(Hong Kong ) A phenomenally successful GFI HKFC Tens rugby tournament has given sports publishing and PR company Two Up Front another impressive entry on its growing CV.
For the third year running, Two Up Front was asked to produce the official souvenir programme and handle PR for the Hong Kong showpiece, widely acknowledged as the world's top ten-a-side rugby tournament.
But 2007 brought an added challenge when it was announced, just nine days before the event, that All Blacks icon Jonah Lomu would be taking part.
"We’d already recorded considerable media interest in this year's Tens but the confirmation that Jonah was playing took it to a whole new level," revealed Two Up Front editorial director Niall Donnelly.
"We immediately committed more staff and resources to the tournament to cope with the added demand from media outlets in both Hong Kong and overseas.
"We also had to work closely with Jonah's management to co-ordinate media interview requests and there were other factors to be considered with the Tens organising committee such as player security."
Lomu's presence, together with that of other international stars, resulted in media and fans attending the two-day, 24-team tournament at Hong Kong Football Club in record numbers.
They saw Lomu;s team, the HSBC New Zealand Legends, knocked out in the Cup quarter-finals by the UK's premier touring team, Penguin International, who themselves went on to be beaten in the final by the defending champions, Fortis New Zealand Metro.
"The feedback we received about the souvenir programme was, again, very complimentary and the media were delighted to be granted full access to Jonah for interviews and photographs after he had finished playing," added Donnelly.
"With the amount of media and fan interest, plus the ever-rising standard of rugby, it was, by general consensus, the best Tens since the tournament was first held in 1986 and we were delighted to be part of it."
