Young guns recruited to Hong Kong sevens squad ‘add depth’
Coach Gareth Baber wants a bigger pool of talent as he sets sights on Asian Games glory
Youngsters Andrew Bridle, Gary Wong and Bradley Raper have been drafted into a 15-strong Hong Kong training squad as rugby sevens head coach Gareth Baber tries to increase the talent pool before the Asian Games in Incheon in September.
Wong, 21, has a Hong Kong passport, while Bridle, 23, has applied for one. Raper, 25, is new to the sevens programme and does not hold a local passport – a requirement for the Asian Games – but with the Asian Sevens Series also scheduled to start in August an increased depth in players is crucial and he could come into contention.
They can all push themselves forward for contention to play in the Asian Sevens Series or at the Asian Games if they are eligible
"These players have all been playing in Hong Kong for various clubs and have been identified as potential sevens players," said Baber, who will be casting his net wide for the Incheon Games where the target is to win a medal.
"Both Gary and Andrew went on a development tournament trip to Margaret River (Australia) earlier this year where they both performed well. The [upcoming] Canadian trip will provide an opportunity to see how effectively these players can integrate into the full squad."
Hong Kong will travel to Canada for a 10-day camp (July 3-13) where they will train and play against the Canadian national sevens team.
The rest of the tour squad comprises Nick Hewson, Jamie Hood, Kwok Ka-chun, Tomasi Lawa, Cado Lee Ka-to, Chris Maize, Alex McQueen, Tom McQueen, Josh Peters, Rowan Varty, Max Woodward and Salom Yiu Kam-shing.