2017 WRWC QUALIFICATION DELIVERS EARLY RETURN ON HKRU’S SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN WOMEN’S RUGBY, BUT MORE WORK NEEDED WITH NEW ZEALAND, CANADA AND WALES ON THE HORIZON

22nd Dec 2016

The Hong Kong Rugby Union’s (HKRU) women’s rugby team made history in qualifying for Hong Kong’s first appearance at a fifteen-a-side Rugby World Cup last week.

The impressive performances against Fiji and Japan, and a sweep of Kazakhstan in the build-up, were the early returns from a period of intensified resourcing of women’s rugby that started with the appointment of two full-time staff at the HKRU, Jo Hull, Women’s Rugby Performance Manager and Sam Feausi, Women’s Development Manager, in August 2015.

The two full-time appointments elevated the HKRU into the top echelon of international unions in terms of resourcing and investment in the women’s game.

In addition to the appointments of Hull and Feausi, Hong Kong embarked on its first ever tour outside of Asia last December, gaining crucial experience against European sides in the two-match tour of Spain.

The inception of the Elite Rugby Programme at THEi also provided additional coaching and facilities resources which have been put at the disposal of Hull and the team, who have put them to good use with increased strength and conditioning a factor in the recent performances.

Last week’s historic result was the culmination of an 18-month build-up by the HKRU notes the Union’s General Manager of Performance Rugby Dai Rees.

“The appointments of two highly respected individuals in Jo and Sam to oversee the women’s game were a promising start and later when we had the opportunity to host the Women’s qualifier with potentially a chance to make history at home, it was an easy call,” Rees added.

That bet paid off handsomely for Hong Kong but Rees and Hull know that the hard work – and the challenges – are just beginning as they prepare for next year’s showpiece.

“I think globally the HKRU is only behind the RFU in England in the way we resource the women’s game but heading into the World Cup, we will leave no stone unturned in our preparations to help ensure that the efforts the players will be rewarded with success.

“A crucial part of our success is that our approach reflects the fact that the men’s and women’s game are completely different and that women’s rugby performance requires different and highly specialised support which we are providing and to which the players are obviously responding,” added Rees.

Hull, who is no stranger to the Rugby World Cup as she helped bring Scotland to the championships in 2006 and 2010, knows that the coming months will be vital for Hong Kong’s hopes to punch above their weight next year in Ireland.

A gutsy effort in a 20-8 loss to Japan saw Hong Kong qualify as Asia/Oceania 2 in Pool A alongside Women's Rugby Wold Cup 2014 silver medallists Canada, the world's number one team New Zealand, and Wales.

“It is undoubtedly the most physical pool at the World Cup,” says Hull, who will look to increase the side’s exposure to the physical style expected from their upcoming opponents in the coming months as Hong Kong plot what promises to be an intense build-up campaign ahead of the world championships.

The players will have a brief opportunity to savour their accomplishment in the coming weeks during the winter holiday but should be prepared to roll their sleeves up once again in the new year.

“After the break, we will re-group, get the team together and start working towards that World Cup. We need to get in as much international and high level competitive rugby as we can, and the Union has been great in ensuring that. Everyone understands that we can’t rely on two games a year,” said Hull.

Inconsistent competition levels in Asia have hampered some of Hong Kong’s progress in recent seasons and has the potential to hold the women’s game back across the region according to Rees.

“We are seeing a shift from the women’s fifteens game to sevens. Just a few years ago we were able to stage a four-team women’s championship in Asia, with Japan, Kazakhstan and Singapore. A couple of seasons ago we had a single round-robin competition with Japan and Kazakhstan and then had to settle last year for a home and away series against Japan only.

“This level of competition is insufficient to help us prepare for international competitions like the World Cup and we understand we have to go further afield for our opportunities to compete,” Rees added.

Rees and Hull are working closely to maximise the eight-month preparation window ahead of the World Cup, an interval that will also see Hong Kong participate in the Women’s Sevens World Series qualifier in Ireland in May.

Hong Kong will look to capitalise on the opportunity to acclimatize to conditions in Dublin around the qualifier by bringing the women’s XV on tour alongside the sevens squad, while plans are also in the works for another home and away series with Japan prior to both teams leaving for the World Cup.

The World Cup will also finish shortly ahead of the start of the Asian Sevens Series where results are essential for Hong Kong’s continued spot in the Hong Kong Sports Institute.

“We will have to work well as a group to ensure that we get the best out of the players and also are able to build up for both the World Cup and the World Sevens Series qualifier, and of course to continue to get the results we need on the Asian Series,” Rees said.

With significant time commitments already demanded of Hong Kong’s elite women players – and likely to come in the future, the squad are being supported by the Hong Kong Rugby Union with full and part-time scholarships for those players not already in the full-time sevens programme at the Hong Kong Sports Institute.

As has been the case throughout the history of women’s rugby in Hong Kong, the players and management will persevere no matter what obstacles they face.

“At the World Cup it is about being the best we can be and being in that environment and enjoying it, but most importantly we want to represent Hong Kong well and take pride in that. To be at a Rugby World Cup you have to be prepared,” said Hull.

“You have to be ready for the pressure, and you have to be able to perform at the right time. We don’t just want to turn up, we want to do well; having earned our place, we want to justify being there.

“We are not getting ahead of ourselves and saying we will win the World Cup, but we want to give a good account of ourselves for Hong Kong so we get young kids, girls and women saying they want to be there in 2021,” Hull concluded.

With that goal in mind, the entire Hong Kong Rugby community will be behind the team as they look to continue their history-making ways next year in Ireland.


SUBSCRIBE TO

OUR NEWSLETTER