LAUREUS LEGENDS CELEBRATE CHARITY PARTNERSHIP WITH HONG KONG RUGBY UNION AND LAUNCH FIRST ASIAN ‘MOD
Laureus Sport for Good is the official charity partner of the world-renowned Hong Kong Sevens
Long-term partnership between Laureus and Hong Kong Rugby Union Community Foundation helps improve lives of young people in Hong Kong and beyond
Laureus commits to developing Model City Hong Kong – a pioneering coalition of likeminded community sports organisations using the power of sport to change lives
HONG KONG, April 3, 2019 – They have set world records, won Olympic gold medals and lifted the Rugby World Cup, and today an illustrious group of Laureus Academy Members and Ambassadors joined together to celebrate Laureus’ charity partnership with the Hong Kong Rugby Union ahead of this weekend’s Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.
Laureus Sport for Good became the first ever official charity partner of the Hong Kong Sevens in 2018. The ongoing support of this incredible event is helping Laureus to improve the lives of children and young people. In partnership with HKRU, funds raised at this year’s event will help support Laureus Sport for Good’s work both in Hong Kong and throughout Asia. To date, the partnership between the Union and Laureus Sport for Good has raised $1,135,000 HKD.
In Hong Kong to help support Laureus’ long-term plans were track and field legend Michael Johnson, Olympic gold medal winning gymnast Li Xiaopeng and Rugby World Cup winners Bryan Habana and Nolli Waterman. Also supporting the partnership were Hong Kong Laureus Ambassadors Asian Games silver medal winning swimmer Lee Ying Shih Vivian and triathlete Daniel Lee Chi Wo.
The Laureus legends visited the Sevens Central fan activation zone in Hong Kong to engage with young female rugby players from the Laureus-supported Childfund Pass it Back programme from Laos and Vietnam, along with local sport for development organisations Operation Breakthrough, InspiringHK and Deaf Rugby. The interaction between the sporting legends and programme participants was a powerful demonstration of using sport as a driving force to enhance the lives of children and young people.
The engagement is one of several planned in what is a day-long celebration of the HKRU’s community outreach with numerous clinics held for members of Hong Kong’s schools, community groups and the HKRU’s wheelchair and deaf rugby programmes.
Funds raised throughout Sevens week in Hong Kong will also help support the development of Model City Hong Kong, a pioneering initiative Laureus has brought to New Orleans and Atlanta in the USA and London in the UK, and is now bringing for the first time to Asia. Based on research Laureus has carried out in Hong Kong, combined with focussed discussion groups with various stakeholder groups conducted over the week before the Sevens, Model City Hong Kong will focus on using sport as a tool to support mental health and wellbeing. Results of the research will be released at the end of April.
The focus will be on building coalitions between like-minded organisations, such as educational institutions, social services and other local stakeholders, working together to create long-term measurable and sustainable change in mental health and wellbeing of children and young people through sport. Laureus also intends to host a Sport for Good Forum in Hong Kong later in 2019, to facilitate knowledge-sharing in the region.
Laureus Sport for Good will also benefit from a new initiative as part of the HKRU’s Green Sevens campaign, which will see the introduction of a reusable cup made from fully recycled plastic inside the stadium. Sevens fans can donate their $10 deposit for the reusable cup to Laureus and the Hong Kong Rugby Union Community Foundation by placing their reusable cup in the ‘cup for charity’ barrels at the end of each day. Over 250,000 reusable plastic cups have been purchased for use across the event.
Laureus Academy Member Michael Johnson, said: “We are so thankful for the generous support we have received from the Hong Kong Rugby Union over the years, and specifically since 2018 in our role as charity partner of this special event.
“I have learnt about the issues facing young people in Hong Kong, specifically around mental health awareness and support. Through the long-term engagement of the Model City Hong Kong programme, we want to help community organisations in the area make a real difference to the lives of young people. For me, that’s what sport is all about.”
Laureus Academy Member Li Xiaopeng, said: “As a resident of Hong Kong, I’m aware of the challenges and issues young people here face. Our long-term partnership with the Hong Kong Sevens enables us to support organisations who are doing such an incredible job in tackling these issues headon.
“As Academy Members, we are passionate about Laureus Sport for Good, and after spending time with the young people from Pass it Back, Operation Breakthrough, InspiringHK and Deaf Rugby, it’s clear to me that sport really can help enhance the lives of young people in Hong Kong and beyond.”
Robbie McRobbie, CEO of the Hong Kong Rugby Union, said: “We are passionate believers in the power of sport to bring lasting change to young people’s lives. The long standing relationship with Laureus Sport for Good and our own Hong Kong Rugby Union Charity is a natural partnership in shared values. I am excited that the HKRU will be working alongside Laureus to help bring its Model City research and intervention to Hong Kong. Children and young people growing up today face intense pressure from many sources not only in Hong Kong but globally, Model City Hong Kong’s emphasis on helping support mental health and wellbeing through sport will provide another resource in addressing this particular challenge to young people in Hong Kong.”
Laureus currently supports three sport for development programmes who use sport to improve the lives of young people in Hong Kong and a further 13 programmes in seven countries across Asia. Globally, Laureus Sport for Good supports more than 160 programmes in over 40 countries, offering both funding and knowledge-sharing. Each programme Laureus supports is measured against charitable standards set out by the United Nations, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Hong Kong Rugby Union Community Foundation was established in 2013 and since then has lead the way in the area of “sport-for-change” in the Hong Kong community. Foundation programmes use sport as a medium to tackle social problems and effect change, focusing on the areas of social inclusion, health, disability, education and youth crime. For more information please visit: http://www.hkrugby.com/pages/community
The outreach this week also includes participants in the Laureus supported “Hong Kong’s Rugby Spirit” initiative - a year-round HKRU programme that uses rugby as a means of promoting the Education Bureau’s seven key values in 80 primary schools in Hong Kong, and has attracted the support of Fullshare, the official education partner of the Cathay pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.
“As the official education partner of the Sevens, Fullshare continues to demonstrate its commitment to promoting the holistic development of children through sport. Through these meaningful initiatives, we hope the children can not only build up their skills and knowledge of rugby, but also learn the importance of teamwork, trust, respect for others and discipline, and improve their self-esteem and confidence,” said Mr Jonathan Broughton, Co-Head of Investments and Financing, Fullshare Holdings Limited.
Fullshare will donate 50,000HKD to the campaign and are hosting students from Government primary school St Patrick’s, one of the participating schools in the yearlong Hong Kong Rugby’s Spirit campaign, in their box at the Sevens on Friday, 5 April.
To stay up to date with Laureus’ involvement in the Hong Kong Sevens, follow @LaureusSport and
#SportforGood on social.
Information and Photo Source :
Elite Step Asia Limited / HKRU / Laureus
