FIRST MEN’S SEVENS SQUAD OF 2017 NAMED FOR CORAL COAST SEVENS IN FIJI

19th Jan 2017

The Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU) has named it’s first men’s sevens squad of 2017 to take part in the Mana Whey Coral Coast Sevens in Fiji (20-21 January).

The Coral Coast Sevens comes on the heels of a week-long training camp in Fiji where Hong Kong trained alongside the Fiji national sevens team, winners of the first ever Olympic gold medal for sevens in 2016.

The competition in Lawaqa Park, Sigatoka, on Fiji’s Coral Coast, features 16 men’s teams and will offer Hong Kong some strong competition to kick off its build-up to the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens in April, when Hong Kong will bid to qualify for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.

Asian champions Hong Kong are seeded as the top team in Pool C, ahead of Fiji club sides Wardens, who reached the final in 2016, losing to Police 26-10, and two local club sides, Naviti Ratu Filise and Coastline Roos.

Germany, the only other national side competing this weekend, top Pool D ahead of three other Fijian club sides while defending champions Police – who will be bidding for a third straight title this weekend – and Uluinakau top Pools A and B respectively.

“It will be two days of high-class competition and intensity,” said Dai Rees, who notes that there is a heavy contingent of players in the Fijian teams with World Series experience or on the cusp of qualifying for Fiji, who are now coached by former Hong Kong coach Gareth Baber.

“We are looking forward to this tournament, which gives us the opportunity to get some early exposure to elite sevens and play against some of the top players in the world,” said Dai Rees, General Manager of Performance Rugby at the HKRU.

Seasoning is the primary goal for Rees and new Hong Kong coach Jevon Groves.

“This week is all about our preparations for April. I know it is a bit clichéd but it’s not about the results for us, but more about ensuring that we are putting everything in place as we build up to the Hong Kong Sevens,” added Rees.

Those preparations will be put to the test in the venerable Coral Coast Sevens.

“Our expectation is that this tournament will be at a World Series standard. Support for sevens is fanatical in Fiji and the depth here is amazing. We hear about it all the time but we have been watching the local teams in action this week and they are filled with some highly experienced players.

“We expect that every game we play will be way above the standard of the qualifier, so it is an ideal build-up for us,” Rees added.

Earlier in the week, Hong Kong had a day-long training session with the Fiji team who are entering camp ahead of the Wellington Sevens (28-29 Jan).

“We had a very focused session with Fiji and that really gave the boys a good benchmark moving forward,” Rees commented on the build-up.

The squad features a majority of experienced players who are likely to be jostling for places in the Hong Kong side this spring.

Max Woodward will again lead the side as captain, along with Chris Maize and Charlie Higson-Smith, who earns his debut sevens appearance, in the forwards. Toby Fenn, who has joined the sevens programme on a full-time basis from the start of this year, has also been named to the squad as the selectors give him another opportunity to impress this weekend. Fenn made his debut alongside fellow HKRU Elite Rugby Progamme player James Cunningham, who is on tour this week, but will be rested for the Coral Coast Sevens.

Lee Ka-to and Jason Jeyam will play at scrum-half with Ben Rimene and Jamie Hood slotting in at fly-half. Lee Jones and Alex McQueen will play in midfield with Rowan Varty and Salom Yiu Kam-shing out wide. Michael Coverdale has been named as the injury replacement alternate for the competition.

Hong Kong will open its 2017 sevens season with a match against the Coastline Roos at 5.30am (HK time) tomorrow, followed by a match against Naviti Ratu Filise at 10.06am with the final pool match at 12.45pm versus Wardens.

Hong Kong squad for Coral Coast Sevens:

Max WOODWARD (Captain); Chris MAIZE; Charles HIGSON-SMITH*; Toby FENN; LEE Ka-to, Cado; Jason JEYAM; Lee JONES; Alex McQUEEN; Rowan VARTY; YIU Kam-shing, Salom; Michael COVERDALE (injury replacement).

* denotes Hong Kong Sevens squad debut

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