20 years of rugby in Macau celebrated tomorrow

To celebrate 20 years of rugby in Macau, and the return of rugby to the summer Olympics, the Macau Rugby Union and the Macau Bats Rugby are organizing a full day of sporting events tomorrow at The International School of Macau (TIS) sports ground.
The day’s activities will commence at 11:30 a.m. when the Macau Bats children’s rugby group is expecting to host as many as 400 children from Hong Kong and their parents for a “Mini Rugby Festival.”
A total of 31 teams from 8 clubs will compete in 66 matches, with the rugby participants ranging in age from 5 to 10 years old. According to organizers, this is more than double the size of the previous local festival.
“We are delighted to be hosting these clubs from Hong Kong,” said Macau Bats President Simon Carrington. “We have even had to turn some clubs away as this is a popular event.”
“Although we are only a fraction of the size of most Hong Kong clubs, rugby continues to grow in Macau as parents discover the benefits for their children. We teach teamwork, sportsmanship, respect, fitness and fun – values that we believe are important for life, as well as in sport,” the president added.
At the conclusion of the kid’s rugby festival, the Macau Rugby Union will welcome a friendly game with Hong Kong’s Valley Rugby Football Club, also at the TIS. Kicking off at 3:30 p.m., the game will be Valley Rugby Football Club’s first 15’s-a-side match in Macau after their strong performance in the Hong Kong season. DB