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Club Magazine Issue 05, 2018

Monthly Club Magazine of Hong Kong Football Club

Monthly Club Magazine of Hong Kong Football Club

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Rugby News<br />

UBB Gavekal claim back-to-back titles,<br />

hosts Natixis HKFC lift Shield at GFI HKFC 10s<br />

UBB Gavekal retained the Bill Burgess Cup at the 33rd GFI HKFC<br />

10s when a late try by Fiji Sevens back Leveni Kurimalawai<br />

secured a thrilling 24-17 win over a Tradition YCAC side dominated<br />

by New Zealanders.<br />

The all-Fijian Samurai squad secured the Plate, Hong Kong’s Taikoo Place<br />

Scottish Exiles grabbed the Bowl and hosts Natixis HKFC defeated Irish<br />

Vikings to win the Shield at the ‘Worlds Best 10s’, which took place on<br />

Wednesday 4th April and Thursday 5th April.<br />

UBB’s Fiji Sevens backs scored four tries in the final and proved to be the<br />

difference as Samu Bale touched down for an early opener, Sakeo Raloa<br />

then added two tries and Kurimalawai scored the winner after the sides<br />

were locked at 17-17 at Hong Kong Football <strong>Club</strong>.<br />

Representing Top 14 club Union Bordeaux Begles, UBB were surprise<br />

winners last year, but this year lived up to their top-seed status as head<br />

coach Matt Clarkin – the former UBB captain – led his side to a second<br />

successive victory.<br />

“We’re ecstatic. We’re ecstatic! We knew going back-to-back was going<br />

to be an even bigger challenge than coming last year as underdogs, but<br />

we thrived on that challenge and the boys showed up hungry and they<br />

got the job done,” said Clarkin, whose five Fiji Sevens players included<br />

forwards Keponi Paul and Vasikali Mudu.<br />

“The Fiji guys did for us what they did for us last year, but our trademark<br />

is working hard for each other. I think that’s still our strength and I think<br />

you saw that in the final. To have three yellow cards against you and still<br />

come out on top is a huge feat so I couldn’t be prouder of them.”<br />

UBB ran out to a quick 12-0 lead with tries from Bale and Raloa, before<br />

New Zealand’s Angus Gibbens pulled one back for YCAC. Raloa<br />

extended UBB’s lead to 17-5 before tries by New Zealand’s Te Puoho<br />

Stephens and Tonga’s Willie Fotofili made it 17-17, but Kurimalawai<br />

scored late on to ensure captain Nick Smith was left lifting the Cup.<br />

“It was the same thing as last year: we just came together as a tight unit,”<br />

said Smith, who scored four tries from flyhalf, while compatriot Renata<br />

Tenana also scored four tries over the two days.<br />

“We’re all from different parts of the world, from Fiji, South Africa, New<br />

Zealand and Hong Kong, but at the end of the day, it’s how you gel<br />

together.”<br />

Doddie Weir, the former Scotland and Lions lock suffering from Motor<br />

Neurone Disease, walked out with the match ball for the final and was<br />

presented with a HK$100,000 cheque for the My Name’5 Doddie<br />

Foundation, the tournament’s official charity.<br />

Natixis HKFC co-captains Tom Isaacs and Mitch Andrews lifted the<br />

Shield after the hosts beat Irish Vikings 17-0. It was a popular victory<br />

22 May <strong>2018</strong>

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