In the run-up to the biggest rugby-week in Hong Kong, when asked about who the skipper of the 2011 Hong Kong team will be, national coach Dai Rees was always going to play his cards close to his chest.

However, having attended a couple of events prior to yesterday’s Hong Kong Team announcement, it was as clear as dai-light (pun absolutely intended!) who the anointed one was.

At a special function held for UBS and its clients and families at the Hong Kong Football Club, Rees announced Anthony Heynes as Skipper of the home team.

Ant Heynes (centre) at the Cathay World Record Rugby Ball event (Pic: Mike Jansen)

“Ant is a natural leader and he will be assisted by the many senior players in the squad especially Hong Kong 15s captain Simon Leung and other veterans like Rowan Varty and Keith Robertson,” said Rees.  “It is important for us to introduce new players to the captaincy and Anthony has the benefit of being young (21) and will likely still be in contention as we approach qualification for the Rugby World Cup Sevens and ideally the Olympic Games in 2016,” added Rees.

Ant Heynes (3rd from the right) at the joint HKRFU/HKSO coaching clinic (Pic: Mike Jansen)

Four of the squad will be making their Hong Kong Sevens debut including Sebastian Perkins, Jamie Hood, Edward Haynes and Adam Raby.

Rees commented on the men’s squad saying, “We are happy with the squad’s readiness. Eleven of the 12-man squad are veterans of the silver-medallist Asian Games squad, so the players are really coming off an 18-month campaign in terms of their preparations.”

“But we have told the players that this month starts an entirely new phase in their preparations…the build-up to qualification for the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Russia in 2013. With this group of players it is important to keep the focused on achieving new goals.”

Since 2009, the Hong Kong Men’s Sevens squad has taken the silver medal at the East Asian Games and at the Guangzhou Asian Games 2010. In February, the squad won the Hong Kong Sports Stars Team Award.

Hong Kong is pooled with South Africa, Wales and Spain in this year’s Hong Kong Sevens and plays the Springboks at 13:04 on Saturday (Hong Kong time)

Last year, Hong Kong beat European teams Wales and Russia at the Hong Kong Sevens. Adding to the excitement in 2011, Hong Kong’s opening game will be a re-match against Wales on Friday evening at 19.05.

Last year Hong Kong won the Hong Kong Sevens shield competition on the trophy’s debut in 2010.

The Hong Kong Team is:

Anthony Haynes, Simon Leung, Kwok Ka Chun, Sebastian Perkins, Tsang Hing Hung, Jamie Hood, Fan Shun Kei, Edward Haynes, Rowan Varty, Keith Robertson, Salom Yiu Kam Shing, Adam Raby.

Anthony Heynes will captain the local team at the Sevens next week

Follow us on Twitter @BlitzBokke for all the latest from the 2011 HK Sevens

I visited the “hangar” at the West Kowloon Cultural District this afternoon, a day before the first-ever Red Bull Flugtag in Asia comes to the waters of Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong.

And into the waters they will go… all 41 teams and all their meticulously constructed craft.

Knowing full well what awaits, one thing you can be sure of though is that they know they’re going in the drink…

Some with style,

Some with class and

All of them with a hellavu lot of fun!

Walking around the hangar, I couldn’t believe the amount of work that was going on.

Some were cutting, others sawing, some more were glue-ing, tying and whatever else was needed to get their craft ready before 12noon tomorrow.

The ones standing around were there for moral support and to fetch some cold Red Bulls from the well-stocked fridge.

Snip-snip, paste-paste… getting the last-minute details right before the big day. (Pic: Mike Jansen)

Some just stood around looking absolutely beautiful in the sponsor’s attire! (Pic: Mike Jansen)

Tomorrow’s FlugTag will not be short of celebrities with (actor/pilot/all-round celebrity) Michael Wong and (lang mo/pseudo model) Chrissie Chau making an appearance on the judging panel.  However, there will be at least one real celebrity (in my books) actually taking part.  Look who I bumped into in the hangar:

Hong Kong’s own Mr Magician on the rugby pitch… Keith Robertson

The Red Bull Flugtag flies off:

Tomorrow: Sunday 10/10/10 (10 October 2010)

Time: 12 noon

Venue: Kowloon Heliport (West Kowloon Cultural District)

Prize-giving starts at around 16:20

When I reported in an earlier article that the boats taking part in the inaugural Extreme Sailing Series Asia will be packed up and shipped off to the next leg in Singapore “soon after” the Hong Kong leg, I didn’t realise just how “soon” it would be!  

I watched in awe as skipper and double Olympic Gold Medalist Shirley Robertson and her crew prepare and load their craft Rumbo Almeira onto it’s trailer immediately after finishing the final race of the Hong Kong leg of the Series on Tuesday afternoon.  The boat was lowered onto it’s trailer within minutes after the final race concluded in Victoria Harbour.

The teams had just enough time for a quick post-race debriefing before attending the official prize-giving at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.

The Extreme Sailing Series Asia now moves on to Singapore for the second leg (December 11-15) before the inaugural series concludes in Muscat , Oman , from February 1-5. 

(4 pictures below)