The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) is hopeful that in future the organisers of the Carlsberg 10s, Hong Kong Football Club, will accommodate a 'national' squad in the popular tournament. Pieter Schats, chief executive of the HKRFU, said yesterday that he hoped this would be the way forward. 'Everything will have to be done in consultation with Football Club. There won't be any decisions taken unilaterally by the Union, but maybe there is a possibility that a Hong Kong team could play in the future,' said Schats. At the Union's bidding, Football Club had this year invited a Hong Kong Barbarians - virtually a national squad barring those playing in the World Cup Sevens - to play at the March 18 and 19 event. The decision had apparently been taken without the knowledge of every member of the Football Club committee. On reflection, Club officials felt it was better to stick to tradition and not allow any of their players to play in the Hong Kong team as they wanted to field their strongest side. This resulted in the Hong Kong Barbarians being withdrawn and replaced by the Asian Barbarians, a team who will be bereft of any of the top men from Club and Kowloon, who have also been invited to field a side, and members of the World Cup Sevens team. After the national squad's impressive semi-final placing at the Ballymore International 10s last month, the Union had asked Football Club if they could field a similar team in the Carlsberg 10s. Schats said: 'It was only after this tournament that we approached Club. It has never been in the programme of the Union this season to field a national side in the Carlsberg 10s. Club host the tournament and it is perfectly within their rights to field the strongest possible team they want to. We don't want to stand as dictators and tell them what to do.' It will be a watershed in the history of the Carlsberg 10s if a Hong Kong side - including the best of Club's players - are allowed to play in future tournaments. The event was dreamed up as one which is open only to club teams and not composite sides. Former Rugby League stars Scott Gibbs and Allan Bateman are in a provisional 14-strong Welsh squad for the March 21-23 World Cup Sevens. Other illustrious names in the squad are Jonathan Davies, Ieuan Evans, Chris Walker and Rob Howley. Exciting DeA winger Chan Fuk-ping was included in Hong Kong's 13-strong provisional squad for the World Cup Sevens. The 20-year-old Chan was in the Hong Kong team who left yesterday for the Fiji Sevens, and a good performance could see him secure a berth in the final 10-man World Cup Sevens squad who will be named next week. HONG KONG SQUAD From: Stuart Krohn, Rodney McIntosh, Robin Bredbury, Ashley Billington, Isi Tu'ivai, Vaughan Going, John Dingley (all Valley), Rob Santos, Will Wild, Hamish Bowden (all Club), Chan Fuk-ping, Stephen Kidd, Mark Solomon (all DeA).
