Hong Kong's rugby officials have settled on an eight-team First Division for the upcoming domestic season.
After mulling over the options, the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) has created four pools of eight teams, with each side playing in a round-robin tournament before going into a championship play-off.
Last year the First and Second Divisions comprised five and 12 teams, respectively. The leading club sides Valley and Hong Kong Football Club, will field two teams each in the top flight this year, which has been boldly billed as the 'Super Eights'.
Allan Payne, chief executive of the HKRFU, said the union was attempting to create 'uniformity' in Hong Kong rugby competitions. 'We want to try and get four divisions of eight teams across the board,' Payne told Sports Post.
The interest factor is likely to be provided by the elevation of the People's Liberation Army Sports Institute (PLA) team to the First Division. The PLA are expected to play most of their matches in Hong Kong, unlike last year, when Hong Kong clubs travelled to Shenzhen to play against them.
'From a practical point of view, that is not very likely to happen this year,' Payne said. 'It should be a lot easier for the PLA to get multiple-entry visas and come down here every week rather than for Hong Kong clubs to keep going into China.