It Was a BIG Event

This article appeared in the October 2005 edition of Rugby Talk, the official magazine of the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union. It is reproduced with permission.

Two worthy charities were the real winners when the Pot Bellied Pigs decamped to Angeles City in the Philippines to stage their second annual Fat Boys Tens

By MIKE HAMPTON

One of the highlights of the Asian social rugby calendar, some would even say of the Hong Kong social scene, took place over the weekend of August 27 in Angeles City, Philippines.

The Pot Bellied Pigs, with their usual deft footwork and sublime skills, sidestepped their way into the hearts, souls and wallets of the rugby community with the Second Invitational Fat Boys Tens.

As with the inaugural tournament last year, this was a charity event in aid of two worthy causes – the Bahay Bata Orphanage, a Rotary project for street kids in Angeles City, and the Philippine Rugby Football Union Development Fund.

Teams from Seoul, Beijing, Bangkok and Hong Kong joined a growing number of Philippines teams for a festival of rugby and sport with a strong charity theme. For early arrivals, play commenced on the Friday with the Fat Boys Golf Tournament at the classic Mimosa course, with fines incurred and charitable donations made during the course of play for various indiscretions.

Friday evening saw the traditional “weigh-in” for players, administered by instructors from Fitness First, complete with a weight and age handicapping system that included specific bonuses for being local or female players.

Each team had to weigh in 10 players, all of whom were required to wear G-strings to ensure no ballillegal secreting of heavy objects about their person. A spread of results ensured plenty of scope for teams to buy their way out of a poor handicap position with suitable charitable donations.

After an entertaining Friday evening, the 12 teams dragged themselves out to Challenger Field at Clark Air Base for a breakfast of ham and egg muffins before play commenced at the very un-Piggy hour of 9am.

After round robin games in the morning, spectators were entertained by two games of touch rugby – firstly between the younger players from the Bahay Bata Centre, who performed ball-boy duties all day, and kids from the Nomads Junior Academy; secondly between the older Bahay Bata boys and an invitational selection from the participating teams.

The afternoon knockout games produced some entertaining rugby with Manila Nomads winning the Cup, the Pot Bellied Pigs taking the Plate, and the Makati Chiefs capturing the Bowl.

Players and supporters then decamped to the Hidden Vale Sports Club for a prize-giving dinner and charity auction with TV rugby analyst Justin “Sambo” Sampson, noted for his cameo debut in Pigs kit earlier in the day, conducting proceedings.

In conclusion, another successful tournament, which succeeded in raising in excess of HK$100,000.

The evidence that these efforts are bearing fruit is two-fold. Firstly, the Bahay Bata Centre has increased the number of children it can help and, secondly, rugby is growing rapidly in strength amongst the Filipino community.

Finally, our thanks go to lead sponsors Tanner De Witt and Clariant together with other supporters such as Securicor, Crown Relocations, Epson, Sinclair James, Sub-Delicious and the Angeles City Alliance.

Mike Hampton is Fat Boys Tens tournament director and secretary of the Pot Bellied Pigs RFC.