LEADING international rugby official Keith Rowlands arrived in Hong Kong yesterday to assess the territory's capabilities of hosting the 1997 World Cup Sevens.
Rowlands, the International Rugby Football Board's secretary, will today visit the Hong Kong Stadium, which is currently under reconstruction, before meeting with local rugby officials at their North Point headquarters.
The IRFB will decide next month on the viability of a second World Cup following the moderate success of the inaugural tournament in Edinburgh, Scotland this April.
''I'm here to assess the possibility of Hong Kong staging the 1997 Rugby World Cup,'' said Rowlands. ''My job is to convince the IRFB that it should be held here.'' Hong Kong are the only Union willing to bid for the event, should it go ahead, and are hoping their expertise of organising the famous Rugby Sevens will convince the IRFB that a second World Cup is viable.
The territory have the backing of both Australia and New Zealand in their bid for the event.
England, fielding a largely second-string team, shocked everyone by winning the inaugural tournament at Murrayfield.