Hong Kong Football Club Message
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TOURNAMENT SPONSORS TITLE SPONSOR Contents 5. Messages 42. World's Best 10s 19. Hong Kong Cancer Fund 46. Match Schedule 21. Rugby Legends Tackle Cancer 50. Team Profiles GOLD SPONSOR ORGANISER 27. Preview: 2019 GFI HKFC 10s 75. Autographs 33. Results: 2018 GFI HKFC 10s 77. Facilities Map 37. Champions 79. Tournament Rules SILVER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS ASSOCIATE SPONSORS STAY CONNECTED PARTNERS & SUPPLIERS Follow all the action online, on your phone, in the clouds, wherever … Official Beer Official Water Official Apparel Official Car Official Medical Official Charity Sanctioning Body GFIHKFC10s GFIHKFC10s gfihkfc10s Refreshment Sponsor Nutrition Sponsor Event Canopy Event Manager Event PR Event Scoring Event Partner hkfc10s www.hongkongtens.com Streamline Sports www.streamlinesports.com.hk GFI MESSAGE Brad Howell Chief Executive Officer - Asia Pacific GFI Group ow in our 14th year as title sponsor, GFI is delighted to contenders Mourant Fiji Army, while we’re delighted that the continue our strong support of the GFI HKFC 10s, which Classic Wallabies are back with their array of Australia legends. attractsN thousands of fans and many of rugby’s top stars to Hong Kong Football Club every year. GFI would particularly like to commend the Organising Committee on their choice of official charity for this year’s event, We’re proud to have played our part in growing the 'World’s Hong Kong Cancer Fund, the city’s largest cancer support Best 10s', which looks and operates more professionally each organisation. The work they do is inspiring, so we are proud the and every year. We’re also especially pleased that ‘finals day’ tournament is helping support this great cause. on Thursday falls before a public holiday, so the atmosphere should be particularly strong in the evening. Finally, we would like to thank the Organising Committee for their work and the whole team at Hong Kong Football Club for It’s exciting to see that the 16-team line-up includes their fantastic effort in creating such an enjoyable and well run defending champions Biarritz Gavekal, former champions event that makes everyone feel so ‘at home’ during this special GFI GROUP IS PROUD TO SPONSOR Grove Penguins and Asia Pacific Dragons, and new week for rugby. THE GFI HKFC 10s 2019 marks the fourteenth year that GFI has partnered with the HKFC Tens Organising Committee. GFI is happy to show ongoing support to what has become an increasingly popular tournament, helping to build a community-driven, fundraising focused event that attracts many fans and a number of rugby’s greatest names. Founded in 1987 and headquartered in New York, GFI is owned by, and operates as a division of BGC. GFI is a leading intermediary in the global OTC and listed markets offering an array of sophisticated trading technologies and products to a broad range of financial market participants. More than 2,500 institutional clients benefit from GFI’s know-how and experience in operating electronic and hybrid markets for cash and derivative products across multiple asset classes, including fixed income, About GFI Group Inc. interest rates, foreign exchange, equities, energy and commodities. GFI Group Inc. is a leading intermediary in the global OTC classes, including fixed income, interest rates, foreign exchange, and listed markets offering an array of sophisticated trading equities, and energy and commodities. technologies and products to a broad range of financial market GFI is wholly owned by, and operates as a division of BGC participants. More than 2,600 institutional clients benefit from Partners Inc. (NASDAQ: BGCP), a leading global brokerage GFI's know-how and experience in operating electronic and hybrid company servicing the financial and real estate markets. markets for cash and derivative products across multiple asset www.gfigroup.com www.GFIgroup.com 1 5 HKFC 10s ORGANISING COMMITTEE MESSAGE Supporting Rugby Worldwide GFI HKFC 10s Organising Committee 2019 Gareth Wilde - Chairman Bill Mason - Tournament Director Gareth Wilde James Thomson - Finance David Nazer - Sponsorship Terry Hart, Scott Lindsay - Teams Chairman HKFC 10s Organising Committee elcome to this year’s GFI HKFC 10s, the ‘World’s Best returns and is open to the public, allowing you to rub shoulders Sponsor of HKFC 10s’, providing you two days of top-class 10-a-side with the tournament’s heroes, safe in the knowledge that Friday rugbyW action and entertainment during Hong Kong’s rugby is a public holiday. Cheers! Rugby Section week. You’ll find information on all 16 teams and players to since 2014 watch throughout this Souvenir Programme. The depth this From a corporate standpoint, I’m pleased and proud of the year is stronger than ever and includes defending champions continuing support from GFI, who are now in their 14th year as Biarritz Gavekal, a strong Samurai squad and the debut of title sponsor and continue to work closely with us to push this Mourant Fiji Army! event to new levels. We’re also very grateful to our many other sponsors and suppliers, especially those who have supported us Official Sponsor I’m extremely proud that Hong Kong Cancer Fund is this year after year. Thank you all. of Racing 92 year’s official charity. To increase our support, we created the Rugby Legends Tackle Cancer exhibition game, which Also, I’d like to thank the HKFC for allowing the tournament since 2007 features many rugby stars, corporate sponsors and eager to be hosted at this historical venue, all of the club staff for their members of our HKFC youth programme coming together for help in making it happen, TCOB for event management and i3 what should be a very entertaining game of touch rugby to Sports for PR. raise money for, and awareness of, the Cancer Fund. I hope you can support this worthy cause on Thursday afternoon. I'd especially like to express my sincere appreciation to the 10s Organising Committee members for their year-long, voluntary Fans around the world will once again be able to watch commitment to making this event a huge success. The effort the GFI HKFC 10s via free live streaming on our event and workload involved is immense, so thank you all. And finally, website, YouTube channel and Facebook Live. To wrap up the thank you, the spectators, for supporting the 2019 GFI HKFC 10s entertainment on Thursday evening, The Church after party … #WORLDSBEST10S Natixis is the international corporate and investment banking, asset management, insurance and financial services arm of Groupe BPCE, the 2nd-largest banking group in France through its two retail banking networks, Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Epargne. With more than 18,000 employees, Natixis has a number of areas of expertise that are organized into four main business lines: Asset & Wealth Management, Corporate & Investment Banking, Insurance and About GFI HKFC 10s Specialized Financial Services. Hong Kong Football Club has hosted the 10s every year since it was featured Joe Roff and Toutai Kefu (both 2006), Jonah Lomu (2007), first staged in 1986 to celebrate the club’s 100th anniversary. The GFI Brian Lima and Israel Dagg (2008), Bob Skinstad (2009), Waisale A global player, Natixis has its own client base of companies, financial institutions and institutional investors HKFC 10s is annually held on the Wednesday and Thursday before Serevi, Beauden Barrett and Sam Cane (2010), George Gregan and as well as the client base of individuals, professionals and small and medium-size businesses of Groupe the world-famous Hong Kong Sevens and is also sanctioned by the Christian Cullen (2011), Justin Marshall (2011, 2012), Mils Muliaina BPCE’s banking networks. Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU). GFI Group, a leading provider of (2012), Marty Holah and Nehe Milner-Skudder (2013), George Smith, brokerage services and trading support products, has title sponsored Alesana Tuilagi and Rupeni Caucaunibuca (2014), Todd Clever Figures as at December 31, 2018 the event since 2006. The tournament traditionally attracts many (2012, 2013, 2015), Rico Gear (2011, 2013, 2015), Jimmy Cowan, stars of the game, including seven of the New Zealand squad that Carl Hayman and Nate Ebner (2016), Damien Traille (2017), Wendell won the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Sailor (2017-19), Luke Burgess (2017-18). Since GFI started its title sponsorship, the tournament has www.hongkongtens.com 7 HKFC RUGBY SECTION MESSAGE Benjamin Stobart Chairman, Rugby Section Hong Kong Football Club elcome to Hong Kong Football Club and the 2019 GFI And with Friday being a public holiday, you can – like myself HKFC 10s, which features a fantastic line-up of teams and others – let your hair down at The Church after-party at the andW players, plus some new additions on and off the pitch. Club’s Sports Hall. Many of us are excited about the debut of Mourant Fiji Army The tournament always attracts rugby legends and in recent and to see if Biarritz Gavekal can achieve a rare hat-trick years we’ve watched George Gregan, Mils Muliaina, George of Cup titles. We also welcome back three-time champions Smith, Wendell Sailor, Justin Marshall and Christian Cullen. Asia Pacific Dragons, two-time winners Grove Penguins, and Tradition YCAC and Samurai International, both three-time Rising stars have included Sam Cane, Beauden Barrett, finalists keen to lift the Cup. Nehe Milner-Skudder and other current All Blacks, while teams this year include current, former and future 15s and sevens Myself and fellow members of the Club – and especially its stars from Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Samoa, England, Rugby Section – will again cheer on Natixis HKFC as we bid Wales, Kenya and other countries. Over a decade ago, the 10s to build on last year’s Shield victory. After the Club’s League unearthed Club’s current 1st XV captain Tommy Isaacs, before and Grand Championship success across the grades this he won the Rugby Sevens World Cup with Wales.