A healthy crowd of over 2,000 players, friends, family, officials and supporters, gathered at Hong Kong Football Club yesterday for the rugby community’s traditional start to the New Year, enjoying four exciting age grade matches showcasing the rugby stars of the future.

The U16s Girls got the afternoon off to a bright start, with the Lions taking the Wright Naylor Cup with a convincing and well-deserved 41-10 victory over their Dragons counterparts. Aleena Azarova, the talented Discovery Bay stand off, was a popular winner of the first Best & Fairest award for her outstanding contribution to the Lions' triumph.

Next up it was the turn of the U16 Boys, and this time the spoils of victory went to the Dragons who secured the George White Trophy after a hard-fought 12-7 win. Although the Dragons took an early 12-0 lead, it soon became clear that further tries were going to be hard to come by as the respective defences dug in. Momentum swung several times as both teams searched for a break, but although the Lions eventually managed to get on the scoreboard and narrow the gap, the Dragons hung on to seal a nail-biting win, with their busy no.8 Matthew McQuhae picking up the Best & Fairest award. 

In the U19s Girls Lassies Quaich fixture the Dragons showcased their dominance right from the opening kick-off, capitalising on Lions’ errors to make a series of searing breaks which saw them three tries up by half time. The Lions came out with renewed purpose after the break, and gradually took dominance of possession. However, despite their efforts, the Lions struggled to convert their pressure into points, while the Dragons managed to add three more tries to ensure they would be taking home the silverware with a resounding 36-0 win. Centre Emily Fisher, who scored 2 tries, was named Best & Fairest.

The last match of the day saw the U19 Boys competing for the Middlesex Cup, the trophy first awarded back in 1967. The Overseas Lions put on a powerful display, racking up 7 tries on their way to an emphatic 41-7 victory over the Hong Kong Dragons. The Lions had started brightly and ran in four tries in the first half, and although the Dragons never stopped pressing and created some great scoring opportunities themselves, they struggled to break through the Lions' strong defence. They did cross the Lions’ line for their only try in the 42nd minute, but the Lions replied with 3 more of their own to put the destination of the Middlesex Cup beyond doubt. Full Back James Kee from Cardiff University was named Best & Fairest Player of the match.

The day concluded with the presentation of the Larry Abel Trophy for the overall Best & Fairest Player of the tournament; this prestigious award recognizes individuals who made a significant impact on their game and maintained high standards of sportsmanship. Matthew McQuhae was selected as the well-deserved winner, earning him a place among the list of illustrious previous winners such as Natasha Olson-Thorne, Keith Robertson and Chan Fuk-ping.

RESULTS

 
An afternoon that showcased all the best of our sport, and which would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of all the players, coaches, match officials, staff and volunteers. We would also like to extend our thanks to our event partners Hysan Development for their generous support and our hosts, Hong Kong Football Club, for their continuous support over the past five decades. Happy New Year!