Renaissance Harbour View Hotel Hong Kong - the official hotel sponsor for 2012 Chartis Cup
Renaissance Harbour View Hotel Hong Kong was selected as the official hotel sponsor of the 2012 Chartis Cup.As part of the sponsorship, Renaissance Harbour View Hotel Hong Kong will provide the rugby's world champions with its first-class accommodation, food and beverage offers, and will make the Renaissance Harbour View Hotel Hong Kong as the preferred hotel for their events.
"Sponsoring a sports organisation like the Chartis Cup is a fantastic opportunity for Renaissance Harbour View Hotel Hong Kong," said Karl Hudson, the hotel's general manager. "This sponsorship gives us great visibility in the market, while providing these rugby champions with the high-level of service and accommodation."
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."
Wigglesworth flew into Hong Kong to be present at the launch press conference on 10 February 2012 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) and backs Chris Wyles (USA), Michael Tagicakibau and Kameli Ratuvou (both Fiji).
Mark McCall, Saracens' Director of Rugby, added: "Hong Kong represents something special in the rugby world, largely because of the annual Sevens tournament. It's 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.
"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."
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."
"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 affected by the Japan earthquake and tsunami.