Nomads' Perfect Year

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

Silverware and 15th anniversary make it a season to remember

Nomads display the Fourth Division trophy after their 36-10 final-day victory over Asahi Valley Griffins at King's Park.

Tanner De Witt Nomads' success in winning the Securicor Fourth Division could hardly have been better timed - it was the perfect way to celebrate their 15th anniversary.

"It's been a very successful year for us," says club chairman and second rower Aric Kay-Russell. "To be honest, it probably caught us a little by surprise because at one stage we were a bit worried about fielding a team due to a shortage of props. But we managed to do some recruiting and finished up with a strong side in what was a tough league. Every game was competitive and so it made for a very enjoyable season."

Nomads were convincing winners of the 12-team division, losing just one of their 11 matches to finish on 50 points, six clear of Gai Wu A and Rouse and Co Typhoons. That came after they began the season in style by lifting the Fourth Division trophy in the Union Sevens. Adding to the excitement was a positive campaign by Nomads II, who finished runners-up in Division Five.

These successes, coupled with the anniversary celebrations, have created an even bigger buzz around a club that prides itself on grassroots development.

"Our main focus is bringing through local Chinese players," confirms Kay-Russell, at 30 one of the younger chairman in Hong Kong rugby. "We started off 15 years ago as, fundamentally, a local club, although the dynamic has changed in the last few years as Westerners have become more involved. We like to think we are one of the most integrated clubs in Hong Kong and we have a broad catchment area from the northern New Territories all the way down to Hong Kong Island.

"We've grown a lot in the last three or four years. For a long time we were a one-team club, but then we added the second men's team and a women's team and now our membership numbers are very healthy. We have between 100 and 120 members, of which about 70 are players, and we're bringing a lot of new players into the second team, guys who haven't played competitive rugby before. Add in a thriving touch and tag team and it shows we're in good shape."

The anniversary events included a reunion evening at the Kangaroo Downunder in Wanchai in the buildup to the Rugby World Cup Sevens, taking part in the Taipei Tens in April and an anniversary tournament and awards night the following month.

With celebrations complete, Nomads are looking to the future. Next season they hope to return to their traditional home pitch at Tai Hang Tung, which underwent renovations this year that caused them to lead a truly "Nomadic" existence as they alternated between King's Park and Shek Kip Mei Park.

Kay-Russell also has high hopes for the links they forged almost two years ago with Flying Kukris Mini Rugby Club.

"We don't have a mini or colts section, so we entered an agreement with the Kukris at the beginning of last season and it has gone from strength to strength," he says. "Some of our players are going up to Sheung Shui to help coach the Kukris and, eventually, we aim to see Kukris players progress up the ladder and join us when they are old enough. The long-term plan is that we give them the opportunity to move seamlessly between the two clubs.

"The association with the Kukris will hopefully bring in new blood, along with other recruitment. There has been a lot of discussion at Nomads about how the club should grow but, essentially, we should be concentrating on bringing through players at the grassroots level, so we need to utilise the local talent that is available. We will also consider starting up an U18s team at some stage. If we can get the foundations right then we will look to develop upwards as well."