HSBC Asian Five Nations Trophy Unveiled Today at the Match Preview Press Conference
May 02, 2008
The first Hong Kong match of the new HSBC Asian Five Nations (A5N) rugby series will kick off tomorrow at the Hong Kong Football Club against Kazakhstan at 4.00pm. To celebrate the opening Hong Kong match, HSBC, the title sponsor of the A5N, hosted the captains and players from the Hong Kong and Kazakhstan XVs today at the HSBC Main Building in Central, Hong Kong.
Attending today's press conference were Sandy Flockhart, CEO of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, and Dermot Agnew, Treasurer of the Asian Rugby Football Union, organiser of the A5N. Today's playing representatives were Timur Mashurov, Captain of Kazakhstan and the Hong Kong XV were Semi Iafeta, Captain and hard-charging No. 8 of the Hong Kong XV and player-coach of Causeway Bay Rugby Football Club.
The press conference was held in the rugby-clad environment of the ground level of the iconic HSBC Main Building in Central and featured another unique element in the continuing promotion of the A5N: the launch of the new HSBC A5N Trophy. Unveiling the new trophy at the launch, Sandy Flockhart, CEO of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited, said: “As the title sponsor of the series, it is exciting to see the inaugural HSBC Asian Five Nations being hosted in Hong Kong tomorrow and on 24 May. Rugby is an exemplary team sport. Success on the rugby pitch demands teamwork, initiative, dedication and flawless execution - the same elements HSBC needs to demonstrate on a global basis day in and day out. These shared values for success in both the rugby and financial world make our sponsorship a natural partnership.”
Handcrafted in India from pure silver, the trophy weighs in at over 8 kg with the base and is adorned with Asian motifs that highlight the inclusiveness of the A5N including a dragon design to represent North Asia and a tiger prowling the lid to represent South Asia. The trophy measures 20" tall with a cup diameter of 10". The base is inscribed with the name of all 25 participating countries or territories taking part in the four tiers of competition that make up the HSBC A5N: Top 5, Division I, Division II and the Regional Tournaments (4). Tomorrow’s match will be the first for Kazakhstan in the new HSBC A5N Top 5 competition.
Kazakhstan qualified for the A5N by winning the Asian Rugby Football Union's Asian Championships last November in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Hong Kong successfully opened its HSBC A5N account with a 20 - 12 victory over the Arabian Gulf last Saturday (26 April) in an away-game in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates. The crucial away win sees Hong Kong in second place on the HSBC A5N Top 5 results table with 5 points, one behind Japan which collected a bonus point for scoring four or more tries in its victory over Korea last weekend in Incheon, near Seoul. The Hong Kong side will be looking to build on its strong start to the tournament in front of what is expected to be a sold-out Hong Kong Football Club stadium this Saturday. Both teams will be targeting tomorrow's match as a 'must-win' encounter, as the tournament's promotion and relegation mechanism (unique among regional International Rugby Board tournaments) means that one team will be dropped from the Top 5 to the HSBC A5N Division I tournament in 2009.
Speaking ahead of today’s press conference, Hong Kong Coach John Walters said: “We are looking to build on our win against the Arabian Gulf. We have early momentum now, which is what we wanted, but we need to keep improving. We haven't lost at home for over a year. This record is something we are very proud of and will work very hard to protect.”
Speaking to the expected competitiveness of the match, the IRB World Rankings currently place Hong Kong at 29th, moving up one spot on the back of its victory over the Arabian Gulf. Kazakhstan is ranked just three spots back in 32nd. Japan saw its ranking improve from 18th to 16th after its victory in Korea, while the Koreans remained unchanged at 23rd. The Arabian Gulf slipped from 46th to 49th spot amongst the 95 international unions in the IRB World Rankings.
In addition to its commitment as title sponsor of the HSBC A5N, HSBC announced another important rugby sponsorship today - its support of the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children. HSBC has committed to sponsor 35 of the children from the Society to undergo a unique rugby experience programme which will see the children taught the basics of rugby with an eye towards preparing them to participate in the Sha Tin Mini Rugby Festival on Sunday, 1 June 2008.
HSBC will sponsor the children's playing kit and, in partnership with the Asian Rugby Football Union, will also support the rugby education programme to teach the children the positive lessons of self-esteem, respect for oneself and respect for one's competition that are the ultimate byproducts of playing organised sport.
HSBC's sponsorship of the Hong Kong Society for the Protection of Children further demonstrates its commitment to corporate social responsibility and the promotion of rugby at both the grassroots and elite level around Asia.
ENDS
Media enquiries:
Sean Moore
Asian Five Nations
+852 9095 8889
Asian5Nations@gmail.com
