The Macau Mini-Rugby Festival was held over the weekend at the International School of Macao (TIS), marking a long-awaited return for the event, which had been postponed due to the pandemic.
TDM reports that a total of over 800 young rugby players and attendees from 14 clubs from Macao, Hong Kong and Guangdong took part.
Some of the teams that participated included the Macao Bats, the Hong Kong-based Tung Chung Buffaloes and the Guangzhou Juniors.
According to the coach of the Guangzhou Juniors, Alice Leung, who spoke with TDM, the competition provided an opportunity for children to broaden their minds through their interactions with people of different backgrounds.
“Macao is an international city with so many diversities,” she said. “It’s amazing for them [the young players] to get into this community and join in this event to see more of the world.”
[See more: New Zealand triumphant at Hong Kong Rugby Sevens]
Chris Kenyon-Edwards, a coach with the Hong Kong Football Club, told the local broadcaster that it was “wonderful” to see the children being able to interact with their peers, while displaying “team spirit and camaraderie.”
Meanwhile, Luís Herédia of the Macau Rugby Club highlighted the fact that the development of the rugby scene in Hong Kong and Guangdong could help to spur the popularity of the sport in the SAR.
“In general, Hong Kong is always a boost for rugby because of the annual rugby tournament Hong Kong Sevens,” he noted. “Hong Kong always supports Macao, so we can play the games there.”
Herédia also noted that the local rugby scene has been growing in recent years, pointing out that Macao now has players who can play junior rugby alongside their Hong Kong counterparts.
