Up-and-coming HK player Brian Leung inspired by HKSI elite status to pursue his rugby dream

With a bright career path now open for rugby players, local talent Brian Leung Ka-kiu is even more determined to realise his dream - becoming a full-time professional and playing for Hong Kong on the international stage.

Dubbed a "Salom Yiu Kam-shing of the future", Leung has already represented Hong Kong at under-14 level. And seeing the opportunities presented to Jamie Hood and his team since they became paid professionals at the Hong Kong Sports Institute has further whetted the 15-year-old's appetite for the sport.

The centre/winger has been to three Sevens and was at the stadium again this weekend with his coaches and teammates from club Operation Breakthrough who were granted access through the HKRFU's school programme.

"A friend of my mum is a coach in Operation Breakthrough," said Leung. "He brought me to rugby during the summer before I started my school year in grade six. After playing for a year or so, I started to dream about representing the Hong Kong team at the Sevens."

But he gave up this dream believing it was not a career, until learning of the new programme for elite rugby athletes.

"Now knowing I can actually take up the sport as my job, I'm fuelled up and will go for it," said Leung, despite suffering a setback in his ambitions.