Hong Kong will review its decision not to take part in November's 'Rugby Asiad' in Sri Lanka, according to Allan Payne, executive director of the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union. 'Sri Lanka have asked us to reconsider our decision to not take part in the Rugby Asiad and we will review the case. I expect ... a decision soon,' Payne said yesterday. At last weekend's Sri Lankan Sevens in Kandy, HKRFU chairman Trevor Gregory was approached by his Sri Lankan counterpart, Nimal Lewke, who had pleaded for Hong Kong's presence at the tournament in Colombo from November 3-10. 'The Sri Lankan rugby union's chairman had appealed to Trevor, and asked him to re-look the decision not to participate,' Payne said. The three leading Asian sides - Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong - plus the Arabian Gulf and Singapore have said they would not play in the Sri Lanka tournament. The event was to be held in 2006 in Colombo, but was cancelled due to security reasons. 'Our focus this season for the XVs squad is the new Asian Five Nations Championship which kicks off in April next year. We had not originally pencilled in the Sri Lanka event,' Payne said. The Colombo series will be the final chapter in the history of the Asian Rugby Football Tournament, which has been held biennially since 1969 and is the oldest regional tournament after the Six Nations. It will be replaced by a championship played annually on a home and away basis and split into divisions.
