Kerry Hotel Kowloon will look to knock Natixis HKFC from its Championship Trophy perch this weekend in the Saxo Markets Premiership game of the week at Kings Park (kick off at 16.30). Societe Generale Valley take on Herbert Smith Freehills HKU Sandy Bay (Happy Valley 6 at 15.00), while Bloomberg Hong Kong Scottish host Borrelli Walsh USRC Tigers at Shek Kip Mei at 16.30 in other Challenge Trophy action tomorrow.

At the mid-point of the inaugural competition, (introduced by the HKRU to incentivise Premiership clubs to season Hong Kong’s emerging age grade talent), Kowloon are in fifth place with a 1-1 record. They opened the competition by beating HK Scottish 17-12, before last week’s loss to defending grand champions Sandy Bay, 28-13.  

The learning curve gets even steeper this week with the in-form side in the competition, HKFC, visiting King’s Park on Saturday. Club have picked up where they left off after last season’s league title, as the only undefeated Premiership team after the first two weeks - having posted 92 points in two games to just 19 against.  Club leads the Challenge Trophy table with 10 points, followed by Valley in second on seven points, then Scottish (6), Sandy Bay (5), Kowloon (4) and Tigers (0).

While HKFC appear ready to hit the Premiership running, Kowloon coach Scott Sneddon is taking advantage of the opportunities presented by the Challenge Trophy, particularly given the tournament’s timing - coming on the heels of an off-season that saw the club focused on developing strength and depth across its ranks.

Kowloon has welcomed the inception of the Challenge Trophy as it dovetails with an intensive off-season push to address one of the clubs’ biggest historic vulnerabilities: the lack of an established juniors section.

To plug that gap, Kowloon has been working closely with Sai Kung Stingrays juniors and instituted a U19s Academy for the first time in club history this summer. The Academy programme unites incoming players from Stingrays with Kowloon’s contingent of age grade players from the Operation Breakthrough rugby programmes and the club’s junior side, Kowloon Lions.

Kowloon already boasts some notable juniors in U20s co-captain Sam Tsoi, Ray Li, and upcoming sevens star Fong Kit-Fung, but with a number of Academy players still just 17-years old it is still one or two seasons away from having the sustained impact desired.

Nonetheless, Kowloon is taking maximum advantage of its opportunities in the early season with Sneddon keen to expose and refine his current crop of players ahead of the Premiership.  

The club’s approach has been clear to see in the opening rounds, with Kowloon fielding 13 U25s in its first two games, all of which are eligible to play for Hong Kong in future.  With as much as 50% of Kowloon’s squad under 25, or even under 23, Sneddon is all-in on handing out opportunities early in the season.

“It’s about giving these guys a chance where they can hopefully grow into their roles a bit more by playing alongside some very experienced team-mates who have played at English Premiership and similar levels around the world.”

“Short-term, our focus is on building depth, so we are not overly focused on results in the Challenge Trophy, those are secondary objectives. Our primary goal is to build strength and expose the young guys to a higher standard than they are used to, and to encourage them to back themselves a bit.

“We also have a target of developing more leaders this season and the Challenger Trophy has helped in that as well, with guys naturally slotting into mentorship roles for some of the younger players.”

Tsoi and speedy backs Ray Li and Fong Kit Fung are also pressing their own claims for more than fringe Premiership appearances in the opening rounds.

“Sam has really had a good start to the season. A lot of people forget that he has only been playing for a couple of years. He is a gifted athlete and still a bit raw in terms of his rugby, but he is only going to get better.

“With Fong, it can come down to his availability given his involvement with Sevens, but I’m confident that a fair few of the young guys will end up at least in our Prem A side. Looking at last weekend, we finished the game with a full local front row and while they gave away a bit, naturally, in size and experience compared to what is a strong Sandy Bay pack, it was a great experience that both the club and the player can build from.

“We get the importance of this, and know that we have to do it now. It is essential to our ability to succeed long-term and we are working with the junior clubs, the Union and schools in the area to identify new players and ensure that talented players do not fall through the net,” added Sneddon.

Given the challenge facing the side this weekend Sneddon knows that his senior veterans will have to step up and guide the team in the face of some stiff opposition.

“I have seen glimpses of what we are after so far. I want to see a 60-70 minute performance this weekend and then I will feel we are in a good position for the Premiership campaign.

“The guys we have brought across this season have added real value with their skill, experience and leadership. With the ERP players coming back into the squad, we can start aligning everyone internally for the season ahead. Given what I have seen so far from the Challenge Trophy players and our transfers, we have got to be stronger than last year.

“Now, we need to make our own luck. Last season was a transitional year at the club, and we need to stand up and be counted now. If it gels the way it can and should do, it is going to be a really exciting season,” Sneddon added.