NAN FUNG GROUP | AIRSIDE HONG KONG PREMIERSHIP: ROUND 2 REVIEW

There was lots of excitement in round two of the Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Hong Kong Premiership 2025/26 on Saturday 11 October, which included the Men’s Super Saturday back-to-back fixtures and some close-fought contests.

Societe Generale Valley RFC, HKFC Natixis Club, and Kroll USRC Tigers RFC all registered wins for the men.

For the Women’s Premiership, Societe Generale Valley RFC and HKFC Natixis Ice both continued their winning ways, while Kroll USRC Tigers Women recorded their first win of the season. 

For next week’s Round 3, HKCR is supporting Breast Cancer Awareness Month and teamed up with Phenomenally Pink and dedicated the weekend’s domestic matches as Pink Rugby Days. All teams are invited to show their support by adding a touch of pink to their match kits, which is also Super Saturday for the Women’s Prem.

Women’s Premiership

Causeway Sandy Bay 7-43 Kroll USRC Tigers Women

Kroll USRC Tigers Women turned around last weekend’s defeat to last year's Grand Final champions, Societe Generale Valley RFC, to earn their first win of the season against Causeway Sandy Bay, scoring seven tries to earn a bonus point in the victory.

The winners announced some new signings leading to the game, and one of those was New Zealander Hinemaringi Melanie Scott, who was part of the Waikato FPC side that claimed the Farah Palmer Cup, where she played at outside centre, and that is where she has slotted in for the Kroll USRC Tigers Women.

Head Coach and COO Conor Joyce started her alongside Shaye Whareaorere, who is the co-captain. Joyce was full of praise for her pre-season. “She is a great player. She's really the glue between the local girls and some of the sprinkling of Western girls we have. She's always got a smile on her face, so knowledgeable of the game and just brings tenacity. When she's switched on, she's really, really tough to play against.”

Tigers scored in the 12th minute through #27 Shaye-Moana Whareaorere, who bagged her second minutes later for a 10-0 lead. On debut, Hinemaringi Scott (#18) added the third just after half an hour and the try was converted by another new club signing and fly-half Shandre Fouche. Scott got a double before the half, with right wing Tiyanah Joseph getting the 5th try for a 31-0 lead after forty minutes.

Their 6th try was scored by Rita Fung after the hour mark, while Causeway Sandy Bay scored their only try via an audacious break, chip, chase, and collect to their fullback and new signing Amber Lawless in the 66th minute. The final try of the game came from Shaye Whareaorere in the 78th minute to round up her hattrick. 

Causeway Sandy Bay have lost both opening games, and there is work to do for the club as they continue to rebuild this season, but they will take a lot out of the second half.

Clement Shield/VetiVa Gai Wu Falcons 7-22 HKFC Natixis Ice

Clement Shield/VetiVa Gai Wu Falcons put in a solid performance in the opening round last week with a big 71-0 win over Kowloon and were hoping to topple annual title contenders HKFC Natixis Ice in the second round, but last year's finalist were too good and won a close game.

Niamh Orchard, after scoring in her debut last week, opened the scoring for HKFC in the 7th minute, and teammate Rosanna Down doubled the score after a quarter of an hour to lead 12-0. A third try by Caitlin Simpson put them firmly in command and could have rung the alarm bells for the hosts by the halftime break.

A yellow card for HKFC’s Bobby Wilson gave Gai Wu the chance they needed as South African capped Piwokuhle Nyanda-Alberts dotted down for her first club try, which Montana Heslop converted. Those are the only points they could muster despite numerous chances, but the HKFC defence held firm. 

With the side back to 15 players, another new recruit who has impressed in her first season at HKFC, Georgina Tasker, sealed the game with their fourth try, which also earned them the bonus point win. Taskher ran in a hat-trick last weekend and this result makes it two (bonus point) wins from two games to start the season.

There will be lots to please their new Women's Club Coaching Officer, former USA player Charli Jacoby, who was announced mid-week.

For Gai Wu Falcons Women’s CCO Tumua Loane, he said at the start of the campaign, “Our goal is to have continual individual and team growth on our way to a Grand final. And we're not shy about that.” So these will be lessons learned.

Societe Generale Valley RFC 100-0 Kowloon Rugby Club

Societe Generale Valley RFC made it two bonus point wins from two games too and have now racked up more than 125 points and are yet to concede this season. They put the Kowloon side to the sword with the biggest win of the season.

The side was ruthless as they scored 55 unanswered points in the first half, with Jayme Nuku (x2) getting the scoreboard ticking in the third minute before Zoe Smith (x2), Crystal Mayes (x2), Ella Lynam, Tiffany Hiu San Fu, and Szeting Li scoring.

They added another 45 points in the second for a convincing win as Wing Yan Leung, Ella Lynam (her second), Abigail Chan (x2), Haruka Uematsu, Jayme Nuku (the captain getting her hat trick), and Hoi Ni Cheung all scored to reach a century of points.

Next week on Super Saturday for the women, Valley will take on fierce rivals HKFC Natixis Ice in what is shaping up to be the game of the round.

For Kowloon, they had three players make their debut in the match, and it was a tough introduction for them into the Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Hong Kong Premiership season and one in which the club is celebrating its 50th anniversary. One of the debutants was Sammy Spence, who has joined from playing in New Zealand and brings with her Farah Palmer Cup experience.

Men's Premiership

Milwaukee Hong Kong Scottish 15-21 HKFC Natixis Club

HKFC Natixis Club claimed a 21-15 victory over Milwaukee Hong Kong Scottish in the first match of the Men’s Super Saturday clash. It means it's a winning start to the season for the side which didn't play last week, and it's two close losses on the bounce for HK Scottish.

The lineups featured plenty of international talent, with a lot of the regular starters away with the HKCR representative team in camp. HKFC had former Scotland 7s stars Robbie Fergusson at outside centre, and Jamie Farndale on the left wing, while Philippines 7s and 15s international Kai Stroem started at inside centre. 

Livewire former Scotland 7s and Milwaukee Hong Kong Scottish scrumhalf Peter Jericevich also featured as the club starred several new signings.

It was nearly twenty minutes before the scoreboard registered a point, and it was Leon Tuloma who scored from a good rolling maul off the back of a lineout as Jericevich converted for the only score of the game by the halftime break.

HKFC Natixis Club levelled things up within 90 seconds of the second half, with their own scrum-half Anthony Coebergh going under the posts after good midfield play. Jericevich added three from a penalty in the tight game to retake the lead, but Stroem read and made an intercept and went under the poles for HKFC to lead for the first time after 56 minutes.

They extended the lead with 15 minutes to go when Sam Demaid Groves reached over for a vital score to lead 21-10. Milwaukee Hong Kong Scottish's new signing Harry Rice scored late on after some quick thinking from a tap and go, but the comeback was not to be.

Leon Tuloma was voted Player of the Match by the fans after scoring a try for the HK Scottish despite his side falling just short.

HKU Sandy Bay RFC 33-36 Kroll USRC Tigers RFC 

Kroll USRC Tigers RFC edged out HKU Sandy Bay RFC in Match 2 of Men’s Super Saturday, taking the win 36-33 after a late Sandy Bay comeback nearly turned the tide in their first game of the season, but the defending Grand Final champions came unstuck in what is a rare win for the Tigers over the past 12 months.

HKU Sandy Bay RFC are without as many as 11 of their 23 players who were in the final win last season after they left the club in the off-season. They have had to sign several players as part of the rebuild. 

Both sides scored five tries in the enthralling game. Tabo Maree opened the scoring in the second minute for HKU Sandy Bay RFC before Kroll USRC Tigers RFC fly-half Henry Mortimer, who joined from National League 1 side Esher RFC, slotted a penalty. 

Captain and fullback Michael Botha scored the second converted try for the defending champions, and wing Cameron Taylor made it 19-3 all within the opening 15 minutes. 

Tigers centre Tomos Howells pulled one try back after the twenty-minute water break, shortly followed by their captain Liam Edwards, as they scored 14 unanswered points to keep them in the contest. Just before the break, flanker Lindokuhle Ncusane completed the turnaround as they scored their third try in the half to lead 24-19 at the halftime whistle.

There were no more points for twenty minutes when the Tigers won a penalty try after a dominant scrum close to the opposition try line, and then left wing Justin Eden scored their fifth out wide for a lead of 36-19 with less than 15 minutes remaining.

HKU Sandy Bay RFC stormed back with two unanswered tries from Botha with his second try and Dean Rossouw, but fell just short in this exciting contest. 

Kroll USRC Tigers RFC CCO and Men’s Head Coach Nigel Hotham will be delighted with the impact of his signings, and one of those, Tigers hooker Hakaraia Richards-Coxhead, was voted Player of the Match by the fans.

Kowloon Rugby Club 27-29 Societe Generale Valley RFC

Societe Generale Valley RFC wrapped up the final clash of Men’s Super Saturday, and had to fight all the way for the 80 minutes to claim a hard-fought 29-27 win over Kowloon Rugby Club. The Kowloon side struck late in the opening round to get the season off to a win, but were just denied by Valley this time around.

Societe Generale Valley RFC kicked a penalty via the captain, Laurence May, when Kowloon’s Joe Tanswell was sent off for a yellow card early in the first half, and a second yellow to Samuel Gwynne Carroll did them no favours as Valley made the most of it to lead 15-8 by the break, thanks to scores from Huw Alexander and Toby Salmon. 

Abraham Steenkamp slotted a long-range penalty for Kowloon, and they grabbed a late try thanks to a great grubber through by Dylan White, which was collected and scored by new signing Tom Edwards in the corner after forty minutes.

Lock Asipeli Vea extended the lead to 22-8 for Valley, and Levi Hazelton secured the fourth try with only a quarter to go, and they could have thought the game was wrapped up. The pack had dominance, but backline talent in the form of Rob Fogerty, Max Woodward and Henry Shiell were a constant threat for Societe Generale Valley RFC.

Kowloon pulled their sleeves up, though, and gave them a real crack. Thomasau Forbes crashed over from a wayward lineout to close the deficit with the unconverted try. With 12 minutes to go, they scored from another lineout and a driving maul, with reserve hooker Siu Lung Ng making it 20-29. 

Steenkamp was a menace all game in the midfield and helped set up the next Kowloon try, which Ron Steven Tavodi scored. White converted with under five minutes on the clock for a nailbiter.

Societe Generale Valley RFC held on though, as the clock wound down to claim the win. Hooker Luke Dewar earned Player of the Match honours for Societe Generale Valley RFC - the third straight hooker of the day to be awarded the POTM on Super Saturday for the men.

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