong Kong China Rugby and its athletes for sharing our vision. We are excited to support and nurture local talent, elevating the profile of the game and fostering its growth. Together, we aim to drive positive impacts on social inclusion and well-being,”  Vanessa Cheung, Group Managing Director of Nan Fung Group, expresses her enthusiasm for a fruitful and long-term partnership with HKCR.

The 2023/2024 Nan Fung Group|SEWIT Premierships will bring together 6 men’s teams and 6 women’s teams, battling it out over 15 league rounds followed by Grand Championship semi-finals and grand finals. 

In addition to Nan Fung Group|SEWIT, we are pleased to be working again with Asphodel Fitness as our secondary sponsor, who are bringing back their “Player of the Round” initiative. All Premiership games this season will be live streamed on the HKCR Youtube channel so fans can enjoy the action no matter where they are!

The season kicks off with a Men’s Super Saturday triple trio, with all six Premiership teams in back-to-back clashes at Kings Park on Saturday, 7 October, starting from 14.00. Natixis HKFC open their title defence against traditional rivals Societe Generale Valley in the opening game, with Kroll USRC Tigers up next against DAC Kowloon at 16.00 and HKU Sandy Bay against KPMG Hong Kong Scottish wrapping things up at 18.00. 

 “It is great to see the return of Premiership action, and it looks like both the Men’s and Women’s leagues are going to be highly competitive.  I would like to thank Nan Fung Group and SEWIT for their continued support – they are fantastic partners, and we share both the same values as well as a desire to create positive impact across our community.  I would also like to wish all the teams, as well as our outstanding group of match officials, all the very best for a great season.” Chris Brooke, Chairman of Hong Kong China Rugby.

The Women’s season kicks off on 21 October following the international test match against Colombia, with Kroll USRC Tigers facing off with Gai Wu Falcons at King’s Park at 18.00 while the Societe Generale Valley Black Ladies take on SCAA First Pacific CWB Phoenix at Happy Valley at the same time. Meanwhile down the road at Footy Club, Natixis HKFC Ice will host DAC Kowloon at 18.30.

The Women’s Super Saturday is scheduled for 17 February, with another packed afternoon of three match back at King’s Park Sports Ground.

During the launch event, HKCR also announced the launch of the exciting new fan-engagement initiative, "Pick Your Team and Go!". This campaign uses the name of the common rugby tactic of pick and go as a call to action for fans to show their support for their favourite team.