[8 March 2023]: The Hong Kong Rugby Union is thrilled to announce that former Hong Kong China international Royce Chan Leong-sze has been appointed as Head of Women’s Rugby Performance.

In this role Royce will be responsible for the development, delivery and implementation of the strategic and operational direction of women’s rugby performance programmes and the Premiership competition. 

A well-known and highly respected figure amongst our community, Royce received 28 caps for Hong Kong China, captained the XVs side, and etched her name into the history books during Hong Kong China’s first and only Rugby World Cup appearance in 2017. Royce’s extensive rugby career provides her with strong high-performance structural development credentials and an in-depth understanding of the rugby landscape in Hong Kong and overseas.

She has delivered a decade of professional service to the HKRU, starting as a part time coach and quickly progressing as a full time coach and programme manager. More recently she coached the Hong Kong China Women’s XVs to a brilliant double-victory over Kazakhstan in their December 2022 international tests.

Speaking about her appointment, Royce said: “It is a great privilege to be trusted with this role. I treasure the opportunity to continue the good work of the key people who started to build the women’s game in the HKRU.” 

“This is a hugely exciting time for the women’s game globally and whilst much work has been done, there is always more to do. I look forward to working collaboratively with clubs, players, coaches, staff and volunteers to continue building the women performance to be the best we can be.”

Welcoming the appointment, HKRU General Manager of Performance Jo Hull commented: “I would like to congratulate Royce on her appointment in this vitally important role to help bring women’s rugby in Hong Kong to the next level.

“Royce is committed to accelerating the development of women’s rugby and I look forward to seeing how she will apply her own passion and valuable experiences to the role during this incredibly exciting time for the sport.”