With the conclusion of third phase of the 2010/2011 HSBC Sevens World Series (Hong Kong and Adelaide), I have more time to sort through the gazillions of images and video clips from last weekend’s Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens.

One of the functions I attended in the run-up to the Sevens-weekend was the welcoming party for the Zimbabwean Sevens Team.

The function was held at my favourite Thai restaurant in the Wan Chai party-district, Nana Banana and was attended by the respective Consuls-General, Tembi Tambo (South Africa) and Paul Chikawa (Zimbabwe).

Naturally the food was great, the drinks flowed and the players entertained the guests with some of the team songs:

Then after the tournament (Sunday evening) the Zimbabwean team also entertained guests at the official Awards Dinner at the Marco Polo Hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui:

Here are some images I took at Nana Banana:

Cheers Cheetahs! See you at the 2012 Hong Kong Sevens.

I have just returned from yet another delightful Sevens Dinner, organised by the Southern African Association in Hong Kong.

The guest speaker this year was former Springbok captain Morne Du Plessis who had the guests hanging onto his every word.

Morne recounted some of his experiences as the manager of the Springbok side who won the 1995 Rugby World Cup as well as his thoughts on the role of former President Nelson Mandela.  I could be wrong but I seem to notice a glint in his eyes when he shared his excitement after meeting “his idol” Clint Eastwood.  Eastwood, of course, produced the movie Invictus which is based on the 1995 RWC.

Morne’s visit to Hong Kong is two-pronged as he also brought along 10 kids from a Laureus Foundation-sponsored project.  He also shared some of the projects that the Foundation is currently spearheading in South Africa.  More about this initiative in another post.

I’m not going to recount bits of his speech here.  Rather, I’m busy editing the clip I took and will post it on YouTube and on this page shortly.

In the meantime, here are some pics I Tweeted from the Dinner:

These 2 ladies parked themselves at the door and grabbed the Boys as they were leaving the Dinner.  Branco Du Preez may be fleet-footed on the pitch, but this time around he couldn’t escape! (Pic: Via iPhone on Twitter/FaceBook)

Morne Du Plessis’ speech at the SAAHK Sevens Dinner:

As the SAAHK indeed represents the Southern African community in Hong Kong, Bruce Fowler, together with Gavin and Lyndsay Walker, have arranged a meet-and-greet with the Zimbabwe Sevens Team, affectionately known as The Cheetahs.

The event, open to all, will be held tomorrow night, Tuesday, the 22nd March at Nana Banana, 117 Lockhart Road, Wanchai from 6:30pm onwards.

There will also be a lucky draw and prizes include a rugby shirt signed by the team, a bottle of champagne, a hamper of South African food favourites donated by Gavin and Lyndsay Walker, a couple of bottles of wine by the Sheppard Brothers Ltd. and a bottle of wine by the SAAHK.

Tickets for the raffle will cost HK$100 per ticket.

If you haven’t been, this is where you can find Nana Banana

The Zimbabwe Cheetahs celebrate winning the Shield in George

Needless to say, the team is in town for this weekend’s Hong Kong Sevens where Zimbabwe will face Australia, Argentina and Canada in Pool F.

Also read:

Rwandans eye silverware in Hong Kong

Dream Sevens trip for Soweto youngsters

Hook us up on Twitter for more on the Hong Kong Sevens

Bruce Fowler from the Southern African Association in Hong Kong (SAAHK) sent word that there are still a few seats available for this year’s Sevens Dinner.

Springbok legend and former captain Morne Du Plessis (pictured below) will be the guest-speaker at the Hong Kong Football Club event next week, while the Springbok Sevens team will again grace us with their presence.

While I didn’t attend last year when “the voice of rugby” Hugh Bladen was the guest-speaker, every other Sevens Dinner I have been to have been a special event.

Needless to say, many South Africans will be flying in from back home, so if you’re looking for something to do in Hong Kong next Wednesday evening… come join us at the Hong Kong Football Club.

Contact Bruce Fowler for more details.

bfowler@pacific.net.hk

Below are some images from previous Sevens Dinners:

Bruce Fowler from the South African Association in Hong Kong (SAAHK) mailed to say that the very first Imbizo (get-together) of the Association will be held at The Canny Man in Wan Chai.

He writes:

The Canny Man is in the basement of the Wharney Guang Dong Hotel, 51 – 73 Lockhart Road Wanchai, from 6:30 pm onwards on Wednesday, 16th February.

Please make every effort to join us for this first Imbizo of 2011 and we particularly welcome all newcomers to Hong Kong and to SAAHK.

The Canny Man’s full-size pool table (Pic: Mike Jansen)

You can also use the occasion to speak to Bruce about this year’s Sevens Dinner, where Springbok legend Morne Du Plessis will be the guest-speaker.

See you there…

Kevin McBarron from The Canny Man says:

Tell the taxi driver: ‘Whamy ji ding, lockhart doh, wanzai!’

Here’s Kevin making his YouTube debut:

While we mere mortals at Howzit-HongKong will probably never be able to join this celebrated institution in Hong Kong, we do have a close connection with the hallowed halls, function rooms and pitches of this Club.

We have, after all covered numerous sports events and a handful of Southern African Association of Hong Kong (SAAHK) Sevens Dinners hosted at the esteemed (no cell-phones allowed, ever) venue.

One of Asia’s most famous sporting clubs, the Hong Kong Football Club, today announced that a specially commissioned account of the Club’s remarkable history is the first in a series of events that will form the backbone of celebrations of its 125th year of existence in 2011.

Denis Way’s magnificent book, entitled “Along the sports road”: The Hong Kong Football Club, Its Environs And Personalities 1886 – 2011“, is a historic journey through the Club’s development and the personalities that had such an influence on not only the Club, but on Hong Kong itself.

Mr Fook Aun Chew, Chairman of the Hong Kong Football Club, said: “When you have an established history of 125 years, it goes without saying that there are many milestones to be celebrated.

“However, there is no doubt that 2011 is a very special year for the Hong Kong Football Club and we are extremely proud of the work that Denis has done on along the sports road and have no doubt that this is the perfect way to kick of our Anniversary celebrations,” he said.

The publication of “Along the sports road”: The Hong Kong Football Club, Its Environs And Personalities 1886 – 2011 is just one of a series of activities planned for the first half of 2011 to celebrate the 125-year milestone.

HKFC members who have competed at the international level celebrate the launch of “Along the sports road: The Hong Kong Football Club, Its Environs And Personalities 1886 – 2011” today with author Denis Way (centre back row), club president Dermot Agnew (front left) and club chairman Fook Aun-Chew (second right standing). The book was launched as part of the launch of the club’s 125th anniversary celebrations in 2011

On 12th February, exactly 125 years to the day from the formation of the Hong Kong Football Club, a Members Cocktail Party will celebrate the special occasion. That event will be followed by a Sports Dinner featuring Geoff Miller and other international sports personalities on 5th March, a Family Garden Party cum fete in April and an Anniversary Ball in June.

However, today it was the Club’s detailed history that took centre stage.

Denis has committed three years of extensive research to “Along the sports road”: The Hong Kong Football Club, Its Environs And Personalities 1886 – 2011, working closely with the Club to create an authentic record of the Club’s part in the history and, in part, the development of Hong Kong.

Denis said: “This project commenced almost three years ago and I am extremely grateful for having been commissioned to take up the challenge of producing such a comprehensive story of the Club spanning 125 years.

“I am extremely proud of the result with along the sports road and hope everyone agrees that it is a fitting tribute to such an important Hong Kong institution,” he added.

In addition to “Along the sports road”: The Hong Kong Football Club, Its Environs And Personalities 1886 – 2011, Way’s other books include Fire Horse, a saga of historical fiction set in Shanghai and Hong Kong between 1937 and 1973, and its sequel Dragon Rock.

In 2002, Counting House – The History of PricewaterhouseCoopers on the China Coast, his book commemorating the firm’s 100th anniversary in Hong Kong, was published.

Copies of “Along the sports road”: The Hong Kong Football Club, Its Environs And Personalities 1886 – 2011 are available from:

The Football Club at 3, Sports Road, Happy Valley, Hong Kong at HK$390 (approx. USD$50) per copy.

Anna Lee, acting director of the Hong Kong Down Syndrome Association (left), and Sean Browne (second right) accept a cheque for HK$125,000 from Dermot Agnew, president of the Hong Kong Football Club (second left), and Fook Aun-Chew, chairman of the Hong Kong Football Club (right), as part of the launch of the club’s 125th anniversary celebrations in 2011 today

(This article originally appeared on BlitzBokke.com)

The annual Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens is a big huge date on the calendars of South Africans who call Hong Kong their home or even home-away-from-home.

The Southern African Association of Hong Kong (SAAHK) plays a pivotal part in Sevens-week because they organise the annual SAAHK Sevens Dinner.

The popular event serves as the official welcome for the Springbok Sevens team to the SAR as well as providing Saffas in the City with an opportunity for a good-ol’ Op-skop!

Woop! Woop! Here come the green and gold train again!

Following high on the heels of previous Sevens Dinner speakers Kobus Wiese, Bob Skinstad, and Hugh Bladen, the Association today announced that the Springbok legend Morne Du Plessis has been confirmed as the guest-speaker at this year’s Dinner.

“We are pleased to announce that Morne du Plessis has accepted our invitation to speak at the Sevens Dinner 2011.” said the SAAHK’s Bruce Fowler.

“Morne is a rugby legend in SA and is often described as one of the Springbok’s most successful captains. Playing at number 8, his national career spanned ten years, five of which he was captain.

He was also the manager of the 1995 Springboks which won the famous 1995 Rugby World Cup final. He is the co-founder with Tim Noakes of the Sports Science Institute of South Africa in Cape Town and the co-founder of Bioenergetics of Exercise Research Unit of the University of Cape Town.

His father was also a Springbok captain, and to date, they are the only father-son combination to both captain the Springboks.

We feel truly honoured to have Morne in Hong Kong as our guest over the 2011 Sevens week and trust that this will enhance even more the success of our Sevens rugby dinner.”

The 2011 SAAHK Sevens Dinner takes place on Wednesday 23 March 2011 (6:30pm) at the Hong Kong Fotball Club in Happy Valley.

Stay tuned to Howzit-HongKong.com or our sister-site BlitzBokke.com for more news on the Sevens Dinner.

Here are some images from the 2007 Sevens Dinners:

As well as the 2008 Dinner:

About 2 weeks ago we alerted you to the Southern African Association in Hong Kong’s final Imbizo (social get together) for this year at the Happy Valley Race Course.

The Imbizo visit coincided with one of the biggest meets on the local horse-racing calendar: The 2010 Cathay Pacific International Jockeys’ Championship.

Katherine Schafli was there and posted to following pictures on the Association’s FaceBook page:

Bruce Fowler from the Southern African Association in Hong Kong (SAAHK) is inviting all Springbok rugby supporters in Hong Kong to watch Victor Matfield celebrate his 100th Rugby Test today (Saturday August 28, 2010).

The Blue Bulls’ Matfield will become only the third-ever Springbok Rugby player to achieve this milestone after John Smit last week (number 2) and Western Province’s Percy Montgomery (number 1).

The Springboks will play Australia in their penultimate Tri-Nations Test at Loftus Verfeld later today.

South Africans in Hong Kong are urged to head to the ironically Aussie-themed WoolooMooloo Restaurant in Central.

WoolooMooloo is also the workplace of Bruce’s girlfriend so needless to say happy hour prices will probably prevail.   Just turn up will you?!

Tri-Nations Rugby: South Africa vs Australia

Saturday, 28th August at 11pm.

WoolooMooloo Steakhouse, Ground Floor, Onfem Tower, 29 Wyndham Street, Central.

Bok Centurion No.3 with Number 1 Percy Montgomery