Hong Kong Football Club seal double with narrow win over Valley RFC in men’s premiership final
- Niall Rowark penalties prove the difference in enthralling encounter at King’s Park
- Valley’s women claim title in tight battle after Football Club’s Chan sent off for pushing official
Hong Kong Football Club ended the season much as they started it, with both major trophies in their possession after a thrilling 26-24 win over Valley in the men’s premiership final.
But the league champions made hard work of their triumph, letting a 23-10 lead slip away at King’s Park on Saturday, before a Niall Rowark penalty with little more than 10 minutes to go put them back in front for good.
Valley’s women did at least ensure that Football Club did not sweep up all the silverware on offer this season, downing their opponents 13-10 in another enthralling encounter.
Rowark’s successful kick at the end brought the game full circle, with the fly half also knocking over the first points with eight minutes gone.
Reduced to 14 men after Rob Lennox was penalised for using his hands on the floor, Valley found themselves down another man and 10 points adrift moments later when lock Nyasha Tarusenga was sin-binned for collapsing a maul on the line and Football Club awarded a penalty try.
A Laurence May penalty finally got Valley on the board with 20 minutes gone, only for Football Club skipper Josh Hrstich to extend his side’s lead to 15-3.
