PUBLISHED ON 15 MAR 2026
The Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Hong Kong Premiership 2025/26 season drew to a close on Saturday 14 March at King’s Park Sports Ground, as two fantastic finals were played out in front of a boisterous crowd, who saw Kroll USRC Tigers claim the Women’s Grand Championship, and HKFC Natixis Club the Men’s.
Conor Joyce, who confirmed it was his final season with the club in Hong Kong, said of what it meant, “It was incredibly emotional for me, especially knowing this was my final season with Tigers and in Hong Kong. To bring the trophy back for the first time since 2019 - and to do it in my second year here - is the perfect way to bookend this chapter of my career.
We set out to build a culture of excellence, and seeing that culminate in a Grand Championship is the ultimate validation. Leaving this Tigers group on such a high is a privilege I don't take for granted.”
HKCR Men’s winning coach Ben Siffleet said, “All 56 players who represented the club in Premiership rugby this season stood out. Saturday was a real club effort. We even had four players who played in two finals on the same day, which says a lot about the culture we’re building here.”
2025/26 Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Women’s Premiership Grand Championship Final
Societe Generale Valley RFC 24-27 Kroll USRC Tigers Women
Kroll USRC Tigers defied the odds and defeated the League Winners Societe Generale Valley RFC 27-24 in a closely fought game, which was a great advertisement for women’s rugby.
The Tigers' title was their first since 2019 (they also defeated Valley that year), and Head Coach Conor Joyce achieved the coveted silverware in his second season in charge at the club. Societe Generale Valley RFC had been aiming for a three-peat of Grand Championship finals.
The side in black and yellow raced into a 12-0 lead after Hoiying Cheung scored a try in the 5th minute, and Jessica Ho dotted down in the 11th minute with fullback Vivian Poon converting one of the tries.
Kendra Taoho, who is a NZ 2021 Rugby World Cup winner, was excellent in the opening exchanges for the Tigers, as was Hinemaringi Scott, who was part of the Waikato FPC side that claimed the Farah Palmer Cup and has signed for the Hurricanes Poua in NZ and will head there after the season in Hong Kong.
The game was played in an entertaining and open style, and we didn't see a first scrum until the 20th minute.
One of the standout performers for Valley RFC was Grace Hamilton, who had several carries and broke the line repeatedly. She scored their first points with a try in the 25th minute down the right side, and they were threatening with the ball in hand.
There was a notable excellent 50-22 kick by Tigers Shaye Whareorere, but Valley held off the attack.
Another player who had a great game for Kroll USRC Tigers was second row Elitha Sylvester, who joined from Causeway Sandy Bay and converted from being a loose forward. She and the pack helped Iris Lam score the team’s third try as they restored the 12-point lead with Poon slotting the conversion via a drop goal from out wide.
Societe Generale Valley RFC came back strongly. Excellent hands from the Valley backs saw Jessica Eden score on the right side within minutes to reduce the lead to 12-19, and one of their season’s stars, and captain for Valley, Jayme Nuku, scored late in the half for the League Champs. Crucially, the attempted conversion was partially charged and missed.
The Tigers responded with a penalty to lead 22-17 at the break.
We had to wait nearly 30 minutes in the second half for the first points as the game lost some fluidity and the error count crept up.
Micayla Baltazar had some storming runs in the second period for the Tigers and set up the team, with the backs showing some lovely hands, and Chong Ka Yan ran in the try to lead 27-17 with ten minutes left.
It was the defending champions' turn to come back, and they scored via Nuku again with three minutes left, and Hastings converted.
The restart was mishandled twice by the side in black and red and they were forced into dotting the ball down in their own try area, giving the Tigers the 5m scrum. They saw out the game with scrum-half Jessica Ho kicking the ball out to achieve a fantastic win.
Head Coach Reactions - Conor Joyce
Kroll USRC Tigers Head Coach Conor Joyce said, “It’s an incredibly proud moment for me personally and everyone involved. When I joined, the goal wasn't just to win a title, but to build a sustainable environment to develop younger players. Seeing the joy on the players' faces and the relief of the club members makes you realise the weight of that six-year wait. It’s the beginning of a new chapter for this group.”
Of the final itself he explained, “We knew a Valley team wouldn't just roll over. The half-time message was about composure and territory. We’d earned a lead through high-intensity rugby, but we knew the second half would be about managing their inevitable surge that would come from the Valley team. While the scoreline got tight toward the end, I was immensely pleased with our mental resilience. We didn't panic when the gap closed; we stayed disciplined and stuck to the structures that got us there in the first place.”
Of the team’s defensive ability and being clinical as well as managing the bench, the winning coach added, “I couldn't have asked for more. In a three-point game, every defensive set is the difference between winning and losing.
Our 'shut-them-out' mentality was tested to the limit in those final ten minutes. Regarding the bench, our ‘Finishers’ were the X-factor. Bringing on fresh legs and cool heads at the 60-minute mark allowed us to weather the storm and secure those final points. A big stand out was a fired-up Winnie Siu coming on flanker and having some influential moments like the big tackle jackal turnover in front of our bench.”
Of the team effort and individual standouts Joyce said, “In a 27-24 win, everyone has to play their part, but a few individuals really rose to the occasion. Captain Shaye Whareaorere led from the front with incredible kicking awareness under pressure. Kendra Taoho showed her class in the tightest moments, and the work rate from Micayla Baltazar in the engine room was tireless. I also have to mention our front row - Balljai Ng and the rest of the pack provided the platform that allowed our creative players like Ka Yan Chong and Hinemaringi Scott to find the edges. Vivian Poon had some incredible drop goal penalty kicks too. It was a complete performance from 1 to 23.”
Earlier in the day the club's Women had also secured the Premiership A – and he said of the future of the club, “To secure the Grand Championship and the Premiership A title (in golden point) in the same season is a testament to the depth we’ve built. It shows that our systems are working across the entire squad, not just in the top team.
The future is incredibly bright, we have so many young, hungry core of players who now know what it takes to win under the highest pressure. We’ll enjoy this moment, but the focus will soon turn to how we can evolve and defend these titles next year. I’m excited to see how many of these younger players go on to represent Hong Kong China in the future.
I’ve enjoyed every second of my time with Tigers, and while unfortunately, I’ll be watching from afar next season, I’m proud to leave the jersey in a better place. The Tigers are alive and well, and I have no doubt these girls will continue to be the benchmark in Hong Kong.”
2025/26 Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Men’s Premiership Grand Championship Final
HKFC Natixis Club 26-19 Societe Generale Valley RFC
The last time the two sides met in a Grand Final was in 2023, and HKFC won that day before again lifting the title in 2024, while Valley last won in 2018.
The opening quarter was dominated by Societe Generale Valley RFC, but they opted not to take the points when they were on offer, and HKFC thwarted their potent driving maul several times.
There were so many intriguing battles across the park with so many Hong Kong China 7s and XVs players in action. The young, talented HKFC fullback Julien Bourron and flyhalf Matteo Avitabile were up against the likes of 7s teammate Harry Sayers and former Welsh international Luke Treharne to name a few.
It was HKFC who were under pressure, but didn't concede, and then took the first shot at the posts when they were on offer, although it sailed wide.
The first points did come their way when Tyler McNutt scored a try in the 20th minute, converted by Matteo Avitabile. Soon after, in the 25th minute, Madison Hunting was lurking on the left wing and dotted down the second try.
A monster 50-22 by Bourron gave them another attacking opportunity, and Tom Fowler scored a third try under the posts unopposed as they raced into a 19-0 lead and stung the Valley side as the momentum saw a massive shift.
For the final ten minutes of the half, HKFC were down to 14 men as Callum McFeat-Smith was sin-binned. Late in the half, Societe Generale Valley RFC's decision to opt for a lineout and a rolling maul was rewarded as hooker Luke Dewar scored a try in the 38th minute, with captain Laurence May converting for a 7-19 scoreline.
HKFC struck once more as Quintony Ngatai added an excellent solo opportunistic try, and they went into the break 26-7 ahead.
The second period was very stop-start, and the ensuing scrums and resets favoured Valley as their pack took control and dominated. Successive scrum penalties led to a warning from the match referee, Morgan White, and it gave the red and black team front-foot ball.
HKFC conceded yellow cards among the pack as their scrum struggled. Societe Generale Valley RFC came back into the match but had to wait until the 63rd minute for points from a rolling maul before Chad Solomon added another try from the maul, and they were only 19-26 behind with 8 minutes left.
The side in blue and white managed to control the ball for several minutes in Valley territory and ate up valuable minutes, but a knock on gave the ball back to the team chasing the game with less than 4 minutes left.
HKFC nervously held out, at times down to 13 players, and a crucial lineout steal by Callum McCullough after the hooter, defending within their own 22m, sealed the win as Avitabile kicked the ball dead.
A first Grand Final win for new coach Ben Siffleet in his first season and a 12th title in total.
HKFC Head Coach Reaction - Ben Siffleet
HKFC Men’s CCO and Head Coach Ben Siffleet said of what it means to have won the double in his first season in charge, “It’s incredibly special. I’d like to make a special mention to Logan Asplin for all the hard work and structure he put in place before this season. That foundation made a huge difference.
I also want to acknowledge the support from all the coaches, players and supporters around the club. It’s a real privilege to lead such an exciting group. The players have worked extremely hard all year and it’s great to see them rewarded for that effort.”
He said of the half-time message and the opposition, “Valley are a very strong and physical side, and they never gave in. They kept coming back at us and really tested us, especially at the start and towards the end of the game.
The message was to stay calm and stick to the plan. I thought some of our senior players really stood up in those moments and helped keep the group composed. We trusted the work we’d done during the season and stayed committed to our game plan.
In terms of individual performances, I thought Tyler McNutt and Tom Fowler were outstanding in the physical battle. Then players like Quintony, Matteo Avitable and Julien Bourron did a great job putting us in the right areas of the field, which allowed us to convert pressure into points.”
On building for the club's future as he enters his second season, he added, “The key now is to keep working with the exciting group we already have and continue building around that core. We’ve also got some talented young players coming through, so it’s about continuing to develop that depth and maintaining the standards we’ve set this year.”