Advertisement
Advertisement
HK Rugby Sevens 2015
Get more with myNEWS
A personalised news feed of stories that matter to you
Learn more
Hong Kong will be aiming to join the elite World Series tour. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Hong Kong Sevens line-up gives hosts best ever chance to reach World Series, says Rees

With long-time nemeses Japan out of the picture biggest stumbling blocks will be Spain, Russia, Tonga and South Korea

Asian champions Hong Kong have their best chance to qualify for the HSBC Sevens World Series, according to top official Dai Rees, after the 12-team qualifying tournament at the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens only threw up four main threats.

With long-time nemeses Japan out of the picture – they are now competing on the World Series after winning last year's qualifier in Hong Kong – Rees believes the biggest stumbling blocks will be European duo Spain and Russia, Oceania’s Tonga, and Asian rivals South Korea.

“These four teams will be our main threats to win that solitary berth,” said Rees, the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union’s head of technical development and performance.

“I think we have a great opportunity, the best we have ever had, and I’m fairly confident we can make it.

“Last year we defeated Italy in pool competition, but then lost to them in the semi-finals on the final day. Spain has been part of the World Series and it will be interesting to see if the one-year break has affected their sevens programme,” Rees added.

I think we have a great opportunity, the best we have ever had, and I’m fairly confident we can make it
Dai Rees

“We cannot take any team lightly. Everyone will be throwing the kitchen sink at qualifying.”

After beating Hong Kong in the semis last year, the Italians went on to lose the final to Japan, who replaced Spain as a World Series core team but are in last position after three of the nine legs of the 2014-15 season.

Organisers on Friday announced the 28 teams that will take part in the two-tier Hong Kong Sevens from March 27-29 at Hong Kong Stadium.

The main competition will be contested by 16 teams and in order of ranking after the first three rounds they are South Africa, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, England, Samoa, Scotland, USA, Wales, France, Canada, Portugal, Kenya and Japan.

Belgium, who are appearing at the Hong Kong Sevens for the first time, have been invited by World Rugby to play as the 16th team in the main competition.

The second tier tournament will comprise two teams from each region – Hong Kong and South Korea from Asia, Tunisia and Zimbabwe (Africa), Guyana and Mexico (Americas and Caribbean), Uruguay and Brazil (South America), Russia and Spain (Europe), and Tonga and Papua New Guinea (Oceania).

The 12 teams will be split into three pools of four and after the preliminary round robin competition the top eight teams will be re-seeded for the knock-out quarter-finals where one will play eight, two will play seven and so on.

The top four teams at the end of this season’s Sevens World Series will qualify directly for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Hong Kong Sevens draw gives hosts best ever chance to reach World Series - coach
Post