Mini Union Chair Olly Stratton had a very special Christmas gift to deliver when he touched down in the UK earlier this week – a Colony Cap to present to former Hong Kong international Bob Richardson-Aitken.

Bob was stationed here with the Welch Regiment of the British Army, and played for the Colony representative side between 1966-68, an impressive feat but not in fact the biggest legacy that Bob was to leave for the local rugby community…

Some years later Bob was again posted to Hong Kong, this time with the 6th Gurkhas and was posted to the Training Depot Brigade of Gurkhas in Sek Kong.  In those days there was a rugby team drawn from officers from all the Gurkha units in the New Territories, and another drawn from the Royal Air Force; with the RAF moving their base from Kai Tak to Sek Kong, and the Gurkha side in need of some bolstering, Bob’s Brigade Commander, Morgan Llewellyn, ordered him to establish a new rugby entity combining the Gurkhas and the RAF. 

The result was a new club called the Flying Kukris, who went on to compete in the local leagues right up to the mid 1990s, and of course the Flying Kukris still exist as a mini and youth club here, and as a senior club in Brunei.

On behalf of the HKRU, and all those who have proudly worn the winged Kukri badge down the years, thanks Bob – and Merry Christmas!