The Hong Kong Rugby Union is pleased to announce leading provider of online multi-asset trading and investing platforms, Saxo Capital Markets (https://www.home.saxo/en-hk) as title sponsor of the Hong Kong Rugby Union’s Men’s Premiership League for the 2018/2019 season.

Saxo Capital Markets’ support comes at a crucial and compelling time for Hong Kong Rugby, with the men’s National XV, drawn from players across the six Premiership and Premiership A clubs, advancing to the final stages of qualification for the Rugby World Cup next year in Japan.

In the 2018/19 season, the Saxo Capital Markets Men’s Premiership will feature the league’s top clubs and players competing across three rounds, in hunt of the League and Grand Championship title. 

The 15-week season kicks off with a Super Saturday, (all six Premiership matches held back-to-back-to-back in a single venue), at Kings Park on Saturday, 22 September.  The first round continues through the end of October. 

The Premiership and Premiership A leagues will then be suspended for the month of November while the Hong Kong national team members enter camp and then depart for the Rugby World Cup 2019 repechage competition alongside Canada, Georgia and Kenya in Marseille, France. 

In the absence of the National squad members, the league will feature a minor cup competition for the Premiership and Premiership A players remaining, with the clubs forming combined squads across regional boundaries (Hong Kong Island and Kowloon divisions) to participate in the month-long tournament, which will progress through to a Cup final.

The Saxo Capital Markets Men’s Premiership season will then resume on the first of December for the final round with a two-week break at the end of the month for the Christmas and western New Year, and a one-week break in February for Chinese New Year.

The excitement will build towards the end of season Grand Championships that, in a new wrinkle in 2018, will feature a revised play-off structure. 

Only the top placed four teams will advance to the Grand Championships this season, up from all six last season.  The Grand Championships will thus be played across two consecutive weekends in March on a semi finals, finals format.

The Saxo Capital Markets Men’s Premiership is the centrepiece of competitions involving over 60 men’s teams and more than 2,000 registered players with more than 400 matches to be played in the season ahead.

Matt Long, CEO of Saxo Capital Markets, comments:

“Saxo Capital Markets is delighted to support the growth of Rugby in Hong Kong by becoming the naming rights sponsor of the ‘Saxo Capital Markets Men’s Premiership’, said Matt Long, CEO of Saxo Capital Markets.

“Rugby is a truly global sport and is growing quickly in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is an important and fast growing market for Saxo where we provide traders and investors truly global access to the world’s investment markets, from one trading account, within an award-winning platform.”

 Robbie McRobbie, CEO of the HKRU, commented on the announcement saying:

“The HKRU is excited to welcome Saxo Capital Markets as the title sponsor of the upcoming Men’s Premiership season. The Premiership has grown markedly in competitiveness and we look forward to working with the team at Saxo Capital Markets to raise the standard, and the excitement, even further.

“The support of Saxo Capital Markets is particularly timely this season with interest in the Men’s Premiership set to skyrocket as our men’s national team enter the final preparations for this November’s Rugby World Cup qualifier.

“The Saxo Capital Markets Men’s Premiership League will play an important role for the coaches and selectors as they prepare to take part in what will be Hong Kong Rugby’s biggest moment on the international stage this November,” concluded McRobbie.