Hong Kong sevens team captain Mark Wright will not play for the next six months following surgery on his right shoulder last week.
He will not be available for Hong Kong Sevens or the HSBC Asian Five Nations tournament.
'I had to fix my shoulder. The doctor who did the operation said it was badly messed up,' Wright said yesterday. 'I will miss the Hong Kong Sevens and the 15s test matches, but if there was a time to get the operation done, then this was the best time.'
The Hong Kong Sevens and the Asian Five Nations are the only big events for Hong Kong this year and Wright felt it was better to get his nagging problem fixed and return to 100 per cent fitness.
Wright, who underwent the operation last Thursday. said: 'There are no World Cup qualifiers or Asian Games and East Asian Games matches. I had an operation on my shoulder in 2009 but I hurt it badly soon after and ever since it has been troubling me.
'I'm still in pain, but hopefully I will be able to start gym work and come back stronger and better. This enforced break will give me the chance to work on my speed and I will be working hard on that and my fitness.'