The BVI RFU's Winning Formula in Hong Kong: Combining Rugby with Financial Services

HONG KONG, April 5, 2017 – The BVI Rugby Football Union team competed in Hong Kong’s 2017 Kowloon Tens tournament, advancing to the Cup quarter finals, before being knocked out in an extremely close game to Russian team Berdsk from Krasnoyarsk.

“We met our goal,” said Stuart Cullen, Back Row Forward, speaking of the team’s performance, which was to advance further in the tournament than last year, when the team had a third place finish in Plate competition.

There was another metric the team exceeded this year: more players were involved in financial services than ever before. Cullen is Counsel at Harney’s in the BVI but on secondment in Hong Kong. Fergal McLoughlin, Back Row Forward, is a corporate lawyer at Harney’s in the BVI. Paul Christopher is Managing Partner, Hong Kong with Mourant Ozannes. Victor Amparo, Scrum Half and the 21-year-old captain of BVI’s national rugby team, works in corporate administration for SHRM. Noel Maxwell, the team’s 19-year-old centre, is studying finance and business administration at university in Canada.

Ms. Elise Donovan, Director, BVI House Asia, which sponsored the BVI Rugby Team, said: “We are delighted to have the BVI Rugby Team in Hong Kong representing us, and pleased that so many team members have financial services backgrounds. This is especially relevant as at least 40 percent of all BVI financial services business originates from China and the Asia Pacific Region.”

“For me, personally, it’s a very rewarding experience because I have never been to this part of the world before,” Maxwell said. “Seeing rugby on the other side of the world, how the guys communicate, the respect and friendships, it’s great to see. I’m grateful for this opportunity.”

Concluded Cullen: “I want to say a big thank you to BVI House Asia, Harneys, FTI Consulting, SHRM, EMCs, and Digicel who sponsored us once again this year, and to everyone, such as BVI Olympic Committee, who has contributed in getting the guys over here. For them, it’s the experience of a lifetime.”

List of BVI Rugby Football Union team players:

Victor Amparo (captain), SHRM

Stuart Cullen, Harneys

Fergal McLoughlin, Harneys

Paul Christopher, Mourant Ozannes

Jack Fowler, SHRM

Andrae Adams, CCP

Noel Maxwell, Business Administration Undergraduate Student

Niall Brookes, Castleford Global

Johnny Bailey, Nerine Trust

Franklyn Victor

Andrew Simmons

Simon Knight

Troy Yhip

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