Following our speculation a week ago here on Howzit-HongKong, the Australian Rugby Union has confirmed that a Hong Kong Bledisloe Cup clash is a thing of the past.

The Bledisloe Cup will not be played in Asia in the short term after the revamp of the Australia-New Zealand series into a three Test match series over the next 10 years, the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) said on Thursday.

A trans-Tasman Bledisloe Cup has been staged in Hong Kong (2008, 2010) and Tokyo (2009) over the last three years.

Last year’s Test in Hong Kong was tarnished by a lower than expected turnout with just 26 000 paying to watch the action in the 40 000-capacity Hong Kong Stadium.

Now that a decision has been made between the New Zealand Rugby Union and ARU to stage an additional Test each year between the two countries there was no room for a Bledisloe Cup game in Asia, the ARU said.

“In the short term ARU will not be looking to host its additional Bledisloe Cup Test in venues outside of Australia,” an ARU spokesperson confirmed.

                                     The All Blacks show off the Bledisloe Cup at the HK Stadium (Pic: The Telegraph)

The third Bledisloe Cup Test each year will alternate between Australia and New Zealand and be played at the conclusion of the expanded Four Nations tournament also featuring South Africa and Argentina, getting under way next year, the ARU said.

(Source: AFP)

Bledisloe Cup 2010: HK Fans’ Day

I have been living in Hong Kong for four years now and, I have to admit, in that time I have personally met more Wallaby and All Blacks (current and legends) here than I have Springboks.

Because of annual Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens, as well as the SA Association Dinner (and the recent Invictus movie) I have had the privilege of meeting South African legends such as Naas Botha, Marius Hurter, Bob Skinstad, Kobus Wiese, Butch James, as well as SA commentator and former Junior-Bok Hugh Bladen.

Given one or two names that eludes me at 00:15 in the Hong Kong morning, I can probably count the Bok legends I have met here on two hands.

On the other hand I have met numerous Assie and Kiwis (current and ex-players) here in Hong Kong mainly because of the Bledisloe Cup games in 2008 and 2010 as well as promotional events in the run-up to the 2011 Rugby Wold Cup (RWC) in New Zealand later this year.

One of these legends, John (JK) Kirwan was in Hong Kong just last week when his team Japan played hosts Hong Kong in the Asian5Nations Tournament.

I had met the RWC Winner on another previous occasion in Hong Kong when he represented the New Zealand Tourism organisation in the the build-up to RWC 2011.

And what a speaker JK is!

I caught up with Kirwan at a HSBC/ARFU coaching clinic at the HK Football Club recently and asked him some questions:

The IRB’s Total Rugby today posted the following video of JK, recorded while he was here in Hong Kong:

I took some pictures while Kirwan was here in Hong Kong:

HSBC/ARFU Coaching Clinic

Japan vs. Hong Kong (Asian5Nations)

Japan enter Saturday’s HSBC Asian Five Nations clash with Kazakhstan in Bangkok with coach John Kirwan’s words still ringing in their ears.

Kirwan was not a happy man last week, despite the Brave Blossoms getting their 2011 campaign off to a winning start. Japan beat Hong Kong 45-22 but it was a performance that left the former All Black very unhappy.

“If we went by the standards we set ourselves for playing the likes of Fiji and Samoa then we actually ‘lost’ last week’s game 48-22,” he said ahead of Saturday’s triple header in Thailand that also sees India take on Iran in the Division II relegation match and the hosts Thailand play Chinese Taipei in the Division II final at the National Stadium.

“I don’t want to take anything away from Hong Kong as they hustled and bustled us.  But we didn’t perform as well as we should. It’s been an edgy week and the players have got a bit to prove,” added Kirwan.

Kirwan has made wholesale changes to the starting XV, but stressed that was always on the cards. The only surprise was the appointment of tighthead prop Kensuke Hatakeyama as captain – though regular skipper Takashi Kikutani will act as vice-captain.

John Kirwan pictured at the HSBC ARFU Coaching Tour in Hong Kong recently (Pic: Mike Jansen)

“This is a great opportunity to show the people of Tohuku and Japan that we have not forgotten them. Hatakeyama will lead the team to show our unity and courage,” said Kirwan.

The 25-year-old Hatakeyama is from Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture, and his family home was destroyed by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

“I will try to inspire my teammates to work hard,” Hatakeyama said. “I would very much like to convey our team message to the people in my hometown and the Tohoku region and show our unity and courage through a hard game.”

The Waseda University graduate is one of two positional switches and 10 personnel changes to the starting XV that took the field against Hong Kong. Hisateru Hirashima and Takeshi Kizu join the new captain in the front row and there is a new second row pairing with the recall of veterans Hitoshi Ono and Luke Thompson.

Kikutani moves from flanker to No. 8 where he is joined by flankers Toetsu Taufa and Itaru Taniguchi.

Fumiaki Tanaka comes in to partner Shaun Webb at halfback, one of three players to keep his place and position. Webb, center Koji Taira and wing Alisi Tupuailai are joined in the backline by Taihei Ueda (who moves from fullback to wing), inside centre Yuta Imamura and fullback Atsushi Tanabe. Goshi Tachikawa, who joined the squad in Hong Kong last Sunday to replace Ryohei Yamanaka, is one of the seven replacements.

Japan won last year’s game at Tokyo’s Chichibunomiya Stadium 101-7, but Kirwan wants his players to forget that and concentrate on their own performances.

“It’s all about performance,” he said. “The players must give 100 percent every time they wear the national jersey. I am sure Kazakhstan will have a few things up their sleeves and we must adapt to whatever they throw at us.”

The Kazakhs come into the game on the back of two losses and defeat here would mean they must beat Sri Lanka in their final match if they are to avoid relegation.

The Lankans meanwhile face pressure of their own as their Top 5 match this week against Hong Kong is potentially make or break for their hopes of remaining in the elite division of Asian rugby in 2012. Sri Lanka know a defeat at the hands of high-flying Hong Kong could result in their stint in the Top Five competition being short and not so sweet.

“A victory is crucial against Hong Kong. We are confident and we will give it our best shot,” said No 8 and captain Sean Wijesinghe who will be hoping his forwards can repeat the same gutsy performance they showed in the 13-13 draw against the United Arab Emirates a fortnight ago.

The failure to seal victory in that game has left last year’s Division One winners in a precarious position for they know a loss to Hong Kong could all but end their dreams of staying in the elite bracket. Sri Lanka travels to Almaty next week where they will face Kazakhstan, who despite losing to Hong Kong 23-10 this year, are a mighty force at home. The remaining game for the islanders will be against defending champions Japan on May 21 in Colombo.

“It is quite a formidable challenge but I’m confident we can secure our place in the Top Five next year,” says Sri Lanka’s Kiwi coach Ellis Meachen. “The boys know they are playing for 20 million of their countrymen. I have told them they are playing for all the villages and cities in Sri Lanka.”

With one of the smallest reservoir of players in the world, Hong Kong often punches above its weight and are intent on finishing second this year. The away win over Kazakhstan was a huge boost towards this end, and last week’s 45-22 loss to Japan was another morale booster.

But national coach Dai Rees is not taking anything for granted. “They will throw everything at us for this is an important game for them,” Rees said. “They are a skilful side and we won’t take them lightly.”

Hong Kong make a couple of changes to the front-row with hooker Brent Taylor returning from injury while specialist tighthead prop Nigel Hobler has been recalled.

“The Sri Lankan forwards are a useful unit and we have decided to strengthen our front row to counter that threat,” Rees said. “The rest of the starting lineup remains unchanged from that which began against Japan.”

However, there will be a new face on the bench, in the form of lock/back rower Kwok Ka-Chun who will be appearing for the first time this season.

Sri Lanka too has stuck to the same squad which held the UAE and will rely hugely on the back-row trio of Wijesinghe, Yoshitha Rajapakse and Danushka Perera to rattle Hong Kong.

“We have decided to give the same set of guys another go. They deserve it having played so well against the UAE,” said Michael Jayasekera, chairman of selectors.

The Squads for Hong Kong & Sri Lanka are:

Sri Lanka:

1. Terence Henry, 2. Achala Perera 3. Eranga Swarnathilaka 4. Senaka Bandara 5. Sajith Saranga 6. Danushka Perera 7. Yositha Rajapaksa 8. Sean Wijesinghe © 9. Roshan Weerarathne 10. Fazil Marija 11. Charith Senaverathne 12. Gayan Weerarathne 13. Pradeep Liyanage 14. Nuwan Hettarachchi 15. Saliya Kumara 16. Nishal Heepage 17. Bilal Hassan 18. Dinesh Sanjeewa 19. Keith Gurusinghe 20. Prasad Chaturanga 21. Chanaka Chandimal 22. Lasitha Costa

Hong Kong:

1. Alex NG Wai Shing 2. Brent Taylor 3. Nigel Hobler 4. Renaud Chavanis 5. Michael Waller 6. Nick Hewson 7. Mark Goosen 8. Pale Tauti 9. Peter McKee 10. Keith Robertson 11. Rowan Varty 12. Lee Jones 13. Tom McColl © 14. Salom Yiu Kam Shing 15. Ross Armour 16. Andrew Li 17. Alex Harris 18. Kwok Ka Chun 19. Terence Montgomery 20. Tim Alexander 21. Jamie Hood 22. Alex McQueen

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Howzit-HongKong.com attended the Asian5Nations match between hosts Hong Kong and Asian rugby powerhouse Japan at a packed Hong Kong Football Club (HKFC) today.

We’ve been attending events there for the last 4 years and today’s crowd was probably the best we’re encountered.  While entrance was free, there were plenty of families taking in the atmosphere.  The visitors had strong support from locally-based Japanese but the crowd was firmly behind the home team.

Out on the pitch it was a rusty Japan who eked out a win against a spirited Hong Kong, and the disappointment showed on coach John Kirwan face immediately after the match.

“The only positive out of this game was the win (45 – 22),” said Kirwan (pictured below by Mike Jansen). “But I’d rather this happens now than later on this season. We have plenty of work to do.”

Japan ran in seven tries – five of them in the first half – with winger Alisi Tupuailai grabbing a hat-trick. No.8 Ryukoliniasi Holani, flyhalf Shaun Webb, left winger Hirotoki Onozawa and flanker Michael Leitch also scored one each. Centre Ryan Nicholas collected 10 points from the boot.

No. 14 Alisi Tupuailai almost scored his 4th try but fumbled the pass with a few minutes left on the clock and time running out for HK (Pic: Mike Jansen)

But the glut turned into a drought as Hong Kong bravely fought back and took their chances superbly to leave Japan in disarray by the end of the game.

“It was a poor performance from our team,” Kirwan said. “We didn’t protect the ball and we lost our composure. I thought we were rusty at halftime, but we got rustier as the game wore on.”

Despite pre-game worries by Kirwan of a slow start, the players who are all in the preliminary World Cup squad came out firing on all cylinders, dominating both set pieces as well as in the loose to look threatening. But the spark died down after the break as a gutsy Hong Kong didn’t let up.

Gutsy Hong Kong fight-back

“We got in their faces and put them under pressure,” said Hong Kong national coach Dai Rees. “This is the best performance in recent years against Japan and the guys can be very proud of themselves.”

Hong Kong’s second-half resurgence began with a lovely break from fullback Ross Armour, who made up for his first-half sin-binning, by slicing through the midfield and sending an inside pass to replacement winger Alex McQueen who scored under the posts.

Hong Kong then capitalised on Japanese errors to run in two more tries. The first came from openside flanker Mark Goosen, who picked up from a breakdown and took the direct route to the tryline catching the defence flatfooted. Then winger Rowan Varty turned on the speed when he picked up a dropped pass metres from his own line to run the length of the pitch and score.

A slip of the finger made this a black&white, but when you have to snap Rowan Varty gunning for the line, there are no second chances and you have to be ready! Thankfully I got the shot. (Pic: Mike Jansen)

“We took our chances. We had two 50-50 chances to score tries and we took them,” Rees said. “We had an unfortunate first half and were hard done by in contact areas, but all credit to the guys for coming back strongly.”

Hong Kong captain Tom McColl praised his side for the resilience showed against Japan who has dominated the tournament since it began in 2008.

“I’m really happy that we didn’t give up. The disappointing thing is that we couldn’t quite get the bonus point for scoring four tries. This was our goal before the game, to be in contention for a win at the end or to try and score four tries,” McColl said.

“We gave away a few early soft tries but then our defence picked up. What we proved today is that we can compete with Japan and this is a huge morale boost for the team,” McColl added.

Asian5Nations Standings

The United Arab Emirates 24-10 victory over Kazakhstan leaves them at the top of the standings with eight points after round two. Japan is in second place with six points but with a game in hand on the rest of the pack. Hong Kong lie third (five points) followed by Sri Lanka (three) and Kazakhstan (0).

Howzit-HongKong attended the local-leg of the HSBC HSBC ARFU Rugby Coaching Tour at the Hong Kong Football Club earlier today.

Japan coach John Kirwan showed his passion for the development of rugby in Asia as he taught aspiring local youngsters the finer points of the game.  JK, as Kirwan is affectionately known, was ably assisted by former Scotland coach Frank Hadden and Malaysia coach Dean Herewini, representing the HSBC Penguin International Coaching Academy.

“I believe that there is huge potential for rugby in Asia so it’s great for me to work with local kids and get them enthused about the game. It’s really good for me to give back to the game as well, as I have got a lot out of it,” said Kirwan, who is contributing to the HSBC ARFU Rugby Coaching Tour while leading Japan around the continent as they bid for a fourth straight HSBC Asian 5 Nations title.

The former New Zealand winger, who has been in Hong Kong for over a week, launched this year’s HSBC ARFU Rugby Coaching Tour in Hong Kong in March along with fellow All Blacks legend Jonah Lomu.

Sharing the knowledge: The Penguins’ Dean Herewini exchanges ideas with a local coach (Pic: Mike Jansen)

Jonny Hamp, Head of Rugby Sponsorship – Asia, said: “HSBC is teaming up with ARFU to encourage more youngsters to take up the game of rugby through the HSBC ARFU Rugby Coaching Tour and it’s rewarding to see how this is already achieving its goals.

“HSBC sponsors every level of rugby from grassroots coaching to world-class competitions and teams, so it’s important to us that the coaching clinics we’ve had today continue around Asia as we look to grow the popularity of this great sport around the region.”

HSBC ARFU Coaching Tour 2011

March 23 Hong Kong

April 20-23 Colombo, Sri Lanka

April 28-30 Hong Kong

May 5-7 Bangkok, Thailand

May 11-13 Dubai, UAE

May 19-21 Hong Kong

May 19-21 Colombo, Sri Lanka

June 2-4 Incheon/Seoul, Korea

(Further dates may be added and will be confirmed in due course)

We pulled Kirwan away from his busy task and asked him a few questions:

(Video formatted for iPhone. More images on our Flickr page)

Week 2 of the 2011 Asian 5 Nations Rugby Tournament comes to Hong Kong this weekend.

Hong Kong host defending champions Japan this Saturday in the HSBC Asian 5 Nations, the continent’s premier 15-a-side national team rugby competition.

The match kicks off at Hong Kong Football Club at 4.00pm and entry is free.

Elsewhere, the UAE host Kazakhstan in Abu Dhabi on Friday in this week’s other fixture, while Top Five first-timers Sri Lanka have a bye.

Hong Kong have the toughest task as they face Japan, who last week had a bye and instead travelled to the SAR early as they begin their quest for a fourth successive HSBC Asian 5 Nations, while also preparing for this year’s Rugby World Cup.

Hong Kong began their campaign last week with a trip to Almaty, where they won 23-10 against Kazakhstan, runners-up to Japan in last year’s HSBC Asian 5 Nations.

Coach of Japan John Kirwan has stated that his Japan side will be fully motivated as they seek to continue their 100 per cent record in the competition since it began in 2008.

Kirwan, a star for New Zealand as they won the World Cup in 1987, will also be active this Thursday with the HSBC ARFU Rugby Coaching Tour, which will stage clinics for youngsters from local schools and mini rugby clubs during the week and the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children on match day.

Former Scotland coach Frank Hadden, the HSBC Penguin International Coaching Academy and players from Hong Kong and Japan will all be involved in the sessions.

Mark McCombe, CEO of HSBC Hong Kong, said: “HSBC is looking forward to Hong Kong’s first home match in the 2011 HSBC Asian 5 Nations and we know there will be a big, enthusiastic crowd cheering them on.

“It’s part of our investment in the game as we seek to introduce more and more people in the SAR to the game of rugby.

“As such, we’re excited about the ongoing grassroots work being done by the HSBC ARFU Rugby Coaching Tour including the ongoing relationship with the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children. We’re also delighted that Japan coach John Kirwan, who’s also an HSBC rugby ambassador, is so actively involved in the programme,” McCombe added.

The HSBC Asian 5 Nations comprises the Top Five and a further five four-team divisions, with promotion and relegation for the top and bottom sides in each.

Hong Kong received an extra boost following their Asian 5 Nations victory over Kazakhstan as they moved up five spots in the IRB World Rankings.

First half tries by Tom McColl and Peter McKee gave Hong Kong a comfortable 20-3 half-time lead in Almaty and there was no way back for their hosts, who were reduced to 13 players after the break with two sent-off. The game ended 23-10.

Hong Kong’s win over the 2010 runners-up lifts them above Germany, Tunisia, Kenya, Poland and Korea to 32nd and their highest ranking for two years. Defeat means Kazakhstan fall to 30th.

Hong Kong now return home to face defending champions Japan on Saturday, a side who overwhelmed them 94-5 last year en route to claiming Asia’s place at World Cup 2011.

(Source: IRB)

Officials at the launch of the Asian 5 Nations Tournament in 2010

I am busy watching the devastating scenes coming out of Japan after a magnitude 8.4 (it has just been escalated to 8.9) earthquake struck off the north-east coast.

Currently about 53 Pacific countries are on a tsunami alert and I just watched the tsunami sirens going off in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The death toll at the time of writing is at 18 people just been increased to 26.

Currently, media reports are that Waikiki in Hawaii is on a heightened tsunami alert and it’s expected to hit in less that 1 hour.

I have just consulted the Hong Kong Observatory website but it seems that Hong Kong is not on the tsunami watch-list.  Here is the notice from the observatory (after the picture):

Tsunami Information and Warning

Tsunami Information Bulletin issued by the Hong Kong Observatory at 3:55 p.m. on 11 Mar 2011.

A severe earthquake of magnitude 8.4 occurred near east coast of Honshu, Japan at about 1:47 p.m. on 11 Mar 2011.

The earthquake has generated a tsunami which affects the Pacific. However, it is unlikely that Hong Kong and the neighbouring coastal areas will be significantly affected. The rise in the local sea level is expected to be less than half a metre, which is much lower than the normal day-to-day tidal variation of about one metre.

Precautionary announcement:

1. Please stay tuned to the radio or television for further information.

Dispatched by Hong Kong Observatory at 15:53 HKT on 11.03.2011

This is such a special post.

Dave Grusin is one of the legends when you speak about Cape Town Jazz and the international stars who influenced its sound.

A legendary composer for some very famous movie soundtracks, Grusin is also known to have collaborated with some really HUGE names in Jazz.

But my most-famous collaboration happened in Japan years back when he introduced his good friend (and ours) Sadao Watanabe who played on one of the all-time Cape Town (international) anthems…

Friends & Strangers.

Grusin was performing live in Japan (hence the title of this recording) An album that I am still trying to get my grubby paws on. (I know that Clarence Ford from Heart 104.9 has one!)

A son of the Cape Town soil, Clarence Ford

On a personal level, I met Sadao Watanabe after a concert in Taipei, Taiwan with my kids Ethan (3 at the time) and Micaela (7 years old). It was after midnight on a school-night and he asked why they were not in bed.

I told him that meeting him was a lifelong dream and that, between him and the Cape Town legend Robbie Jansen, they were the reason my daughter was studying the sax.

He was most impressed and expressed his desire to one day visit Cape Town.

Hopefully Rashied Lombard can get him to play at the Cape Town International Jazz Festival some day.

Below, my signed CD by the Sensei himself:

I found the following clip of the track on YouTube, while not the entire song, I love it anyway…

Until I get my hands on that elusive album!

The Victoria Harbour Sundowner Sessions #25: Friends & Strangers

************************************************************************************************************************************

Over the next few Sundays, Howzit-HongKong.com will feature a YouTube clip of one (or more) of the musicians and their sounds who have influenced and shaped South African and specifically Cape Town music as part of what we like to call The Victoria Harbour Sundowner Sessions. I am fortunate to be living right next to one of the most stunning working harbours in the world… Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour. I often find myself staring across the Harbour at night, with the lights dimmed and one of my favourite musicians from home over the speakers. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do…

Goodnight South Africa,

Mike Jansen

With all the international rugby on telly over the last weekend, it was easy to have missed the final match of the Asian 5 Nations tournament between Japan and Hong Kong.  Luckily, here in Hong Kong the Tokyo-match was at a favourable time-slot on Saturday (1pm) which was before the first ball was kicked in the England Sevens or even the two Super14 Semi-finals later on Saturday evening (Bulls vs. Crusaders/Stormers vs. Waratahs).

I found myself in Happy Valley on Saturday morning and popped into The Canny Man in Wanchai where I watched the Asian 5 Nations game.

Asian powerhouse Japan qualified for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand with an emphatic 94-5 victory over Hong Kong in the HSBC Asian Five Nations Top Five competition in Tokyo on Saturday.

A slick Japanese outfit went on a 14-try rampage in their final game in the qualifying campaign to grab the solitary direct entry for the World Cup given to Asia.

I must say that I was really disappointed in the Hong Kong effort as they weren’t in the game at any time during the match.  I posted the final score on my FaceBook page and a friend who works for SA Rugby rightly asked: “Is rugby in Asia that bad that Japan could post such a big score?  Wasn’t Hong Kong 2nd on the log going into this game? “

Fair question and one that administrators in Asia should find an answer for. 

More heartache

There was more heartache for Hong Kong as Kazakhstan clinched the runner-up spot with a 32-25 win over South Korea in Incheon to claim the berth in the cross-continental play-off for RWC 2011 against Uruguay. Flanker Anton Rudoy scored a hat-trick as Kazakhstan scored four tries to secure the crucial bonus point that saw them edge ahead of Hong Kong in the standings.

Having posted half-century victories over all its opponents – South Korea (71-3), the Arabian Gulf (60-5) and Kazakhstan (101-7) – Japan continued in their merry fashion as they out-muscled Hong Kong at the breakdown, and pushed their opponents off their own ball in the scrums to stitch together another convincing victory.

“We have achieved our first goal this year which was to qualify for the World Cup,” said a pleased Japan coach John Kirwan. “The players have worked very hard and that was our best performance in the competition so far. But there is a long way to go.”

Japan will play in Pool A at the World Cup alongside hosts New Zealand, France, Tonga and Canada.

Always the joker

“It is an easy pool,”joked Kirwan. “But really, this is a fantastic opportunity for the players whose dream is to play at a World Cup. Hopefully we can show the Japanese style of rugby.”

Kirwan went on to thank the Japanese crowd for their support in fluent Japanese. 

                 Match captain Hitoshi Ono prepares to receive the impressive HSBC A5N trophy