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Hong Kong’s top girls rugby trophy, the Kim Lam Cup, came home to Lantau after a Pirates and Buffaloes combined team out-fought Football Club in a nail-biting season-ending final.
At Football Club’s home pitch in Happy Valley, the DBP-SLB Under-12 girls battled to win the game 5 tries to 4 to hand a dominant Club team their first loss of the season and claim the Cup. The Pirates’ last Kim Lam Cup win was 8 years ago in 2014.
This result looked very unlikely earlier in the day as the girls’ lost their first round-robin game against Football Club by 5-1. However, they found their gear and smashed subsequent wins against Valley (6-1) and Tigers (5-1) to secure their place in the final against Football Club.
Meanwhile, the DBP-SLB second team had been competing in a tough second tier, narrowly missing the chance for silverware, but finishing with a strong win over a Sai Kung Stingrays – Tigers team. Many of the players will have another chance at the U12 trophy next season.
In the cup final, the players put in an outstanding team performance to win an exciting, high quality game in which the lead changed 5 times. The first half was end-to-end with FC ahead 2-1 at half time. In the 2nd half our players dominated territory and possession, and pushed into a 4-3 lead, only for FC to equalise with 1 minute left to play, before Emily Brems ran in the last try to seal the win.
MVP was awarded to Emily Brems, who only joined the Pirates and started playing rugby in March last year. Emily put in a top all-round performance, working hard for her team with strong tackles and rucking, all with a huge smile on her face. She scored 8 tries in the tournament, 4 in the final as Football Club struggled to cope with her dynamic runs.
Lynn Zhang scored the other try in the final for a total of 3 tournament tries, while there were tries for Rachel Pearce (3 tries), Midori Tatebe, Tasha Batchelor and Cecily Gray in the other games.
A big thank you goes to Head Coach and Team Manager Tom Grainger all other Coaches and parents who have trained and supported the players throughout this challenging season and their whole mini-rugby journey.
That’s all folks! We have made it to the end of another season of Rugby. It’s now time for me to reflect on all of the achievements of our players and coaches across the age grades. Without the unwavering dedication of our players, coaches and parents it would have been easy to throw in the towel, especially considering the on-again, off-again nature of the season we’ve just had. But in true Pirates fashion, we all showed grit and determination to make sure that our players had the best possible rugby experience.
To those that are leaving this season. Thank you. Thank you for everything that you’ve done for the club. No matter if you were a player, coach or parent. Your contribution to our club cannot be understated.
To those who are returning next season, I look forward to welcoming you back and tackling the challenges that lie ahead together with the same Pirate’s resolve and determination that we’ve shown over the past few seasons.
I would like to finish with a quote from Peter Drucker, a man famous for his business acumen and insights to leadership, who tells us that “culture eats strategy for breakfast”. He’s suggesting that the most important thing about a business or a team or an institution is not their fancy plans or clever techniques or sophisticated protocols, but their mood and cohesion. Their willingness to pull together for a common aim. Their sense of a shared destiny. And he’s right – culture trumps strategy every time. You can have yourself the best strategy in the world, but if your culture isn’t right, the strategy will fail.
And I believe this quote encapsulates our club perfectly.
Have a great summer everyone.
Simon Tasker
DB Pirates Head of Rugby
URGENT NOTICE TO ALL DB PIRATES
RUGBY – all age groups
In light of the latest announcements from the Government (and Hong Kong Rugby Union), the ongoing closure of sports facilities in Hong Kong will continue until at least 4th February 2022. DB Pirates Rugby will officially suspend all training and games across the club in accordance with these latest Covid 19 protocols.
Netball – all age groups
The Hong Kong Netball Association (HKNA) have cancelled all face-to-face sessions in line with the new COVID regulations.
For the DB Pirates Netballers, this means there will be no games or training until at least 4th February2022.
HOCKEY
DBIS pitch is now closed until COVID restrictions are relaxed, so no Hockey until at least 4 February 2022. Updates will be provided via Team Snap communications.
DRAGON BOATING
We have yet to receive formal instructions about any DB beach closures.
We suggest that everyone keeps an eye on your Team Snap messages, where updates for your particular sport or team will be sent regarding training and matchplay cancellations during this ‘5th wave’ restriction period in Hong Kong.
Please keep safe, and support each other in what looks to be another challenging period for our community.
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On Sunday 5th December we ran our first Pirates Coacharee course. Ten of our volunteer coaches spent the day at the North Plaza Pitches working with our very own Jason Broderick to learn and develop their skills as mini’s referees. It was brilliant to see the continued dedication that our parent coaches are putting into the club. This continued effort is only making the coaching and playing experience of all of our players go from strength to strength.
Please join me in congratulating the following parent coaches who are now fully qualified Coacherees:
Colin Batchelor
Denny Hones
Vikrant Ganeriwal
Daniel Monterosso
Brandon Ross
Andrew Ryder
Linda Sim
Lyndon Morant
Alistair Williams
A special mention also to Chris Pierce and his Under 12 girls team. It was great for our coaches to put into practice all of the new skills that they learnt his term.
Merry Christmas!
Simon Tasker
Head of Rugby
After following various leads for new training locations within DB, we have been forced to concede to Discovery College’s new hire rates. Moving forward we will continue to explore other training options for next season. Unfortunately Covid has eliminated all other viable options for this season so we are forced to train at DC at a huge cost to the club. All of the netball section is overwhelmed by the support we have had from the Pirates and the local community, Thank you! At least we can now get the juniors training on a court, so let’s get back out there.
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Head of Rugby
A long and bumpy season for our stoic dragon boat cohort finally found joy last Sunday, winning first place in our first race of the season as a newly combined team with Lantau Boat Club at the 2021 Kellet Island Cup. The combined team, named the LBC Pirates, drew on experienced ladies, mens and mixed team members from both clubs. The women’s team stormed home to win on the day, with much (socially distanced) celebrating afterwards and big cup to prove it! Kudos to our passionate coach Jo Jones, and stoic steersman David Steed for getting all of us ‘over the line’! Our men’s team made it to the semifinals, so a great result for the day, and a reminder of why we train so hard and have so much fun doing it! New members are always welcome, so please get in touch with head_dragonboat@dbpirates.com if you are keen to give this crazy sport a try – men and women, all ages, all fitness levels.
Hong Kong Scottish RFC is running a number of rugby camps this summer for U6 up to U18 age groups (boys and girls) as part of the Hong Kong Rugby Union’s summer of rugby!
Get coached by international coaches and players, including Craig Hammond, Peter Jericevich and Mark Coebergh.
All camps will run from 10:00 – 12:00 at either YMCA School Pitches, Tung Chung or King’s Park, Kowloon.
Age bands:
U6 – U12 = anyone born between 2009-2016
U13 – U18 = anyone born between 2004-2008
(Age groups will be split during the camp).
Registration is now open with limited spaces available!
To register go to
https://hongkongscottish.com/events/
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After a very long wait, DB Pirates Netball Seniors welcomed their first game of the season this week in their classy new kit, designed locally by one of our own! Featuring a decorative skull motif across the front and back in our club colours of green and black, with a sassy white shoulder. Everyone loved getting back on the court, and although the Black Pearls, featured here, didn’t have a win, they felt winners anyway just getting out and playing after such a long hiatus.
Also featured are the Jolly Rogers, Black Jacks and Swashbucklers. Go Pirates!
Photography
Images depicted on this website have been contributed by our professional photographers, Colin Sim and Ginny Malbon, as well as images from parents and coaches of DB Pirates teams. We assume permissions have been granted from image subjects. For image enquiries or contributions, please contact our communications volunteer here:
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