Ahead of a two-month-long European Tour the Hong Kong Rugby Union has announced the men’s and women’s Sevens squads.
The tour includes tournaments in England and Portugal, (the squad’s first international competition since last November) and offers HKRU sevens coach Paul John a chance to restart Hong Kong’s rugby journey ahead of a busy international season which includes the Rugby World Cup Sevens in South Africa, the Asian Games (Hangzhou, Sept.), Rugby World Series qualifiers (Aug.), and the Hong Kong Sevens (Nov.).
Training in the United Kingdom also offers the opportunity to enter both squads into two events on the upcoming UK Super Sevens Series and the international sevens warm-up tournament in the Algarve in Portugal.
The squads feature most of Hong Kong’s top sevens players – including Max Woodward, Melody Li, Natasha Olson-Thorne, Max Denmark, Chong Ka-yan and ex-Hong Kong sprinter Hui Manling – as well as uncapped players looking to make an impact.
After months of no rugby, there is an essential need among both squads for warm-up games with international opposition to prepare and get match fit for the demanding upcoming tournament schedule which culminates (hopefully) with Hong Kong Sevens in early November.
HKRU Mens’s Sevens training squad (European Tour, Spring Summer 2022)
HKRU Women’s Sevens training squad (European Tour, Spring Summer 2022)
Additional reporting and images: HKRU, Asia Rugby