Two days earlier Dave met an old friend, 87 year old Roy Guy, a supporter of Otley RUFC (although also an ex-President of Harrogate RUFC), at the Tynedale v Otley match.
Roy and David were colleagues from their days in Hong Kong in the 1970’s, being founder members, in June 1975, of a club called Valley RFC. That club is now the most successful rugby club in Hong Kong.

The way the Valley club was born reflects the turmoil in the Colony at that time. In 1974, with corruption endemic in Hong Kong the Governor established the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC). The ICAC was separate from the police and the Civil Service. Its powers were sweeping.

Rugby players like David, who had transferred from the police to the ICAC then faced a dilemma, because, at the end of the 1974/75 season, at an EGM of the Police RFC, Superintendent Mark Pelly proposed that “only those serving for the Police can play for the Police” The proposal was adopted and several people were barred from representing that club.
Ironically, Superintendent Pelly was later arrested for corruption by another Valley player who had been excluded from playing for the Police RFC because of Pelly’s proposal at the EGM. Pelly was subsequently prosecuted by the ICAC. The tensions off the field of play between the two clubs, being starkly apparent!

In the 1970s in Hong Kong there were only three main ‘rugby football’ groups, the Hong Kong Football Club, The Royal Hong Kong Police RFC and the British Forces RFC. teams along with several casual sides. So, David and another long service former Police player proposed the formation of a ‘new’ rugby club. Initially it was suggested that the club should be called Exile RFC, so named to reflect their resentment at being excluded. However, the fledgling club was inaugurated as “Valley RFC”, linking it with the team’s pitch at the Happy Valley racecourse. Roy Guy became its first Treasurer.

In September 1975, David became the first Valley player to represent the Colony when Wales played there on their way to Japan.
The Wales team was packed with legends of the game - JPR Williams, JJ Williams, Ray Gravell, Phil Bennett, Gareth Edwards, the Pontypool front row, and Merv ’the swerve’ Davies, to name but a few. The Welsh team, unsurprisingly, won 3 -57, when a try was 4 points, and went on to hammer Japan 6-82 in Tokyo!

For the Colony side David was in the 21match day squad as the reserve hooker. When the starting hooker was felled by a punch, thrown by Derek Quinnell, David thought his time had come. However, also being Welsh, the Colony hooker got up and played on! Concussion protocol! What concussion protocol! But David’s chance of getting on the field evaporated at that moment.

The post-match reception, in the Excelsior hotel on the Harbour waterfront, gave David the opportunity to get his match programme autographed and, as a Hong Kong player it was signed by every member of the touring party. He was also presented with a commemorative pennant by the touring team.

At the time Hong Kong did not present player’s caps, but as a squad member David was awarded a Colony player’s tie, along with a commemorative tie which recorded the historic nature of the game.

David was in Hong Kong for four years, from 1973-77. But what was his rugby playing career before and afterwards?

His lifelong love of rugby had started in 1961 at what was then the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Hexham. When he joined the Durham Constabulary he played for a number of Police fifteens, and occasionally for West Hartlepool RFC sides.

On his return from Hong Kong in 1977 he had joined the Northumbria Police force, set up following the police reorganisations, and again turned out for various police teams until his retirement from playing in 1981.

When he joined Tynedale RFC David threw himself into supporting our club, both vocally and in more practical fund-raising ways. The club has been especially indebted to him for his trojan work in organising the volunteers at the club’s most prestigious event, the Beer Festival.

So, whilst the match v Wales was without doubt the highlight of David’s playing career, as has said - “an honour and privilege by simply being in the right place at the right time!”

But also, to help found a new club in Hong Kong, which was originally for rugby, but now covers multiple sports, and has many thousands of male and female members, and to end up as President of his local rugby club here in the North East shows a special commitment to the game of rugby football, so we welcome David and wish him well in his Presidency.

D.F.Hamilton
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