New rugby series for youngsters

Abu Dhabi: The HSBC Youth Rugby Series, a new competition for young rugby players across the Middle East, launches with the first event of the 2011/12 season — the Etihad Airways Junior Rugby Festival, taking place here on October 28-29.

The HSBC Youth Rugby Series brings together four HSBC-sponsored junior rugby festivals in the Middle East. It offers a prize to the most consistently successful club teams across a variety of age groups. Teams from the Under-8, Under-10, Under-12 and Under-14 age categories participating at the Etihad Airways Junior Rugby Festival in Abu Dhabi, HSBC Rugby Festival Dubai, HSBC Rugby Festival Doha or HSBC Rugby Festival Bahrain during the 2011/12 season will automatically be eligible to earn points towards the new end of season grand prize.

Points will be awarded for first, second and third places at each festival with the overall HSBC Youth Rugby Series Champions in each age group winning their team training session with an HSBC rugby ambassador, together with a host of new kit for their team. Additional bonus points are also on offer at each event for the team that demonstrates the best example of sportsmanship and fair play to win the HSBC Spirit of Rugby Award.

"For HSBC, any partnership with rugby around the world must be about growing the game and, in particular, getting more young people involved in the sport," said Marcus Hurry, Deputy CEO, HSBC Bank Middle East Limited.