CHINESE mini-rugby players will outnumber expatriates in two years' time. That is the prediction of Trevor Gregory, chairman of the Hongkong Mini-Rugby Football Union, who was impressed with the turn-out at yesterday's Kai Tak Festival, held at King's Park. He said Chinese kids were showing more and more interest in mini-rugby and yesterday's tournament - the third of the season - attracted almost 1,000 players from more than 70 clubs and involved 150 matches. ''It's only a guesstimate, but I'd say there was almost a 50-50 split between Chinese and expatriate youngsters,'' said Gregory. ''The Chinese players are really getting into it and in a couple of years, they will outstrip the expatriates. ''The Chinese youngsters' levels of skill are improving all the time.'' Under-13 Japanese player Kazuhiko Izuin, of Hongkong Football Club, won the player of the tournament trophy, which was Serevi's Boot, donated by Fijian sevens ace Waisale Serevi. Tai Hang Tung's Chiu Tak-wai won the under-10 award and Jacob Heilbronn, of the territory's newest club, Hongkong University Sandy Bay, took the under-seven award. The next event will be the Hongkong Football Club tournament at Sports Road on February 21. The season's final tournament will be the Flying Kukris event at Sek Kong on March 14. The mini-rugby union are affiliated to the Hongkong Rugby Football Union.
