The weather was perfect, the sea was sparkling, and the sand was as hot as the rugby being played at the inaugural Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel Tertiary Beach Tournament!

10 institutions lined up for a full day of beach mixed touch, played under a new set of rules which meant 4 attackers facing 3 defenders – a very successful initiative which led to fast and furious games and bucket-loads of tries.

This was the second time the sands of the Gold Coast had played host to beach rugby, with the Disciplined Services holding shifting their annual event from Shek O to Cafeteria Beach last year, and the Services are due back on 17^th December for this year’s event.

The competition reached a climax in the late afternoon with 3 sets of silverware up for grabs…the Bowl Final saw Poly University squeak home 3 tries to 2 against the combined IVE Lee Wai Lee and Hong Kong Design Institute team, while the Plate Final saw tertiary rugby powerhouse Education University of HK dominate Linglan University 7 to 1. That just left the Cup Final to be decided, and the last match of the day was an edge-of-the-seat affair between Combined IVE and Open University…the lead changed hands a number of times, and it looked like extra time was beckoning, before a last minute score secured the honours and the silverware for the IVE side.

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Sino Group the post-tournament reception and prize giving was held in the magnificent surroundings of the Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel, where the players, referees and organisers enjoyed some well-earned refreshments – they now look forward to the next event on the Tertiary Rugby calendar, the Standard Chartered Beginners’ Tournament which is scheduled for 17^th December at King’s Park Sports Ground.

Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel Tertiary Beach Tournament Results
Bowl Champion – Poly U (3:2)beat DILWL
Plate Champion – EduHK (7:1)beat LU
Cup Champion - Combine IVE (4:3) beat OUHK