Watch the HKRU Men's Premiership Grand Championship Final: Societe Generale Valley vs Kowloon RFC
Kowloon are out to mark their 40th anniversary in style, while Valley chase their 5th straight title in the Grand Championship Final this weekend.
Men’s Premiership Grand Final: kick off 6:30 pm HKT Saturday March 11:
Scroll down for live streams of the League 1 (ko 2:45 pm) and Women’s Premiership (ko 4:30 pm) finals
A Societe Generale Valley side chasing their fifth consecutive grand championship locks horns with a Kowloon outfit looking to finish their 40th season on a high in the RugbyPass.com Premiership Grand Championship final on Saturday.
The decider (6.30pm at King’s Park) sees the top two teams from the Premiership campaign face off in what promises to be a tough and entertaining encounter.
Of the three matches between the teams this year, Kowloon posted victories (20-13 and 27-13) in the two most recent games, while Valley took the first back in October 24-18.
Kowloon are playing in their first grand championship final since 2013, with their last major success the 2012-13 league title, a repeat of their successful league campaign from the previous season. They were runners-up in the 2005/06 Grand Final and last won the big one in 1996/97.
Coach James Scaysbrook is hopeful of taking a similar side into this week’s game as the one that narrowly beat Borrelli Walsh USRC Tigers in the semi-finals, with no major injury concerns.
One possible addition to the squad is former England international Olly Barkley, who recently returned to Hong Kong but helped Scaysbrook from the sidelines last weekend.
“He’s fit and available so we’ll make a read on that at the back end of the week and make a decision,” Scaysbrook said.
“Everyone’s fit and ready to go. It’s great for the club, it’s a big year with the 40th anniversary and it’s a good way to finish off the season by being in a big game.”
While Scaysbrook admits his side’s winning record against Valley this season will give them confidence, he knows it counts for nothing come Saturday.
“We will take confidence from that but we will certainly be working very hard this week,” he said.
“It’s something to look back on, but we know that this is different in that finals are a one-off. They’ve got a big, strong forward pack and a wealth of experience and we know what they’re going to bring.”
Kowloon will have the added advantage of stepping out on their home ground.
Kowloon are the most improved side this season after winning only three league matches last season. However, a good run in last season’s Grand Championship play-offs, ending in a one-point semi-final loss to Herbert Smith Freehills HKCC, showed signs of good things to come and against Valley Scaysbrook is expecting his charges to continue playing as they have been all season.
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“What I’m looking for is what I’ve been asking of the lads all year in that we have a huge work ethic for one another and we try and link together as many positive actions as possible. It’s the same message we have been pushing all season and that’s all we ask of the group,” said Scaysbrook.
Valley enter as favourites after comfortably winning the league championship, with their history of success in big matches also working in their favour. The chance to make it five grand championships on the trot will be added motivation and coach Andrew Kelly is looking forward to a big day for the club.
“We’re in the final, our Knights are in a final and our premiership ladies are in a final as well, so it’s brilliant for the club. Hopefully we get three out of three,” he said.
Prop Grant Kemp and speedy back Ryan Meacheam come in to the Valley side that took care of Natixis HKFC last weekend and Kelly knows exactly what his team is in for.
“I expect a final,” he said. “It’s going to be a very, very tough battle. They’ve beaten us twice this season so we’re going to have to work hard to get the win.”
Kelly is hoping that the work his side has been doing this week around the set piece will “bear fruit” come Saturday and is not reading anything into Kowloon’s home advantage at King’s Park.
“They might get a bit of an advantage, they’re used to it up there, but when it’s a final it’s almost like form goes out the window and both teams will have to turn up to win the game,” he said.
Kowloon’s run of form has revolved largely around the slick work of their backs and while there are some stars in their line-up, the ability of everyone to do a job has been crucial to their success.
“They’ve got good players across the park. Definitely their 10, Jack [Neville], he’s been fantastic for them this year,” Kelly said.
“Also their number eight [Turoa Stephens] has been great at the back of the scrum, but they have also got other players that can create and punish you if you switch off.”
Comments on RugbyPass
NZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
22 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
22 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
22 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
22 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
9 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
9 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
28 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
22 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
28 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
22 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
90 Go to comments