HK New Year’s Day Youth Tournament 2020

Hong Kong Rugby has announced information for the annual New Year’s Day Youth Tournament. The traditional rugby tournament includes youth age groups for U12, U14, U16, U19 Boys and Girls.

The U16 Boys and U19 (Boys and Girls) games are played between local and overseas player teams (Hong Kong Dragons and Overseas Lions).

What is the HK New Year’s Day Youth Tournament?

The New Year’s Day Tournament in Hong Kong has existed since 1967 albeit in different forms. The late Vernon Roberts arranged the first Hong Kong versus Overseas Schoolboys match at the Hong Kong Football Club.

With the growth of rugby and the legacy of the rugby tournament, it has since added “more age-grades, girls’ fixtures, and also featuring the best youngsters from the Union’s Junior Warriors programme.”

The silverware which is contested includes:

• Roberts Shield
• Waterford Bowl
• George White Trophy
• Middlesex Cup

Some prominent HK rugby members have also been recognised with trophies over the years, these include:

• Stuart Leckie Cup
• Wright-Naylor Trophy
• Gordon Lamb’s Lassies’ Quaich
• Overton Cup
• Best & Fairest Award (named after Larry Able)

Who can play in the tournament in 2020?

According to the HK Rugby FB post, “The recruitments for overseas U16 boys (Players born in 2004, 2005), U19 boys (Players born in 2001, 2002, 2003) and U19 girls (Players born in 2001, 2002, 2003) squads are now open”.

In addition to U16 and U19 games between local and overseas players, there are U12 and U14 games between the Island Lions and Peninsula Dragons.

2019 Results: New Year’s Day Youth Tournament

• Boys U19 Overseas Lions 65-17 Hong Kong Dragons
  The Best and Fairest Player award – Ian Carmichael
• Girls U19 Overseas Lions 10-5 Hong Kong Dragons
  The Best and Fairest Player award – Lucia Bolton
• Boys U19 Warriors Lions 24-12 Warriors Dragons
  The Best and Fairest Player award –  Chau Tsz Tung
• Girls U16  Island Lions 14-41 Peninsula Dragons
  The Best and Fairest Player award – Sophie Langford
• Boys U16 Overseas Lions 21-43 Hong Kong Dragons
  The Best and Fairest Player award – Ollie Pyle
• Girls U14 Island Lions 22-12 Peninsula Dragons
  The Best and Fairest Player award – Emma Standing
• Boys U14 Island Lions 5-19 Peninsula Dragons
  The Best and Fairest Player award – Theodore Mag
• Girls U12 Island Lions 4-5 Peninsula Dragons
  The Best and Fairest Player award – Holly Terrebrood
• Boys U12 Island Lions 12-0 Peninsula Dragons
  The Best and Fairest Player award – Rory O’Conner

You can read more on last years, age groups and winners, here.

• Venue: Hong Kong Football Club
• Date: 1st January 2020

Social rugby tournaments in Asia in 2020

• Manila Rugby Tens 2020
• Phuket International Rugby Tens 2020
• DHL Hanoi 10s Rugby Championship 2020
• Vientiane 10s Rugby Championship 2020
• Yomitan Sevens Rugby Japan 2020
• Chiang Rai International Rugby Tens 2020
• Bangkok Tens 2020