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.

香港大學沙灣欖球會 33:36 Kroll 三軍會猛虎欖球會 

在男子超級星期六的第二場比賽中，Kroll三軍會猛虎欖球會以36:33險勝香港大學沙灣欖球會，獲得是過去 12 個月來罕見的勝利。

香港大學沙灣欖球會參加上賽季季後總決賽的23名球員，有11名球員在季前離開，使得他們不得不簽下多名球員。

 

在這場精彩的比賽，雙方都有五次達陣。 Tabo Maree在甫開賽2分鐘即為香港大學沙灣欖球會 首開紀錄，隨後三軍會猛虎欖球會的傳接鋒Henry Mortimer（他從英國National League第一級別的Esher欖球會轉會而來）命中罰球。

隊長兼後衛Michael Botha為沙灣達陣，翼鋒Cameron Taylor內將比分改寫為19:3。

 

在猛虎隊長Liam Edwards達陣之後，中鋒Tomos Howells在20分鐘的補水休息後再完成一記達陣，助球隊連得14分。中場休息前，側翼邊鋒 Lindokuhle Ncusane成功置換球權，助球隊以24:19領先，完成上半場。

猛虎隊在接近對手達陣線的一次鬥牛爭球後，獲得罰球達陣，隨後20分鐘內雙方均未得分。其後，左翼 Justin Eden 從外圍攻入第五記達陣，將比數拉開至36:19，同時比賽只餘下不到15分鐘

香港大學沙灣欖球會 Botha及Dean Rossouw以兩記達陣回應，力追至36:33，惟最終不足以逆轉勝。

Kroll 三軍會猛虎欖球會欖總球會教練兼男子隊主教練 Nigel Hotham 對他簽下的球員所取得的成績感到非常欣喜，陣中勾球員Hakaraia Richards-Coxhead，被該賽事被評為本場最佳球員。

九龍欖球會 27-29 法興華利欖球會

法興華利欖球會在男子超級星期舉行的最後一場賽事，奮戰到最後以29:27險勝九龍欖球會。九龍隊在首輪比賽報捷，為本賽季揭開序幕，今周惜負華利。

上半場甫開始，九龍的Joe Tanswell被罰黃牌，華利隊長Laurence May踢入罰球為隊伍先開記錄。其後，九龍的Samuel Gwynne Carroll亦被罰黃牌，華利把握機會，憑Huw Alexander及Toby Salmon達陣，帶領華利在半場結束前以15:8領先隊手。

Abraham Steenkamp為九龍踢入遠距離罰球，隨後憑孜孜不倦的Dylan White的助攻，助球隊在比賽最後時刻達陣，新簽入的Tom Edwards在比賽40分鐘，在角落達陣。 

華利鎖鋒Asipeli Vea 將領先優勢擴大到22:8，Levi Hazelton在比賽最後一節時拿下第四個達陣， 同時Rob Fogerty、Max Woodward及Henry Shiell等後衛球員極具威脅，華利彷彿穩操勝券。

然而，九龍不甘示弱，積極反撲。Thomasau Forbes 把握對手一次界外爭邊球失誤，成功達陣，縮小比分差距。在比賽剩餘12分鐘時，他們又一次憑界外爭邊球及冒爾達陣得分，替補勾球員NG Siu Lung將比分追至20:29。 

九龍的Steenkamp在中場整場比賽都表現出色，助攻Ron Steven Tavod完成另一球達陣，Dylan White踢入附加罰球，九龍追至27:29，惟華利在餘下時間成功堅持，取得勝利。

華利勾球員Luke Dewar獲頒本場賽事最佳球員，這也是當天連續第三位勾球隊，贏得男子賽事最佳球員獎項。

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