Although there’s a five-year age gap between the two, Zac and Rory Cinnamond are as close as brothers can get. In fact they actually live together with two other flatmates who also play rugby, in a place in Quarry Bay, which Zac said “stinks horribly.”

Zac, 24, plays for Herbert Smith Freehills HKU Sandy Bay’s Premiership squad, where he started at loose head prop this past weekend as the new club picked up its first win of the season. After that, younger brother Rory, 19, played for Sandy Bay’s ‘A’ squad also at loose head prop.

The brothers are both now back in Hong Kong (they were born in Lancaster, England but spent part of their childhood here), and represent part of a larger movement when it comes to the city’s overall rugby scene.

Both brothers got their start playing rugby for Sandy Bay’s youth programme at the age of six, and have notched up some impressive resumes along the way. Zac, who was previously selected for Hong Kong’s U20 squad, graduated from Swansea University with a degree in business management and finance last year. He is now back and looking for full-time work, thinking he is here for good.

“I reckon I’m back permanently,” he said. “I really enjoy the rugby, and the club, Hong Kong is an amazing place, nothing else really compares. I spent six months working in Belfast and six months working in Bristol and you just cannot compare it to Hong Kong.”

Rory, currently on a gap year from school and part of the U20 national programme, reckons he will settle in the city permanently as well. This could come sooner rather than later if he lands a junior contract with the Hong Kong Rugby Union. Rory, who wants to do interior architecture as a career, said it’s been fun living with his brother again, although it’s not always a smooth home life with four rugby blokes in one flat eating an insurmountable amount of food.

‘I think I do more to p*** him off than he does to me,” said Rory, noting Zac does all of the cooking for the guys. “I’m a bit of a baby sometimes.”

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