English Premiership champions Saracens will make their debut in Hong Kong this summer when they take on a star-studded Asia Pacific Barbarians team in the Chartis Cup.

Saracens have pledged to bring their strongest available team to face an APBs line-up that will include 2011 Rugby World Cup winner Mils Muliaina.

“We are very much looking forward to the opportunity to play in Hong Kong,” said Saracens Chairman Nigel Wray. “Saracens is a club based in north London since 1876, but we are eager to take our squad, with their incredible work ethic, to all corners of the rugby world.”

The club’s current playing squad contains England stars Owen Farrell, Charlie Hodgson, David Strettle, Matt Stevens, Brad Barritt, Steve Borthwick, Mouritz Botha and Richard Wigglesworth, plus South Africa’s 2007 World Cup-winning captain and hooker, John Smit.

Wigglesworth flew into Hong Kong to be present at the launch press conference today (10 February) at the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel Hong Kong, where he was joined by a trio of APBs stars, Orene Ai’i, Stephen Brett and Hale T-Pole.

Other internationals in the Saracens squad include scrumhalf Neil De Kock (South Africa), props Rhys Gill (Wales) and Carlos Nieto (Italy), hooker Schalk Brits (South Africa), lock Hayden Smith (USA), back rower Kelly Brown (Scotland) and backs Chris Wyles (USA), Michael Tagicakibau and Kameli Ratuvou (both Fiji).

Saracens also have in their ranks former England rugby league international Joel Tomkins, who signed from Super League side Wigan last November and scored two tries on his Saracens debut against Worcester recently.

Mark McCall, Saracens’ Director of Rugby, added: “Hong Kong represents something special in the rugby world, largely because of the annual Sevens tournament.

“It is a privilege for us to have been invited to play a 15-man match against a strong Asia Pacific Barbarians team and we are very much looking forward to the occasion.”

The Chartis Cup, which is supported by the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union, will be played on Saturday, 9 June at Hong Kong Stadium.

Chartis and match organisers have pledged that proceeds from the event will go towards the Royal Project office in Thailand, under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, to renovate schools hit by flooding last year and help students from very poor families with the expense of attending classes.

All Blacks legend Muliaina, now playing in Japan after winning 100 caps for his country, will be joined in the APBs line-up for the Chartis Cup by flying Fijian Sireli Bobo and Samoan brothers Alesana and Henry Tuilagi.

“We are thrilled that a club of the stature of Saracens has agreed to travel to the Far East to play in the Chartis Cup,” said match promoter and APBs chairman Jon Phelps.

“Given that they are the English Premiership champions, we will obviously be working hard with Chartis to put together an APBs line-up that can meet the challenge. It promises to be a fantastic game with proceeds going to a worthy cause.

”As well as playing in the Chartis Cup, both teams are keen to reach out to the Hong Kong community and we can promise fans they will be given plenty of chance to meet and mix with these world class players.”

Les Mouat, Chairman and Head of Distribution, Chartis Insurance Asia-Pacific, told the press conference that Hong Kong rugby supporters were in for a treat. “Saracens are one of the biggest and most famous clubs in world rugby and they have a playing roster to match their reputation,” he said. “Against such powerful opposition, the APBs are putting together a truly exciting squad.

“Of course, while we will enjoy watching these two fantastic teams, we should not lose sight of the charitable element to this match. Chartis companies and their employees worldwide have a long history of giving back to the communities they serve.

“The Chartis Cup will once again be raising money for a worthy cause and I would ask people to support this event and show the generosity of spirit for which Hong Kong’s rugby community is famous.”

The inaugural Chartis Cup was staged last June at Hong Kong Football Club with ticket sales and donations generating more than US$50,000 for children and families affect by the Japan earthquake and tsunami.

In a highly entertaining game, a World XV captained by Serge Betsen edged out the APBs 50-39.

About Chartis

Chartis is a world leading property-casualty and general insurance organisation serving more than 70 million clients around the world. With one of the industry’s most extensive ranges of products and services, deep claims expertise and excellent financial strength, Chartis enables its commercial and personal insurance clients alike to manage virtually any risk with confidence.

Chartis is the marketing name for the worldwide property-casualty and general insurance operations of Chartis Inc. For additional information, please visit our website at www.chartisinsurance.com. All products are written by insurance company subsidiaries or affiliates of Chartis Inc. Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions and is subject to actual policy language. Non-insurance products and services may be provided by independent third parties. Certain coverage may be provided by a surplus lines insurer. Surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds and insureds are therefore not protected by such funds.

About Asia Pacific Barbarians

Formed in 2010, the Asia Pacific Barbarians are designed to showcase the vast array of rugby talent in Asia Pacific, with the occasional invited player from outside the region. Each squad typically contains household names and Rugby World Cup stars mixed with up-and-coming players from the emerging rugby nations, all infused with a commitment to demonstrate a true spirit of playing entertaining rugby. Off the field, the APBs are sociable, approachable and accessible to fans, and promote the game to players of all ages and abilities through coaching clinics and interaction with the rugby community. Crucially, the APBs carry a strong sense of social responsibility, seeking to ensure that their high profile and wide corporate connections allow various charities benefit from their activities.

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Released on behalf of the Chartis Cup 2012 by Two Up Front – Asia’s sports PR specialists.

All Blacks legend and 2011 Rugby World Cup winner Mils Muliaina will spearhead an awesome BGC Asia Pacific Barbarians squad at next month’s GFI HKFC Tens.

The 100-cap fullback is joined in an explosive line-up by fellow All Black Anthony Tuitavake and Fijian flyer Vilimoni Delasau, a RWC Sevens winner in 2005.

The Hong Kong-bound squad will be coached by another New Zealand great, former test captain Tana Umaga, and managed South Africa’s 1995 RWC winner Chester Williams.

The APBs will once again by sponsored by BGC Partners for their return to the Tens, where they reached the Cup final on their debut last year.

"I’m thrilled to be included in the APBs squad for the Tens and I’m very much looking forward to two days of exciting and competitive rugby,” said Muliaina, who now plays in Japan.

"I have some great memories of Hong Kong from playing in the Bledisloe Cup and Hong Kong Sevens.

"My teammate here in Japan, Takuro Miuchi, has told me what a great experience it is to play with the BGC APBs. It will be a pleasure to return to Hong Kong and pull on the boots again.”

The 2012 Tens will be held at Hong Kong Football Club from March 21-22 and Muliaina promised the APBs would be going all out to win the tournament.

"I know the APBs management and BGC Partners are putting together a world class squad and we are all hoping we can go one better this year and lift the Cup,” he said.

Umaga played in 74 tests - including 21 as captain - for New Zealand between 1997 and 2005.

"Having heard about the APBs from my fellow All Blacks who have been involved previously, I can’t wait to be part of this year’s set-up,” said the former centre. "I can promise fans we will be coming to entertain and play some explosive rugby.

"We will have a tremendous mix of Rugby World Cup greats and some highly talented individuals from around Asia Pacific. As a coach, I’m truly excited to be working with these players.”

Williams, meanwhile, carved his name in South African rugby history as the star winger in the team that lifted the 1995 World Cup.

"The amazing array of playing and coaching talent we are putting together for the Tens is a statement of intent with BGC Partners,” he said. "We are looking forward to playing at Hong Kong Football Club, meeting old friends and, hopefully, winning the Cup.

"For myself, it will be a fantastic experience to manage a team coached by Tana and featuring greats such as Mils, Anthony and Vilimoni. I’m looking forward to what should be a memorable tournament.”

The APBs management are currently finalising their squad for the Tens and say more star players will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

Len Harvey, BGC Partners executive managing director for Asia Pacific, added: "After last year’s hugely successful debut in Hong Kong by the Asia Pacific Barbarians, we are delighted to be sponsoring the team once again.

"They won many friends last year with their brand of adventurous, attacking rugby on the pitch and their community spirit off it and we aim to build on that. We are enthusiastic about the concept of the APBs and are very happy to remain closely associated with them.”

About BGC Partners

BGC Partners, Inc. is a leading global brokerage company primarily servicing the wholesale financial markets with over 200 products, including fixed income securities, interest rate swaps, foreign exchange, equities, equity derivatives, credit derivatives, commercial real estate, property derivatives, commodities, futures, and structured products. BGC’s technology helps customers, including many of the world’s largest banks, broker-dealers, investment banks, trading firms, hedge funds, governments and investment firms, determine the value of a transaction through optimal pricing that reflects the market environment. Trades, conducted OTC or on exchange, are executed through BGC’s voice, hybrid, or fully electronic brokerage services. BGC also offers financial technology solutions, market data, and analytics regarding financial instruments and markets through its eSpeed, BGC Trader, and BGC Market Data brands, and provides clearing, processing, and other back-office services. Named after fixed income trading innovator B. Gerald Cantor, BGC has offices in New York, London and more than two dozen other major financial centres around the world. For more information, please visit www.bgcpartners.com.

About Asia Pacific Barbarians

Formed in 2010, the Asia Pacific Barbarians are designed to showcase the vast array of rugby talent in Asia Pacific, with the occasional invited player from outside the region. Each squad typically contains household names and Rugby World Cup stars mixed with up-and-coming players from the emerging rugby nations, all infused with a commitment to demonstrate a true spirit of playing entertaining rugby. Off the field, the APBs are sociable, approachable and accessible to fans, and promote the game to players of all ages and abilities through coaching clinics and interaction with the rugby community. Crucially, the APBs carry a strong sense of social responsibility, seeking to ensure that their high profile and wide corporate connections allow various charities benefit from their activities.

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Released on behalf of the BGC Asia Pacific Barbarians by Two Up Front – Asia’s sports PR specialists.

An exciting new website detailing the adventures and achievements of Rwanda’s pioneering national rugby team has been launched.

The site – www.rwandarugby.org – is the “Home of the Rwandan Silverbacks” and outlines the team’s history, development, tours, sponsorship and media coverage, plus a wealth of other information.

The launch follows two years of exciting progress by the Silverbacks during which they have played their first matches overseas, enjoyed access to elite coaching and won friends and admirers in the world of rugby and beyond.

“Rugby is a fast-growing sport and a huge force for good in Rwanda, so we are justifiably proud of the Silverbacks and their achievements,” said Dr Otto Vianney Muhinda, president of the Fédération Rwandaise de Rugby (Rwanda Rugby Federation).

“We are delighted to see the launch of the official website, which is an important step in the evolution of rugby in Rwanda and another excellent channel of communication for telling the world about the progress we are making as a nation.”

The new website also features extensive photo galleries, including the Silverbacks’ tours to Hong Kong in 2010 and 2011 and domestic tournaments in Kigali, as well as information about how to sponsor and invest in Rwanda’s rugby future.

Rugby is winning over countless new fans in Rwanda, including the country’s head of state, President Paul Kagame, who was recently presented with a Silverbacks tour shirt.

“The site takes Rwandan rugby in general and the Silverbacks in particular to a new level in terms of access to information,” said Dave Hughes, organiser of the Silverbacks’ overseas tours.

“In this age of instant global communications it is essential that Rwandan rugby is seen to be well organised, modern and progressive, and an official website is vital for making first impressions count. These are exciting times for Rwandan rugby.”

The new website has been put together by Hong Kong-based sports PR and publishing company Two Up Front, which has worked with the Rwandan national team on a pro bono basis since 2009.

The Silverbacks – named after Rwanda’s signature mountain gorillas – are currently training hard ahead of their third tour to Hong Kong in late March.

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Released on behalf of the Rwandan Silverbacks by Two Up Front – Asia’s sports PR specialists.

Rwandan rugby has taken another significant step forward with Gerald Nsenga becoming the first referee from the country to officiate outside Africa.

Nsenga recently visited Scotland as a guest of the Edinburgh Rugby Referees’ Society and oversaw schools, university, women’s and club matches. In addition, he acted as No.6 official at the Edinburgh v Leinster RaboDirect PRO12 fixture at Murrayfield.

“We always have issues in Rwanda when we don’t have qualified referees,” explained Nsenga. “I was in Scotland to learn. This was a great opportunity for me.”

Nsenga, 37, is a former back-row forward who was player-coach of the Rwandan national team on their historic first tour to Hong Kong in 2010. With his playing career winding down, he took up officiating in the knowledge that without qualified referees the fledgling game in Rwanda would find it difficult to grow.

Educated in Uganda, Nsenga was one of the early pioneers of rugby in Rwanda a decade ago. “I played high school and club rugby in Uganda and when I went back to Rwanda there was no rugby,” he recalled. “Together with a few foreigners working in the country we got it going and managed to get the boys in the neighbourhood along to play touch rugby to start with, then took it from there.”

The driving force behind Nsenga’s landmark trip to Scotland was Colin Brett, the Scottish Rugby Union’s Edinburgh Referee Development Manager. Brett and former Scotland coach Frank Hadden visited Rwanda almost a year ago as part of the Penguins Coaching Academy, conducting a week-long series of clinics.

Brett led a level one refereeing course, helped organise a tournament and evaluated a number of aspiring referees. When he returned to Scotland, he set about organising Nsenga’s visit and the Edinburgh Rugby Referees’ Society stepped in with funding.

“What we were trying to achieve from Gerald’s visit is that on his return home he can use the structure that he’s seen in Scotland to build on,” explained Brett.

“With a minimum 10 teams in Rwanda he is looking at having, really, 10 qualified referees but we are also aiming to have regular dialogue so that we can discuss ideas with him through videos and DVDs and generally share best practice for developing referees.”

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Released on behalf of Rwandan rugby by Two Up Front – Asia’s sports PR specialists.

Two Up Front © 2011

Rwandan rugby chiefs have expressed their delight after staunch supporter and charity worker Ruth Mitchell was honoured by the IRB with the prestigious Women’s Personality of the Year Award.

Ruth organised two hugely successful kit and equipment collections during the Rwandan national squad’s tours to Hong Kong in 2010 and this year. As a result, countless teams of all ages and abilities in the East African country now turn out in playing gear donated by Hong Kong clubs.

“Ruth has been a great friend to us and the entire rugby community here in Rwanda is thrilled about her award,” said national team captain Djuma-Adams Mugabo.

“After each of our tours to Hong Kong we returned home with dozens of bags packed with full playing kit, boots, tracksuits, training gear and all sorts of other gifts that Ruth had collected. Her contribution to the development of Rwandan rugby has been immense and will never be forgotten.”

Ruth, the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union’s director of development, was recognised for her wide-ranging contribution to the sport at the 2011 IRB Awards Dinner in Auckland this week following the conclusion of the Rugby World Cup.

Other award winners at the star-studded event included France captain Thierry Dusautoir (Player of the Year), New Zealand (Team of the Year) and Graham Henry (Coach of the Year).

After a long playing career which included numerous appearances for Hong Kong, Ruth has been national team manager for both the women’s sevens and 15s teams. She is chair of both the Women’s Rugby Committee and the Hong Kong Women’s Sevens Organising Committee, and is currently serving her third term as director of development.

In addition to helping Rwandan rugby, her tireless charity work has included raising funds for breast cancer awareness and she is a trustee of the HKRFU Charitable Trust.

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Released on behalf of Rwandan rugby by Two Up Front – Asia’s sports PR specialists.

Two Up Front © 2011

The French Top 14 – the northern hemisphere’s premier domestic rugby competition – will be LIVE on Eurosport in Asia-Pacific from this weekend.

The competition gathers the best 14 rugby clubs in France, featuring some of the finest players in the world, including the majority of the French World Cup team, as well as attracting a plethora of big name international stars. This season looks to be no different, with a hectic offseason of transfers and signings, with many sides confirming a number of high profile signings.

Champions Toulouse will help launch what is shaping up as one of the most anticipated French Top 14 seasons this week when they kick off their title defence against Bayonne LIVE on Eurosport at 00.45 on Saturday, 27 August (replay at 15.15).

New signings for the powerhouse side include recently dumped All Blacks centre Luke McAlister, who will be joined by hulking Springbok prop Gurthrö Steenkamp and Wallaby Luke Burgess after they return from World Cup leave.

Coming up against the reigning champions in their opening match, Bayonne will be counting on Kiwi try scoring machine Joe Rokocoko to lift them to an opening round win.

Toulon have continued their penchant for contracting high-profile players by signing Wallabies great Matt Giteau, the 92-Test veteran, 2009 Australian Rugby Player of the Year (John Eales Medal) and 2009 nominee for IRB Player of the Year.

Only last week, Giteau was controversially omitted from the Wallabies’ World Cup campaign, meaning he will begin his first season at the French glamour club sooner than expected.

While all eyes will be on Giteau to see how he takes his omission angst out on rival clubs, he will have plenty of high wattage company at Toulon with another world famous Australian (and rugby league convert) Willie Mason playing alongside English legend Jonny Wilkinson and giant South African star Bakkies Botha who will join after their respective World Cup campaigns.

Another player who will be widely followed in the Asian region is François Trinh-Duc. The talented back is one of the first ever rugby players of Vietnamese origin to play for the French national side and has been called up for duty once again for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Trinh-Duc’s paternal grandfather was born in Vietnam, migrating to France during the First Indochina War.

The popular French international plays for last season’s runners-up Montpellier and will be keen to make amends for the 15-10 final loss and go one better for the club this season.

Eurosport will show at least two games LIVE every week of the 26-round season, with the opening round’s second game set to feature the match between Toulon and Biarritz at 02.00 on Sunday, 28 August (replay at 14.45).

Operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby, the 2011-2012 French Top 14 comprises 26 rounds and will run from August 2011 until the final on 9 June 2012. The top six clubs of the season will be guaranteed berths in the 2012-2013 Heineken Cup.

Schedule of LIVE matches on Eurosport for the next two weeks:

• 27/08/11: Bayonne v Toulouse (LIVE at 00:45; replay at 15:15)
• 28/08/11: Toulon v Biarritz (LIVE at 02:00; replay at 10:00)
• 04/09/11: Toulon v Clermont (LIVE at 01:30; replay at 11:00)

* Schedules are as of 24 August 2011 and are subject to change. Times are HKG.

About Eurosport Group

The Eurosport Group is Europe’s leading sports entertainment group. Eurosport, the n°1 pan-European TV channel, broadcasts in 20 languages and reaches 126 million homes across 59 countries. Eurosport HD is the high definition simulcast of Eurosport. Eurosport 2 broadcasts to 51 million households in 17 languages across 47 countries. Eurosport 2 HD was launched in August 2009. Eurosport Asia-Pacific reaches 15 countries in the region. Eurosportnews is the sports news channel transmitted worldwide. Eurosport.com, Europe’s n°1 online sports destination, has over 14 million unique users per month (comScore) across an international network of sports websites in 11 languages. The Eurosport.com free mobile application is available in 10 languages. Eurosport Player, Eurosport’s web TV service, provides LIVE and on-demand sports to fans’ PCs in 59 countries and the Player mobile application is available in 5 countries. Eurosport Events is the group’s expert division in the management and promotion of international sporting events. For more information, please visit www.eurosportcorporate.com

About Eurosport Asia-Pacific Ltd

Eurosport Asia Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Eurosport S.A., oversees all activities of the Eurosport Group in the Asia-Pacific region and has its headquarters in Hong Kong. It produces and distributes the TV channels Eurosport and Eurosportnews as well as several web and mobile products in Asia-Pacific and is responsible for advertising sales in the region. Eurosport provides a local language sports website in China at http://eurosport.qq.com.

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Released on behalf of Eurosport Asia-Pacific Ltd by Two Up Front – Asia’s sports PR specialists.

Two Up Front © 2011