2024/25 NAN FUNG GROUP AIRSIDE PREMIERSHIP ALL SET FOR KICK OFF
Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Premiership launches at Groundswell indoor surf and dine destination
Men's Premiership kicks off this Saturday 28 September, with all six teams in action
Women's Premiership kicks off on Saturday 26 October, featuring an expanded seven teams
[25/9/2024] Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR) marked the upcoming return of rugby’s top domestic competition with an action-packed launch event at AIRSIDE in Kai Tak this evening. Players and coaches took on the waves at Groundswell, Hong Kong’s first indoor in-mall surf and dine destination, after the traditional captain’s photoshoot and media Q&A.
This is the third season of Nan Fung Group’s partnership with HKCR, which includes title sponsorship of the Men’s and Women’s Hong Kong Premierships. For 2024/25 the AIRSIDE brand will be included in the league name, after the 1.9 million square-foot commercial development at Kai Tak opened its doors to the public late last year.
Vanessa Cheung, Group Managing Director of Nan Fung Group, was delighted to continue the organisation’s support of rugby in Hong Kong:
“Nan Fung Group and AIRSIDE are delighted to continue our partnership with Hong Kong China Rugby for the 2024/25 season, building on the success of our collaboration in the past two years.
“Sharing the same vision with the athletes, we are committed to bringing positive impact to the community through the spirit of sports, fostering strength of the body and power of the mind. We are excited to support and nurture local talent, elevating the profile of the game and driving its growth. We look forward to another exciting season of rugby, working together to inspire and empower the next generation of athletes.”
The 2024/2025 Nan Fung Group |AIRSIDE Hong Kong Premiership proudly features six men’s teams and has expanded to seven women’s teams, welcoming HKU Sandy Bay Storm and the newly formed SCAA Causeway Bay Scottish.
Chris Brooke, HKCR Chairman, was full of excitement at the launch of the 2024/2025 season:
“The Men’s and Women’s Premierships play a key role in supporting the representative programmes of HKCR as well as generating a highly competitive and entertaining series of matches for spectators to watch throughout the season.
“It is also very encouraging to see a number of players returning to Hong Kong to take part in the competition after studying overseas, joining both existing players as well as newcomers to the Premiership from a variety of other countries."
Brooke also expressed his gratitude to the Nan Fung Group for their ongoing support of the Premiership competition, continuing:
“It is very pleasing for HKCR to be able to collaborate with a partner which shares common values and objectives in terms of both community projects as well as promoting the game of rugby throughout Hong Kong.
“I am sure that all of the players, coaches, match officials and volunteers involved in the premiership are looking forward to the season and I am hopeful that the high standard of the competition will encourage more people within the wider community in Hong Kong to take an interest in either playing or watching rugby”.
James Farndon, HKCR CEO, also looked ahead to the season, while highlighting the role of volunteers in the game:
“I’m really excited to see how the Premiership plays out this season. There are new signings, new coaches, new philosophies and new game plans across both the men’s and women’s Premierships.
“I’d also like to recognise the many volunteers contributing to their respective clubs, who put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes to make the Premiership what it is. Wishing all the best to everyone involved in what will be a fantastic season for the fans to enjoy.”
Asphodel Fitness will once again act as the league’s secondary sponsor and run the popular “Player of the Round” award. Every match weekend, one male and one female star will be recognised, with each receiving a month’s free membership to use at Asphodel’s three state-of-the-art gyms across the city.
All Nan Fung Group |AIRSIDE Hong Kong Premiership games will be streamed live on the HKCR YouTube Channel, allowing fans to enjoy the action from anywhere and watch back at any time. In addition, one men’s and one women’s match each week will be featured in a short “Game of the Week” highlight video.
2024/25 Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Men’s Premiership
The six teams will compete in a round-robin format, playing one another three times over 15 regular season match weekends. The top four teams will then advance to the Semi-Finals and Grand Final in March.
The season gets underway on Saturday 28 September with all matches kicking off at 4 PM. Kroll USRC Tigers RFC host HKU Sandy Bay RFC at King's Park Sports Ground, MND Hong Kong Scottish RFC host 2023/24 League and Grand Championship Winners HKFC Natixis Club at Shek Kip Mei Park Sports Ground and Societe Generale Valley RFC host DLA Piper Kowloon Rugby Club at Happy Valley Recreation Ground.
The traditional Men’s Super Saturday will return for the new season, bringing all six teams together for back-to-back fixtures on Saturday 30 November at King’s Park Sports Ground.
2024/25 Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Women’s Premiership
The seven teams will also compete in a round-robin format, playing one another twice over 15 regular season match weekends (with each team having three bye weeks). The top four teams will also then advance to the Semi-Finals and Grand Final in March.
The season gets underway on Saturday 26 October, to avoid a clash with Hong Kong China Women’s WXV3 campaign in Dubai. DLA Piper Kowloon Women host 2023/24 League Winners HKFC Natixis Ice at King's Park Sports Ground at 4:30 PM, before newly-promoted HKU Sandy Bay Storm host 2023/24 Grand Championship Winners Societe Generale Valley RFC at So Kon Po (6 PM) and Kroll USRC Tigers Womenhost the Gai Wu Falcons at King’s Park Sports Ground (6:15 PM). SCAA Causeway Bay Scottish start with a bye week and will open their campaign on Saturday 2 November when they visit HKU Sandy Bay Storm (venue and time TBD).
There will also be a women’s Super Saturday for the season ahead, bringing six of the seven teams together for back-to-back fixtures on Saturday 8 February (venue TBD).
Information and photo source : Hong Kong China Rugby
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