The Hong Kong Rugby Union has named the men’s and women’s sevens squads for the upcoming Asia Rugby Sevens Series event in South Korea at the Namdong Asiad Stadium in Incheon, (29-30 September).

The men, who finished as runners-up to Japan in the opening leg of the series earlier this month in Hong Kong, (losing 12-0 in the final), have been handed a challenge in Pool B with Sri Lanka, Chinese Taipei and the hosts, South Korea, while Japan tops Pool A with Philippines, China and Malaysia.

Sri Lanka continues to emerge as one of the top threats on the series, with another assembly of speedsters reaching the cup semi-final at Hong Kong Football Club, where they were swept aside by the hosts, 31-0.  The opening tournament highlighted a lack of physicality for the islanders, which they may have addressed ahead of this weekend’s tournament, but the side still kicked off their campaign solidly, equaling their best finish of last season with the bronze medal run in Hong Kong.

Chinese Taipei is another side that has emerged as a dark horse contender this season after a particularly entertaining battle with China in the opening tournament.  Chinese Taipei pipped China in the pool stages with a last second 19-15 win, but China retuned service in the plate final, winning 15-7. Hong Kong has yet to play Chinese Taipei this season.

Hong Kong will face off once again with South Korea this weekend. The Koreans disappointed on their post Asian Games debut, unveiling a young side two weeks ago that finished seventh out of eight teams.

Hong Kong sevens coach Paul John is wary of looking too far past Korea or any opponent in what is widely presumed to be a two-horse series this year between Japan and Hong Kong.

“Well, we thought that last time and we ended up getting knocked out in the semi final in Korea. There is a long way to go still for us, there are two tournaments still and you’re never sure.”

Korea are the defending champions of their home event after unceremoniously dumping Hong Kong from the top spot in the pool last year, with a 31-24 win.  That result sent Hong Kong into a semi final against Japan, with Japan emerging 19-7 winners, and left Hong Kong scrambling to win the final event in Sri Lanka to book their spot in the HSBC World Rugby Seven Series qualifier tournament at the 2018 Hong Kong Sevens.

Defending its home title this weekend, there is an expectation that more of the Korean’s senior cadre may make their Series debuts at their home opener.  

“I’m sure that they [Korea] will make some changes after what was a disappointing tournament for them [in Hong Kong]. Having said that we haven’t got a clue about what changes other sides will make, we are only concentrating on our own game,” John added.

Ten of the opening series event squad are set once again for round two in Korea.  Amongst the changes to the side are a first sevens appearance in several years for former standout Raef Morrison, who was plucked from the U20s sevens ranks in 2014 to make his Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens debut and earned a regular place in the squad until departing for university in Scotland.  Morrison has returned for the season ahead and will get an early look-in in Korea.

“Raef is a natural open-side flanker and has played for Hong Kong previously at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2014, so we know he is up to the challenge. He is good over the ball and is a very good support player.

Hopefully he will enjoy the tournament and be able to express himself a bit,” said John.

Morrison is one of a wave of Hong Kong born players returning to the SAR to press their claims for a spot in the national squad in the past year. John believes that an important signal is being communicated in the ranks of Hong Kong qualified players overseas.

“It's a sign for people who are away at university that there are lots of opportunities in Hong Kong at the moment, not just in the sevens but also in fifteens with the Rugby World Cup repechage upcoming.  

“It is a very attractive option for players to come back and try to get into these squads with so much opportunity on offer. It is more difficult now that the squads are bigger and the guys are stronger and have been training together for a while, but it is always good to see local players come back to try and stake their claim.”

John and the coaching team have been working with Morrison over the past six months after helping him to get spots in the Samurai invitational sevens squad at the Amsterdam and Algarve sevens this past summer, where Hong Kong were also competing.

“He played quite a lot with Samurai so we could see that he was in the sevens mindset and he has come back to Hong Kong after finishing his university and been training with us for about six months on and off.With a few players from the squad needing a rest, it was a good opportunity for us to give Raef a look in a competitive environment for this weekend,” said John.

Another experienced campaigner, Kane Boucaut, also comes into the squad, helping to shore up the forwards in the absence of Alessandro Nardoni and Lee Jones from the series opener.

Hong Kong’s women’s seven, fourth placed finishers at the opener at Football Cub a fortnight ago, are second ranked in Pool C behind Hong Kong winners and Asian Games champions Japan, and ahead of a rising Sri Lankan women’s seven and the hosts South Korea.  China tops Pool D alongside Kazakhstan, Thailand and Singapore.

Hong Kong has clearly established an upper hand over the South Koreans putting big scores up against them at the Asian Games and again in Hong Kong, but Sri Lanka could prove a banana skin for the squad, while the final pool clash with Japan will set the stage for day two’s competition placings.

Coach Kevin West was convinced that his side had made strides after the opening tournament in Korea, saying, “Our goal is still to finish in the top three.”

“We’re fourth now and we’re going to have to improve this time and continue to do so in the one after that. Earlier this month [in Hong Kong], we left a tournament for the first time with the girls knowing that they could have easily finished third or even been in the final. That is a real step forward for us,” West added.

After finishing in fifth at the Asian Games and fourth at the opener in Hong Kong, West will be keenly watching for his side to take that next step this weekend.  The squad will welcome the return of Ivy Kwong Sau-yan who was absent from the opening tournament but will be without influential forward Nam Ka-man and emerging back-line lynchpin Stephanie Chan Chor-ki this weekend.

Hong Kong Men’s Sevens Squad, ARSS South Korea

Kane BOUCAUT; Michael COVERDALE; Max WOODWARD; Raef MORRISON; Max DENMARK; Lee Ka To, Cado; Ben RIMENE (captain); Jamie HOOD; Jack NEVILLE; Liam HERERT; Toby FENN; YIU Kam-shing, Salom.

Hong Kong Women’s Sevens Squad, ARWS South Korea

Natasha OLSON-THORNE (captain); Ivy KWONG Sau-yan; Melody LI Nim-yan; CHAN Tsz-Ching; Maggie AU YEUNG, Sin-yi; SHAM Wai-sum; POON Hoi-yan; Jessica HO Wai-on; Colleen TJOSVOLD; YUEN Lok-yee; CHONG Ka-yan; POON Pak-yan.