SUCCESSFUL START FOR CITY’S SEVENS SQUADS AT XXTH ASIAN GAMES

[Hong Kong China, 1 October 2026]: The men’s and women’s rugby sevens teams of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China have successfully opened their tournaments at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026.  Both teams are hoping to repeat podium finishes from 2022.  Hong Kong China’s men’s team are two-time defending gold medalists, while the women won the city’s first rugby sevens women’s medal with bronze in Hangzhou, China in 2023. 

Crucial deciders against China await both teams in tomorrow’s final pool matches, with the men’s game at 09:25 and the women at 12:45. The men’s teams advance to quarterfinals from the 12-team competition while the women’s teams route to semi finals from their 8-team tournament. 

The women’s seven had a strong opening day with wins over India and Malaysia and sit tied first in the pool with China overnight but trailing on points differential. 

Hong Kong China opened with a strong 33-7 win over India behind a first half brace of tries from one of the senior leaders in the side, Chong Ka Yan. Chong opened and closed the first half with tries as Hong Kong China led 21-0 at halftime, with Gabriella Rivers adding a try in the first period.  India fought back well in the second stanza, getting on the board with three minutes left to claw back to 21-7 down, but they conceded a late yellow card that left them short-handed for much of the remaining action. Maggie Au Yeung and Natasha Olson-Thorne made them pay for the indiscipline with late tries as Hong Kong China ran out 33-7 winners.

Olson-Thorne came charging out of the blocks in Hong Kong’s second match against Malaysia,scoring twice in the opening 3 minutes to help put the game out of reach early.  Au King To added a try late in the half before Stephanie Chan scored tries on either side of half-time to push Hong Kong’s 22-0 lead at the break to 29-0, before Malaysia replied with back-to-back scores, 29-12, with two minutes left. Chan Tsz Ching replied before the final hooter with Stephanie Chan’s conversion bringing the final score to 36-12.

Hong Kong China captain Chloe Chan was pleased with her side’s strong day one performance and ready for a big test against China tomorrow: “We are feeling good; coming into the Games we talked about building up to the knockout stages, and we had a good build up today from game one to two. We are excited for the China game tomorrow. We have a lot of strengths in our game: strong ball carriers and speed out wide. If we keep to our systems, we will be fine,” Chan added.

The men breezed by Uzbekistan in their opener 45-0 with the attack proving too much for the Central Asian side. Matteo Avitabile scored twice in the first half as Hong Kong led 26-0 with Rory Stewart Cox and captain James Christie adding tries in the early going. Stewart Cox added a second score to start the final period with Alessandro Nardoni and Max Denmark contributing tries off the reserves bench as Hong Kong crossed over for seven tries and five conversions in a 45-nil blanking. 
 

In its second match, Hong Kong faced Malaysia - who had put up a surprising fight against China in the tournament’s opening game, a 33-21 loss. Malaysia found the going tougher against Hong Kong China with coach Jevon Groves giving some of his senior squad members the start. Max Denmark and Liam Herbert combined for two tries each in a 22-0 first half, while another senior leader in the squad, Harry Sayers, added a brace in the second half. Julien Bourron and Rory Stewart Cox contributed scores down the stretch as Hong Kong ran out 48-0 winners.  
 

“Today went pretty well,” said men’s sevens coach Jevon Groves after the match.  “The boys looked clinical in the way we played, but there is still a lot for us to learn from. I’m pleased to come away with two good wins and to have not conceded any points today.”

Hong Kong China will face China at 09:25 in the pool decider.  
 

“China looked very good especially in that last game,” Groves added.

“We will have a look at them tonight, and see where we can improve, and then hopefully we can have a good performance against them in that first game tomorrow. We are just concentrating on each game as it comes. Today was a good day, but it can change quickly in sevens,. We just need to reflect on our own performance and see what we need to put right in that first game tomorrow,” added Groves. 
 

20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Nagoya, Japan (1-3 October) 

Hong Kong China SF&OC Women’s VII

Chloe CHAN (c); Micayla BALTAZAR (vc); AU King To; AU Yeung Sin Yi Maggie; CHAN Tsz Ching Agnes; CHAN Stephanie Chor Ki; CHONG Ka Yan; Shanna FORREST; HO Wai On Jessica; Julia Mibuy MBA OYANA; NAM Ka Man; Natasha OLSON-THORNE; Gabrielle RIVERS; Women’s Staff: Paul JOHN (Manager); Andy VILK (Head Coach); CHONG Shing Hin (S&C Coach); Callum CHIA (Physiotherapist); Mark KOMAR (Analyst). 

Hong Kong China SF&OC Men’s VII

James CHRISTIE (c); Matteo AVITABILE; Julien BOURRON; Max DENMARK; Liam HERBERT; LEE Ka To, Cado; Callum MCCULLOUGH; Juan Esono MBA OYANA; Alessandro NARDONI; Bryn PHILLIPS; Matthew RICKARD; Harry SAYERS; Rory STEWART-COX. Staff: Paul JOHN (Manager); Jevon GROVES (Men’s Coach) Peter JERICEVICH (Asst. Coach); WONG Tsz Kit (S&C Coach); Stephen MUTCH (Physiotherapist) Mark Komar (ANALYST).