bc magazine

HK Women’s Rugby 7s, Day 1 at King’s Park

Hong Kong’s lack of a competitive match since November showed as the hosts stumbled on an action-packed first day of the HK Women’s Rugby Sevens losing against an ecstatic Argentinean side. Hong Kong must now beat Japan to move above Argentina and make it through to the Cup semi-finals.

France looked a class apart as their development team (the national side is playing on the Women’s World Series in Atlanta this weekend) notched three wins from three starts in pool A to lock in a semi-final berth, while Kazakhstan and South Africa will fight it out for the other spot. Japan, Hong Kong and Argentina can all still make the Cup semi-finals in pool B.

The home team got their tournament underway with a thumping 45-0 win over Sri Lanka, with Aggie Poon Pak-yan running in three tries and Natasha Olson-Thorne crossing in her first game as captain. Sri Lanka had no answers for a rampaging Hong Kong, who completely dominated with slick passing and fierce tackling.

Lee Tsz-ting, who was a ball girl at HK Women’s 7s 6 years ago, scored on debut when she came on in the second half against Sri Lanka.

Hong Kong’s second match was a low-scoring affair, as the hosts self-inflicted error strewn performance allowed a hard working Argentina side to dominate territory and run large chunks of time off the clock. Argentina received two yellow cards, and embarrassingly for Hong Kong scored the decisive try in their 12-5 win with only six players on the pitch.

“Unfortunately in that game we just lacked a bit of patience,” hiding her disappointment Hong Kong coach Anna Richards said. “We just let mistakes creep into our game under pressure and that does happen. We let Argentina rattle us a bit at the breakdown and there was a bit of a free fall there, but we just didn’t take our opportunities.”

Hong Kong’s last match against Thailand was a must win and it was all one-way traffic, with the local team streaking away to a 24-0 win that saw Richards comment “We tried to force the issue a little bit against Argentina and we made some good opportunities and we killed it,” Richards said.”This time we were very patient, which I thought was great.”

Debutant Lee Tsz-ting and Colleen Tjosvold were shining lights for Hong Kong – while Christine Gordon and Chong Ka-yan were amongst the try scorers.

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France took a while to get going in their opening match before eventually overcoming Kenya 22-5, before flexing their legs and overpowering China in a 39-7 thumping. They finished the day with a narrow 12-10 win over Kazakhstan, with Montserrat Amédée and Noémie Sanch amongst the tries with three each for the day.

With his side semi-final bound, coach Paul Albaladéjo praised the evenness of effort from his charges, but refused to look past their final pool match. “I’m very happy after day one,” Albaladéjo said. “Very happy for my team, everyone was very good and it was a good job. We are now focusing on game number four tomorrow against South Africa. After that, I don’t yet know the way.”

Japan looked composed and confident as comfortably won three match: belting Sri Lanka 41-0, knocking off Thailand 22-7 and finishing the day with a 50-0 drubbing of Argentina. Hong Kong will face Japan in the last pool match tomorrow at 10.00am. Japan shared the scoring load across a wide range of players, with Yukari Tateyama and Ayumi Yabuuchi just two of the players to get in on the act.

Argentina were impressive prior to their match against Japan, shrugging off Thailand (19-12), Hong Kong and Sri Lanka (30-5).Gonzalez Sofia was one of her side’s best, crossing four times throughout the day and constantly creating opportunities for her teammates.

Nadine Roos impressed in a South Africa side that won two and lost one, scoring four tries for the day. For Kazakhstan, Lyudmila Korotkikh also got amongst the points, registering four tries as her side won two of their four matches. There were mixed results for China, with a first up 10-5 win over Kazakhstan followed by losses to France (39-7) and South Africa (7-0). It was a tough day at the King’s Park for Kenya, Thailand and Sri Lanka, with each side going winless.

Natasha Olson-Thorne Captain’s Hong Kong

Pulling on the shirt, taking a cap to represent your country is a special moment in anyone’s sporting life. Winning tournaments and trophies are regarded as success in sport today, where it’s the winning not the taking part that has become all. But their can be no higher honour in any sport than to Captain your country. To join that elite band of people who can take the hopes, desires and expectations of a nation upon their shoulders at the same time as uniting team-mates to perform better than the sum of their individual skills while still giving their personal all.

Natasha Olson-Thorne Captain’s Hong Kong for the first time at this her sixth Hong Kong Women’s Rugby Sevens (HKWRS) and coach Anna Richards is confident the 23-year-old winger will handle the added responsibility with aplomb.

“She works really hard and sets a really good example for the rest of the team,” Richards said. “She’s got a good rugby brain as well, so I think she will be able to handle it very well.”

Olson-Thorne has been a crucial part of the Hong Kong backline in the sevens format for a long time and boasts experience that belies her age. She made her international sevens debut in Hong Kong in 2011 and has filled the vice-captaincy slot on a number of occasions, including during last year’s Asia Rugby Sevens Series and Olympic qualifiers.

Olson-Thorne also skippered a Hong Kong development squad at the Margaret River Sevens early last year and is hopeful that, with a few tweaks to her game, she has what is takes to lead by example.

“I probably have to be a bit more vocal and I need to make sure I keep lifting the team up so we’re in the right spot and in the right frame of mind,” she said. “It’s going to be interesting. I’m excited about it. I’m just hoping I can keep the team on the right track going in to the Sevens.”

Olson-Thorne, who was born in the US but has spent 22 of her 23 years in Hong Kong, is plucky about the chances of the side she will lead and hopes that good early form will give Hong Kong the momentum they need to improve on last year’s semi-final loss. “Obviously our goal is to get into the stadium this year,” she said.

“We’re feeling quite positive going in and we’re excited as well because it’s our first tournament of this year. We want to start strong on day one like we did last year. We are looking forward to going in with all guns blazing and smashing it.”

Ahead of her sixth HKWRS, Olson-Thorne is wary of the challenge that awaits and is ready to embrace the opportunity to play against some quality opposition.

This year’s tournament features ten teams from across the globe. Hong Kong are in Pool B with Asia champions Japan, Argentina, Thailand and Sri Lanka. Pool A sees France, South Africa, Kazakhstan, China and Kenya. Both France and Japan are playing on this season’s World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series.

“One thing I really like about the Hong Kong Sevens is that we’ve got France and South Africa coming, we have Argentina coming, we have Kenya coming, so there’s a lot of countries that we usually don’t get a chance to play against that come and play in the Hong Kong Women’s Sevens,” she said.

“It’s just nice to play against someone different, someone with a different style, and that really helps you to learn and develop.”

Olson-Thorne first developed her love for rugby at the age of 15 at Sha Tin College after trying her hand at a number of other sports and quickly progressed from there to club rugby with the Flying Kukris.

The Flying Kukris’ lack of numbers at under 19 level saw her move to Borrelli Walsh URSC Tigers, with her Hong Kong 15s debut coming in 2010.

Throughout the journey, Olson-Thorne has never struggled for motivation: “The reason that I play rugby is that it’s fun and I enjoy it,” she said. “I’ve always had a lot of sports in my family. My teammates motivate me as well. You can’t play for a team that you don’t like.”

With an older sister and an older brother, as well as a younger brother, sport and family have gone hand-in-hand for Olson-Thorne and the HKWRS presents a unique opportunity.

“It’s the one time when we get to play at home in front of a home crowd,” Olson-Thorne said. “It’s awesome being able to play in front of my family and friends.” Outside of being a professional rugby player, Olson-Thorne is a qualified Divemaster and, after completing a Bachelor of Science in Exercise and Health at The University of Hong Kong last year.

“When I’m not doing rugby now, I’m pretty much at home with my family and my cat just relaxing and having fun,” she said. “I do want to pursue further education and try and get a masters degree. I also love scuba diving, so I might try and take that up again when I’ve got a bit more time. I don’t really have a plan at the moment, I’m just kind of seeing how it goes at the moment.”

Hong Kong Women’s Sevens Squad
Natasha Olson-Thorne (captain), Candy Cheng, Tsz Ting (vice-captain), Chong Ka Yan, Adrienne Garvey, Christine Gordon, Colleen Tjosvold, Kwong Sau Yan, Melody Li Nim Yan, Lee Tsz Ting, Nam Ka Man, Poon Pak Yan, Lindsay Varty.

Coach: Anna Richards, Asst. Coach: Mark Komar, Manager: Dannii Cheung

Hong Kong Sevens – Who’s Coming?

hk sevens winners 2015

The teams for this year’s Hong Kong Sevens (8-10 April) have been announced with 16 teams contesting the core competition and 12 teams competing in the qualifier tournament for a chance at promotion to the Sevens World Series next season.

The 15 teams participating in all ten tournaments of Sevens World Series: Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, Fiji, France, Kenya, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Samoa, Scotland, South Africa, United States of America and Wales are joined by South Korea for the HK Sevens.

Rugby Sevens’ debut at the Olympics looms ever larger on the horizon and all eleven of the qualified teams for the Rio Games will be present in Hong Kong. The 12th men’s team to compete in Rio will be determined in the final Olympic qualifier tournament in June.

Fiji, the defending Hong Kong Sevens champions after their 33-19 win over New Zealand in 2015, will be looking to add to their 15 tournament victories in Hong Kong, including both Rugby World Cup Sevens played here in 1997 and 2005. Fiji’s 15 wins are the most in Hong Kong history, ahead of New Zealand with 11.

Hong Kong is again host for the the battle for promotion to the Sevens World Series. The qualification tournament features 12 teams, two from each of World Rugby’s six regions. The winner will be promoted to the SWS in the 2016/17 season, replacing the bottom-placed core team on the Series after the completion of the final event at Twickenham in May. Russia were promoted from last year’s qualifier, replacing Japan who return to the qualifier in 2016.

The twelve confirmed teams for the qualifier are Morocco and Zimbabwe (Africa), Hong Kong and Japan (Asia), Germany and Spain (Europe), Cayman Islands and Mexico (North America), Brazil and Chile (South America) and Papua New Guinea and Tonga (Oceania).

The Cayman Islands appearance at the Hong Kong Sevens makes them the the 58th nation to have participated since the tournament’s inception in 1976. While Germany return to Hong Kong for the first time since 1992.

HK Sevens
Fiji, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, England, USA, Kenya, Francem Samoa, Scotland, Canada, Wales, Portugal, Russia, South Korea

Sevens World Series Qualification Tournament
Hong Kong, Japan, Morocco, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Chile, Cayman Islands, Mexico, Germany, Spain, Papua New Guinea, Tonga

Hong Kong Sevens 2016
Date: 8-10 April 2016
Venue: HK Stadium
Tickets: $1,800 (sold-out)

Source and photo: HKRU

Saturday at the Sevens – The Proclaimers

proclaimers-the

Saturday’s Sevens musical entertainment this year is eighties band The Proclaimers. Over an almost twenty year career twin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid have carved a niche for themselves where pop, folk, new wave and punk collide with the emotional honesty, political fire, wit and sing-along raucousness of their songs to entertain fans around the globe. As big fan David Tennant puts it “They write the most spectacular songs, big hearted, uncynical passionate songs.” Their songs were turned into a stage play and then a movie based on the stage play based on the songs… Expect to be singing along to the likes of (I’m Gonna Be) 500 Miles, Sunshine on Leith, Letter From America, I’m on My Way, Life With You, Lets Get Married…

Sevens Ticket Ballot 2016 Registration

The annual farce of the Sevens ticket ballot begins again today as registration opens for the public ticket ballot. The registration period runs from 27 November to 31 January, 2016 with the ballot taking place on the 5 February, 2016 and winners notified that day by email.

There are 9,000 individual tickets on-sale. Since regular tickets are sold as 3-day pass. There’s actually only 3,000 tickets available to the public each day in the 40,000 seater stadium. The rest are whored out to corporate sponsors or as a ‘reward’ for joining (and funding) a local rugby club. You don’t even have to play rugby, a social member as long as you’ve paid the membership fees (For example SCAA Causeway Bay charges $900 annually for a non-playing membership) can apply to buy a full three day ticket at cost price. Or roughly added in with membership fees, about the same as you’d pay a street ‘reseller’ – which is where many of those tickets and those reserved forsale overseas end up. Sadly as the minuscule crowd that turned up for the Olympic qualifiers showed, it’s the event not the rugby that’s the attraction. So if you want a better chance of a sevens ticket, join a rugby club – you’ll support the local game and you never know you might even enjoy the rugby.

Those who ‘win’ in the ballot will need to pay for their tickets by 19 February 2016. The ticket cost is HK$300 for Friday, HK$750 for Saturday and HK$750 for Sunday. In addition an administration fee of HK$50 will be charge for each ticket.

To register http://hksevens.com/tickets/ballot-registration

Olympic Sevens Qualifier Tickets Onsale 14 August

An anonymous source has informed bc that tickets for the Women’s and Men’s Olympic Rugby 7s Qualifier tournament on the 7-8 November at the HK Stadium will go onsale on the 14th August from Ticketflap (www.ticketflap.com).

That 24 hours before the tickets are scheduled to go onsale there’s been no announcement to public is another example of the Union unable to organise a piss-up in a brewery. This despite rugby’s renowned enjoyment of the personal waitress service and beverages that many Wanchai and Angeles’s breweries offer.

While tickets prices were released weeks ago, $360 (2-day pass), $200 (1-day pass), there’s been no information from the HKRFU or Asia Rugby about the number of tickets for public sale. There should though, be more than the 3000/day HK Sevens tickets that the public were allowed to maul over in March.

The women’s qualifier is an 8 team event, the first part of a two leg qualification process that culminates in Tokyo on 28-29 November 2015. Teams competing in the women’s event are China, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Uzbekistan.

The men’s tournament is a 12 team event featuring with the men’s winner claiming Asia’s sole automatic slot amongst the 12 teams participating in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where Rugby Sevens will make its much anticipated debut.

Teams competing in the men’s event are Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Thailand and China

Asia Rugby Sevens Olympic Qualifier
Date: 7-8 November, 2015
Venue: HK Stadium
Tickets: $360 (2-day pass), $200 (1-day pass), under 12 free from Ticketflap
More info: Public sale from 14 August

Hong Kong Sevens 2015 – Sunday

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Click on any photo to see the complete gallery of images. This year’s bcene at the Sevens is powered by Sony’s α6000

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Hong Kong Sevens 2015 – Saturday

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Saturday at the HK Sevens, the South Stand is ‘full’ at 8:35am. Let the rugby begin…

Click on any photo to see the full gallery of images. This year’s bcene at the Sevens is powered by Sony’s α6000

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