Rugby is one of the most successful team sports in Hong Kong. The sport saw success in the team category at the Sports Stars Awards last week after winning the first team sport medal at an Asian Games for Hong Kong.

But selection criteria at the Sports Institute require any sport to have two good results at senior and junior levels to be considered for elite status.

However, it is not through any fault of the players that rugby has been short-changed, as there are no junior sevens tournaments internationally.

'That will change this year when the inaugural Asian Under-20 Sevens Championship is held,' Gregory said. 'We have had to rely only on senior results in the past but that will change now.'

The Hong Kong women's sevens team won the bronze medal at the East Asian Games in Hong Kong and finished fourth at the Asian Games in Guangzhou.

They were denied the bronze when the referee disallowed Hong Kong from taking a conversion against Thailand with the scores level at full time as he believed the player was wasting time. Thailand went on to score in sudden death extra time to win the medal.

However, the Sports Institute received a massive bonanza last week in the budget when the government announced plans for a HK$7 billion fund with annual investment returns going towards elite sports. It is estimated this will amount to HK$300 million annually - HK$100 million more than what the 14 elite sports currently receive.

Gymnastics is set to join the elite bracket from April 1 and rugby wants to become the first team sport to get full-time support for its athletes, ranging from money to the use of facilities at the Sha Tin academy. Soccer was part of the elite programme before losing its place in 1998.

The men's rugby team won the silver medal at the Asian Games in November last year and the East Asian Games in December 2009.

The East Asian Games result gave Hong Kong rugby a foot in the door at the Sports Institute where the players were given monthly grants under the individual athlete support scheme.

That support was for one year and will end this month. But their silver medal-winning feat in Guangzhou was enough to ensure that rugby will continue to receive backing for another two years - and at an increased level.

At present, 13 players receive a maximum of HK$6,500 each per month for their heroics at the East Asian Games. They are Adam Raby, Fan Shun-kei, Anthony Haynes, Ed Haynes, Ben Ho Tsz-chun, Kwok Ka-chun, Simon Leung Ho-yam, Keith Robertson, Tsang Hing-hung, Rowan Varty, Jeff Wong Chun-kiu, Mark Wright and Salom Yiu Kam-shing.

Most of this squad were also part of the Asian Games team and are now in line for an increased payout as the silver medal saw rugby jump from the elite C category to elite A. In money terms, this means the players can receive a maximum of HK$16,000 per month.

'This grant has been a great help for us and I hope we will continue getting it,' said Wright, who captained the Asian Games squad.

HKRFU head of performance and head coach Dai Rees also welcomed the grant, saying it made his job easier as the money would result in more players choosing to stay in Hong Kong.

'We are very grateful for the support as it encourages players to stay in Hong Kong,' Rees said. 'We will continue to work closely with the Sports Institute and look at ways to building our relationship.'

A few years ago, the HKRFU began a short-lived scheme paying players in the national sevens squad with Robertson, Wright and Varty becoming the first 'professionals' in local rugby.