Over the weekend the 4 men’s and women’s teams representing the Hong Kong Police and Disciplined Services headed to Los Angeles for the 2017 World Police & Fire Games. The Games are a biennial multi-sport event, open to active and retired law enforcement and fire service personnel throughout the world – with upwards of 10,000 participants the WP&FG is actually bigger than the Commonwealth Games!

The Hong Kong Police have been sending a men’s team to participate in the Rugby 7s since the 1999 event held in Stockholm, while the Disciplined Services men debuted at the New York Games in 2011 winning silver, and in the 2015 tournament in Fairfax they took the gold medal in Division 2. The Police Sirens, the women’s team, also participated in Fairfax, but LA will be the first time that a Disciplined Services women’s team has joined the competition.

Both men’s teams find themselves in a pool alongside Washington Police, the Vikings, Montreal Police, NYPD and the New York Fire Department while the women face the Vikings, Canada East, Canada West…and each other!

Hopes are high for some good results, and there are a few familiar faces among the officers pulling on their boots, including former Hong Kong internationals Tsang Hing-hung and Gabriel Lee, who will be swopping her whistle for a gum shield this time!

Brian Yung, Chairman of the Police Rugby Club and one of the founding members of the Disciplined Services Rugby Committee, paid tribute to the hard work put in by all the players in preparation for the Games; “I would like to wish all our teams the very best for a great 2017 WPFG Tournament in LA where they will meet their overseas counterparts on a competitive level-playing field to test their rugby skills, talent and more importantly their teamwork. Having started intensive 7s training almost three months ago, the players have endured through sweat and blood to hone their fitness and are all fit, and ready to go. No matter what the competition outcome is, I'm sure they will definitely enjoy the tournament in striving for excellence in exhibiting their sportsmanship and expanding their friendship in the international arena and benefit from the valuable global experience. Rugby, no matter it is played in HK or in LA, is a game for all !”

The Rugby 7s competition will be played on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Balboa Sports Complex – more info at www.la17wpfg.com