Valley’s future full of peaks as pathway system starts to pay off
Four out the five Grand Championship trophies on offer this season, including Grand Final success in the top-flight Premiership division. No wonder Dean Herewini and the other coaching staff over at Societe Generale Valley were all smiles after a near clean-sweep last Saturday.
Four out the five Grand Championship trophies on offer this season, including Grand Final success in the top-flight Premiership division. No wonder Dean Herewini and the other coaching staff over at Societe Generale Valley were all smiles after a near clean-sweep last Saturday.
It is a remarkable achievement by one of Hong Kong’s most successful clubs. To underline the impact they have on the domestic game, seven Valley sides – five men’s and two women’s – reached the semi-final stage of the Grand Championship, proving there is depth across the board.
No single player is greater than any other, whether they be at the top Premiership level or in the Ma Jais
“Winning trophies is an added bonus but what matters is the bigger picture where everyone has a role to play and feels wanted,” says Herewini, Valley’s director of rugby. “The unity of the club is what is important. No single player is greater than any other, whether they be at the top Premiership level or in the Ma Jais.”
This brotherhood – and sisterhood – has always been one of the club’s key components. I remember turning up for matches at Happy Valley and hearing the handful of loyal fans shouting themselves hoarse. The women were the loudest as lifelong partnerships were made on and off the pitch. In fact, I believe that Hong Kong Rugby Football Union chairman Pieter Schats met his wife, Robyn, on the touchlines at a Valley game.
This togetherness is something Bloomberg Hong Kong Scottish and others are trying to replicate, though it’s harder for the more established set-ups such as Hong Kong Football Club and Hong Kong Cricket Club where rugby is just one of several sports played.
While the Matt Rosslee-led senior team won the Grand Championship – defeating Leighton Asia HKCC 18-15 in the final – three other teams were successful as well, including Valley Black Ladies who beat Gai Wu Ladies 20-10.
But what is most encouraging is that down at the lower levels the club’s progress is clearly evident. The Ma Jais – Valley’s all-local side where first team prop Alex Ng Wai-shing cut his teeth – got all the way to the final four in the end-of-season play-offs. Hong Kong Scottish scrum-half Charles Cheung Ho-ning was another Ma Jais product.
Other youngsters to make their mark include Hugo Stiles, Adam Rolston, Liam Owens and JW Markley – all members of the Hong Kong U20 squad who have played for the Valley seniors this season. The mini-rugby reservoir at the club is also in great shape with the Stanley Fort Minis now an integral part of the club’s future.
“We are very proud to be contributing players to the national set-ups in both men’s and women’s rugby, and in both 15s and sevens,” Herewini says. “But what is even more pleasing is that we are getting more development players coming through.”
This healthy outlook bodes well for Valley’s future and makes them even more deserving of their Grand Championship success.
