At the joint HKRFU/HK Special Olympics Rugby Clinic yesterday, I was particularly interested in something completely off the script.

I arrived at the Kings Park Sports-ground a wee bit early, while the kiddies soccer league was still taking place.

I decided to take a walk around the Park while the soccer games were being wrapped up. After the final game, I noticed the Kings Park ground-staff getting ready for the rugby.

Having managed sports-facilities back in Cape Town, I sat down with my cameras while the ground-staff were going through their (obviously well-drilled) paces.

I recorded them removing the soccer posts and erecting the rugby poles in less than 3 minutes!

Have a look:

(Video recorded entirely on my Zoopy-branded FlipCam)

Here in Hong Kong, with space at a premium, we obviously have to make do with multi-functional sports facilities.  This is in stark contrast to Cape Town where I used to work, where we had the luxury of huge pitches tailored for individual sports.  What boggles my mind though, is why local rugby players are happy to play on the synthetic pitches we find at Kings Park and at the HK Football Club.  I have seen some horrific bruises and dislocations sustained at the HK Football Club pitch during the GFI HKFC Rugby Tens.

I doff my proverbial hat to you Hong Kong rugby players, young and old.

You are truly brave.

The synthetic pitch offered at Kings Park.  The BlitzBokke had a training session there 2 years ago.

FYI:  Back in South Africa, I qualified as a physical education teacher and taught at a Cape Town high school for six years.  After this, I also worked for the 2004 Cape Town Olympic Bid Team, helping to organise several international sports events (eg. the World Cross Country Championships in Stellenbosch, the World Junior Weightlifting Championships, etc.) as part of the 2004 Bid process.  I also served as the project manager for the SA Olympic Team Training Camp in Cape Town.

Hong Kong soccer fans will have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet the legendary Pelé (real name Edison “Edson” Arantes do Nascimento) when he arrives in town this weekend on a goodwill visit as part of the 2011 New York Cosmos Asia Tour.

Pele played for the legendary New York Cosmos from 1975-77 and took the club to worldwide success, transforming the soccer landscape in America in a way that is still remembered by fans today – all over the globe.

The Brazilian icon – widely recognised as the game’s all-time greatest player – will be overseeing a coaching clinic for kids, giving inspirational talks and meeting business leaders as Honorary President of the newly revived New York Cosmos.

In his role with the Cosmos, he will help re-establish the club and carry on its tradition of greatness for the next generation of young athletes as well as help the Cosmos prepare for their return as a professional team.

“I know Hong Kong fans are hugely interested in soccer and I’m looking forward to meeting them and sharing their passion for the beautiful game,” said the three-time World Cup winner.

“I’m especially relishing the chance to work with aspiring young players and hopefully pass on some knowledge about what it takes to achieve your goals, whether in soccer or in life.”

Pelé, together with senior New York Cosmos executives Paul Kemsley (Chairman) and Terry Byrne (Vice Chairman), will arrive in Hong Kong on Sunday (6 March) for three nights after first stopping in Singapore.

A highlight of his visit will come on Tuesday when he addresses a VIP lunch organised by the American Chamber of Commerce at the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel in Wanchai.

Pelé will share the rebirth and rebuilding of the Cosmos with an exclusive audience of business leaders and media, while also discussing the impact of sports on education and philanthropy.

He will then visit Hong Kong Football Club to motivate and inspire young players involved in soccer across the local and expatriate community – in addition to meeting the HKFC Crusaders, a programme for players with special needs that is backed by Prudential.

After his final career match on 1 October 1977, in a speech given to more than 75,000 fans, Pele urged his audience to pay attention to the youth of the world. Today, as global ambassador for the game, he reinforces that message to fans and kids during his Hong Kong visit.

The 2011 New York Cosmos Asia Tour is aimed at spreading goodwill through sport, developing young talent and building global partnerships.

“We are seeing in both Singapore and Hong Kong a significant commitment by organisations and individuals of many levels to develop young talent and the future of the sport,” said Kemsley. “This is very complementary to the mission of the New York Cosmos.

“We are excited to visit Asia to meet fans, players, partners, leaders and dignitaries – and to let everyone know that the New York Cosmos are back. We will continue to integrate Asia in all that we do, and look forward to returning to the region in the very near future.”

In addition to Pele, the New York Cosmos have also appointed Manchester United Player of the Century Eric Cantona as Director of Soccer and US soccer legend Cobi Jones as Associate Director of Soccer and Ambassador.

Currently the club operates a Cosmos Academy in both New York and Los Angeles featuring the US’s elite youth talent, it owns the CosmosCopa grassroots tournament that is entering its third year, and will be hosting a 40th Anniversary Celebration Match this summer featuring players from around the world invited by Pele to participate in an all-star competition.

The club’s ultimate vision is to field a professional team at the highest level in the United States, bringing championships back to New York City.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup Finals ended on a high note at Johannesburg’s Soccer City last night.

Not only did a very deserving Spain beat the Netherlands to claim their first World Championships ever, but South Africa sent all the players, visiting administrators and tourists off with a spectacular Closing Ceremony.

After a month of extreme euphoria, heightened nationalism, spectacular football and non-stop partying (not to mention very late nights for those of us who watched from Asia) all that is left to say about the World Cup (very succinctly) is:

Well Done South Africa!

You did us proud.

Here are some of my favourite images from last night’s Closing Ceremony:

(Pics: Simon Christophe/Monirul Bhuiyan/AFP)

With one day to go before the big official Opening Ceremony of the 2010 World Cup as well as the first-ever World Cup game on African soil (South Africa vs. Mexico), the Soccer City stadium seems to be the picture of serenity, if these pictures are anything to go by (the pictures were taken this morning, Thursday June 10):

If you’re not attending the South African Consulate’s 2010 Opening Ceremony function at the Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) tomorrow evening, remember that you can join the SA Association at Wooloomooloo in Wyndham Road (Lan Kwai Fong).  The Aussie-themed restaurant/bar will also screen the first game between Bafana Bafana and Mexico after the Opening Ceremony.

See you there!

Pictures, Cheers to Kia Motors SA on FaceBook, Kia Motors is an Official Sponsor of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa

Blow your Vuvuzela at 12 noon for Bafana Bafana!

This was the call that went out to South Africans all over the country this past week.  And just minutes ago, thousands of them left their home and offices across the country to blow their Vuvuzelas, wave their flags, don their soccer jerseys, or what have you.  They came out onto the street and man… they are showing the world that the 2010 World Cup is here and that they’re firmly behind the 2010 World Cup and the South African national Team (Bafana Bafana)!

As I’m typing this, I’m listening to 567.co.za (Cape Talk) online listening to the cacophony from Sandton and the Civic Centre in Cape Town.

South Africa is indeed going mad for the 2010 World Cup!

The “gees” in South Africa is strong!

Bring on 2010!

This is the scene in Cape Town a few minutes ago (from Kfm.co.za)

This is what Sandton looked like minutes ago (Pic:SAPromo on FaceBook)

If you’re reading this now (18h15) do yourself a favour and tune into 567.co.za and listen to the live reports from all over the country.

Hectic!

Just in, Gavin Prins (Rapport,Tonge Los) took this picture in his neck of the woods:

Another one from the I LOVE Cape Town FaceBook Group:

With the 2010 Soccer World Cup just days away, visitors and television viewers will soon be gobsmacked at the scale and beauty of South Africa’s brand-new stadiums.

However, in a quiet (albeit only on non-match days) corner in the shadows of Table Mountain, stands what for me, is the Grande Dame of sports stadiums in the country: Newlands Rugby Stadium.  The country’s oldest stadium has always been a must-visit for me on every occasion that I visit home.  My annual trip to Cape Town often coincides with the Tri-Nations or Currie Cup tournaments so I always get to watch a Stormers or Western Province fixture.  I recently came across a great online feature that allows one to view all 360 degrees of the inside of Newlands stadium, on a match-day nogal!  At the risk of sounding like a gushing teenager…It was just too cool not to share.

Click here to open the 360 degrees viewer in a new window

Aston Villa won the HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens for a record fifth time yesterday (Sunday, 16 May) with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Glasgow Rangers.

Villa raced into a three-goal lead and then held off a strong fightback from their Scottish opponents in front of a near-capacity crowd at the Hong Kong Football Club.

Two players with first team experience – striker Nathan Delfouneso and midfielder Marc Albrighton – made the difference for Villa.

Delfouneso put them ahead after just three minutes and Albrighton added a brace to stun a Rangers team who had entered the final without conceding a goal in the whole tournament.

But inspirational Rangers captain Andrew Shinnie – one of the stars of the weekend – netted a penalty on the stroke of half-time and added a stunning second soon after the break to set up a dramatic finale.

Delfouneso and midfielder Harry Forrester both hit the bar for Villa in a frantic last few minutes.

Rangers, for whom midfielder Shinnie finished as the tournament’s leading scorer with eight goals, had to settle for second best again after losing last year’s final to city rivals Celtic.

Villa academy manager Bryan Jones said his coaching staff had come up with a game plan and the players had executed it perfectly.

“We had seen Rangers play and we knew they were very strong in midfield, Shinnie is an excellent player, but we felt we could get at them down the wings and I think it paid off,” he said. “I thought our wide players were excellent, especially Marc out on the right.”

Jones said first team experience was not the only reason Albrighton and Delfouneso stood out during the weekend. “Marc and Nathan have also been to the Soccer Sevens before and that counts because seven-a-side is completely different. You can play in the Premiership and still struggle in this form of football.”

“They know how to play it and I think their experience told in the end. We think they’ve both got a great future in the game.

“Martin O’Neill [the Villa manager] takes tremendous interest in the academy players and if I don’t text him in the next five minutes to tell him the result I’ll be in trouble! He’s very keen.”

Jones said Villa, winners of the trophy four times between 2002 and 2008, felt they owed it to the organisers to bring their strongest possible squad.

“We’ve been coming here for eight or nine years now and we’re so well looked after that we almost feel duty bound to bring one or two ‘name’ players to help bring in the fans. It’s our payback to the organisers,” he said.

Albrighton admitted Rangers had made Villa fight all the way. “It was a great team performance,” he said. “We made hard work of it but we got there in the end.

“Rangers beat us in the semi-finals last year so we knew they were a good side. After we went 3-0 up we got a little bit complacent but we saw it out and it was brilliant to get the victory.”

Earlier, Villa were superb in beating Ajax 3-1 in the quarter-finals, Albrighton scoring twice in-between a fantastic strike from Delfouneso. Forrester was the star of their 3-0 semi-final victory over West Ham United, netting the first two goals before Delfouneso tapped in the third after brilliant approach work from Albrighton.

Rangers had exacted revenge against Celtic for last year’s final defeat, winning their quarter-final clash 2-0 with a pair of Shinnie goals. Shinnie was also the architect of their 3-0 win over Sunderland in the semi-finals, earning and converting a penalty and slamming in a free-kick to give his team a two-goal half-time lead, then setting up Rory Loy for the third.

Soccer Sevens debutants Ajax gained some consolation for their quarter-final defeat by Villa when they beat Celtic 2-0 in the second-tier Shield final – Nathaniel Will and Vlatko Lazic getting the goals.

Aston Villa captain Ciaran Clark (holding trophy) leads the celebrations (Pic:Create Images/Soccer Sevens)

Masters Competition

In the Masters Cup final, KFC Tokyo – a team of expatriate amateur players mainly based in the Japanese capital – secured a surprise 2-1 win over the Andy Cole Jura All Stars.

Manchester United great Cole put his team ahead with a lethal shot early in the game – his sixth goal of the weekend – but KFC Tokyo pulled level within a minute with a brilliant long-range strike from Malaysian midfielder Punanseveran.

French striker David Serene scored the winner with a superb solo effort and the All Stars finished with six men after ex-Chelsea defender Frank Sinclair was shown the red card by Premier League referee Martin Atkinson for two bookable offences.

“We’re very happy, we’ve been coming to the Soccer Sevens for a long time so it’s nice to finally win a trophy,” said KFC Tokyo captain Kirk Neureiter. “We lost in the Plate final four years ago so to win the Cup this time, especially against a team containing so many great players, is just a fantastic feeling.”

See at the Soccer Sevens in 2011!

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The HKFC IP Glogal Hong Kong Soccer Sevens started amidst great anticipation at the Hong Kong Football Club last night.

While most of the foreign players adapted quickly to the hot and humid Hong Kong weather, not everyone found the going easy.  

The Andy Cole Jura All Stars went down to a surprise 1-0 defeat to Singapore Cricket Club Tigers in Pool D – former Singaporean international Nahar bin Daud grabbing the only goal in the first half.

Manchester United legend Cole stayed on the bench until four minutes from time, when he came on to loud cheers from the crowd, but was unable to rescue his team.

SCC Tigers manager Tony Moore was delighted with the result. “We didn’t play well here last year so to come out and get a win like that was great,” he said.

“Obviously when you’re drawn against the ex-pros you’re happy, although you know it’s going to be tough. But even though they had a lot of possession, I thought we played quite well. We’ve got some decent players.”

Former English football legend Andy Cole in action at the HKFC last night (Pic: Create Images/Soccer Sevens)

The Stars of Tomorrow

The HKFC IP Global International Soccer Sevens boasts a total of 32 teams taking part – 16 in the Main competition and 16 in the Masters.

The Main competition – which got underway today (Saturday) has become famous for unearthing the “stars of tomorrow” while the Masters section features former elite players from Europe’s top leagues.

The Main competition has a strong English Premier League presence with four-time Soccer Sevens champions Aston Villa, West Ham United, Birmingham City and debutants Sunderland.

Dutch giants Ajax are making their first appearance in the tournament and are joined by defending champions Glasgow Celtic and the team they defeated in last year’s final, city rivals Rangers.

The HKFC IP Global Soccer Sevens concludes tomorrow with a day pass (Sunday) priced at HK$120 per adult. Children under the age of 16 are admitted free.