Payne to market Sevens in UK and generate Home Unions' support

Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) executive director Allan Payne is to lobby the Home Unions to send representative teams to next year's Hong Kong Sevens during his current summer holiday in Britain.

The absence of the four Home Unions from the last Hong Kong Sevens was a big blow. And the HKRFU executive knows how important - and attractive - it is to the tournament to have teams like England and Ireland playing here.

So when Payne packed his bags for a three-week holiday in England this week, he also took along with him the brief of convincing Britain's top rugby union officials to change their minds and approach to sevens participation next year.

'Yes, he will pay courtesy calls on a number of unions and the Hong Kong Sevens will loom large in his discussions,' said Dave Roberts, HKRFU commercial director, yesterday.

England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales all snubbed the Hong Kong Sevens this year. Only France, from the Five Nations family, deigned to grace the event in its first year under Chinese rule.

'It is important for us to have the Home Unions playing here. We would love to have the world's top 24 teams playing every year at the Hong Kong Sevens, as it would do a world of good for the televising, marketing, sponsorship and for the tournament as a whole,' said Roberts.

With this in mind, the HKRFU has sent out invitations earlier than normal - so that the unions, especially those in Britain, could have more time to 'reflect' on the invite.