In Asia, HSBC’s relationship with rugby dates as far back as the 19th century with its in-house side, Wayfoong, (Chinese for ‘focus of wealth’ or ‘abundance of remittances’), Rugby Football Club’s match against the Hong Kong Football Club, which is the oldest annual fixture in the 100-plus year history of Hong Kong rugby. HSBC played another formative role in supporting Asian rugby with its early sponsorship of the world famous Hong Kong Sevens. 

 

HSBC is also a long-term sponsor of the Penguin International Rugby Football Club, which is represented by 30 nations and has provided coaching sessions to local communities in 62 countries, including many in Asia.  The HSBC Penguins celebrated their 50th anniversary last year.

 

HSBC’s sponsorship commitment to the A5N continues its strong investment in the game. As title sponsor of the A5N, HSBC is committed to the development of the game throughout Asia, at an exciting time for the sport with the inclusion of rugby 7s in the Olympics. The sponsorship covers three tiers of elite international competition (Top 5, Divisions and Regional Tournaments) across 28 Asian rugby unions with promotion and relegation opportunities for participating teams. 

 

In 2010, the elite HSBC A5N Top 5 competition will determine Asia’s sole direct entry to Rugby World Cup 2011.  The “Top 5” will be played across a five-week, single round robin home and away format featuring defending champions Japan, runners-up Kazakhstan, Korea, Hong Kong and the newly promoted Arabian Gulf. Test matches will be held on five consecutive weekends from 24 April to 22 May, 2010.

 

Three Divisional tournaments with full promotion and relegation will also be held along with the inception of a new competition in 2010, Division IV, which will be promotion only in 2010. A single regional tournament will be held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  This year sees the further expansion of the A5N platform to include women’s test matches for the first time ever as curtain raisers alongside as well as the first test matches for Lebanon and Jordan.

 

In 2009, HSBC was the Principal Partner of the British & Irish Lions Tour to South Africa and jointly, with the Lions Committee, developed a range of programmes to support the growth of rugby at the grassroots level, across the four Home Unions and in South Africa. 

 

Following this successful example of grassroots development, the HSBC A5N is uniting with the  HSBC Penguins and the HSBC Penguin International Coaching Academy to conduct a series of HSBC A5N Youth Rugby Festivals around Asia. In partnership with the HSBC A5N and the HSBC Penguin International Coaching Academy, HSBC supported a series of rugby coaching clinics throughout Hong Kong in the lead up to the A5N tournament launch on 31 March. 

 

The commitment to grassroots development will continue throughout the duration of the tournament with HSBC A5N Youth Rugby Festivals reaching thousands of youth in Bahrain, Cambodia, Dubai, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Nepal and Singapore. Led by former Scotland head coach Frank Hadden, the clinics will be supported by a team of HSBC Penguins and HSBC A5N coaches as well as players from several Asian nations.