HSBC exposes Sevens to Chinese fans

A long-term investor in rugby, not only world-wide, but also here in Asia, HSBC is going the extra mile to take the game of Rugby Sevens closer to the local Chinese communities.

The new Hong Kong rugby team jersey unveiled by the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union on Friday features the Traditional Chinese logo of sponsor HSBC, marking the first time Chinese characters have appeared on the jersey.

The Traditional Chinese characters for Wayfoong (滙豐), HSBC’s Chinese name, sit below the bank’s distinctive hexagon symbol, illustrating HSBC’s aim to take the sport to a wider audience in the SAR.

The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) praised the initiative by HSBC as part of the bank’s commitment to helping the Hong Kong teams enjoy greater recognition among the Chinese community.

“It’s an exciting new shirt design and the first time that the Hong Kong rugby team shirts have featured Chinese characters. We are delighted to have a principal sponsor that shares our aim to make further inroads for rugby in the local community and this is a very high profile and visible sign of our joint intent to grow the game,” said Trevor Gregory, Chairman of the HKRFU.

Giles Morgan, HSBC’s Group Head of Sponsorship, said the bank was proud to help launch the new shirt ahead of this weekend’s India Sevens in Goa, where the Hong Kong men’s team will compete in the third event of this year’s HSBC Asian Sevens Series.

“We believe the new shirt will increase recognition of the Hong Kong rugby teams among the local community. We hope that with HSBC’s backing, the teams will inspire greater local participation in rugby all across the SAR and that more of the general public will wear the Hong Kong team shirt with pride,” Morgan said.

“The sponsorship of the Hong Kong teams extends our commitment to local rugby in addition to our co-title sponsorship of the Hong Kong Sevens, where the new shirt will be a familiar sight by the time the team runs out on the pitch in front of 40,0000 fans each day.”

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HSBC, co-title sponsor of the annual Hong Kong Sevens, was announced as the principal partner of the Hong Kong rugby teams at a press conference on the Star Ferry in late August.