Rugby Sevens Guide 2015: Meet the Hong Kong Team

Position: Sevens Captain/Fly Half/Full Back/Scrum Half
Born: Nov 13 1986, Hong Kong
Height: 1.8m
Weight: 84kg

Jamie Hood took over as captain of the Sevens squad from Rowan Varty in September 2013. This will be his fourth appearance in the Hong Kong tournament and his second at the helm. He also plays for the Hong Kong XVs squad and is scrum-half for Newedge Club in the Paul Y Premiership. We grabbed a few minutes with him ahead of this year’s games.

HK Magazine: How do you rate your chances of qualifying for the Sevens World Series this year?
Jamie Hood: It’s always going to be tough to qualify with only one space up for grabs. Even harder considering there are some really good teams involved in the qualifier. However we’ve been training well and are building slowly towards peaking at the right time. The support in the Hong Kong Stadium is also a massive plus for us. The noise when you run out of the tunnel is fantastic!

HK: What should the fans be most looking forward to this year?
JH: The rugby is incredible of course, but so are the performances and all of the people in fancy dress. My advice is to try and sample as much as possible and get around to different parts of the stadium to really soak up the atmosphere.

HK: Who are the biggest threats?
JH: We can’t take any team lightly, as there are no second chances in the qualifier. However, teams like Spain, who have been in the World Series for a few years, and Russia, who always perform well in Hong Kong, will be tough to beat, as will Zimbabwe and Tonga. We will definitely have to be on top of our game.

HK: How does the team prepare in the last few minutes before going on pitch?
JH: Different people prepare in different ways. In the last few moments, each of us is focusing on our individual roles and responsibilities and what we have to get done on the pitch. You can’t hear anything as soon as you line up in the tunnel as the noise in the stadium is so loud.