The Union AGM always brings with it mixed emotions, with the excitement of “new blood” joining the Board twinged with the sadness of great servants stepping down, and on this occasion we said goodbye to three stalwarts of the local rugby community in Kevin Taylor, John Carroll and our first ever Director General, Kim Lam.

In the current challenging circumstances Kim was the only one of the three who was able to be on hand to receive the traditional souvenir tankard from President Peter Duncan, although Kevin and John will of course be presented with theirs in due course.  Peter reflected on Kim’s two terms and six years of service, which followed on her previous tenure as Chair of the Mini Rugby Union; now one of the largest components of the rugby union family, Kim’s leadership focused on supporting smaller/local clubs whilst maintaining the balance of all member clubs. Undoubtedly one of her greatest achievements was the establishment of the U12 Girls’ League, which finally came to fruition upon her retirement from Minis in 2011, and is reflected in the name of the trophy the teams compete for - the “Kim Lam Cup”.

Following this success, Kim then, in her own words, ‘dared to try and step up’ to join the HKRU Board, as a platform for her to volunteer her skills on a broader scale.  Kim talks fondly of the board as being such a progressive place of work due to their then new practices of corporate governance. She believes that this forward-thinking has resulted in a diverse and multi-cultural group of people, able to govern the HKRU to success. Modest as ever, Kim comments that this form of governance allowed her ‘as a lay person, to be able to voice my own thoughts, and represent those of young players and their parents’.

During her time on the HKRU board, Kim has several fond memories. In particular, she’s enjoyed expanding her passion for grassroots rugby, through visiting numerous different clubs, engaging with many stakeholders and ensuring the game continues to grow. Kim also valued her invites to regional games and events, giving her a chance to meet a wide sector of the rugby community and players.

When asked of her ‘greatest achievements’ as a board member, one particular role stands out for Kim - when first appearing as the Union representative to the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee Kim says ‘it was funny to see their jaws drop, as they realised a little old woman was there representing rugby, rather than a muscly young male expat!’. This humour and passion has stayed with Kim throughout her tenure, and with this she’s done just that – changed the image of the HKRU amongst NSAs and other organisations to ensure the HKRU plays a key role within the Hong Kong sporting climate.

Kim leaves her role as Director General at a critical time for the Hong Kong Rugby Union. She however looks to the future with great hope, and believes her colleagues here at the union have the ‘dedication, intelligence, and resources to reboot our works’. Acknowledging we have a big task ahead of us, she feels confident leaving a board of devoted colleagues to lead the charge.

Finally, Kim had a few shoutouts and thank yous to her colleagues here at the HKRU. Firstly, Case Everaert, whom she describes as her ‘guardian angel’, for giving her the support and confidence to stand for election and support her on the campaign trail. Kim also extends her thanks to our former Chairman, Pieter Schats, ‘one of the pioneers who introduced, and demanded, integrity within all HKRU practices’. Finally, Kim would like to thank her close colleagues, Chairman Paddy Donovan, CEO Robbie McRobbie, CFO David Greaves, CCO Rocky Chow and REAL CEO Sam Pinder for making her feel at ease in her role.

 

Here at the HKRU we’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Kim, Kevin and John, and wish them all the best in their future endeavours. They’ll collectively leave a big hole in the heart of Hong Kong rugby, and we look forward to seeing them supporting from the side-lines again very soon, with full tankards!