https://www.scmp.com/rss/310898/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Jevon Groves has a “burning desire” to help Hong Kong make their Olympic sevens qualifying breakthrough, but the head coach said he would review his future following the 2028 Games cycle. The city team contested a full-blooded friendly training match against Fiji at Football Club on Wednesday as part of their preparations for the exhibition Melrose Claymores tournament, which will also feature Japan and China, at next week’s Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens. It is illustrative of the increasingly... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3349400/hong-kong-7s-coach-has-desire-olympics-first-targets-kai-tak-asian-games-double?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3349400/hong-kong-7s-coach-has-desire-olympics-first-targets-kai-tak-asian-games-double?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:00:11 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Returning to the scene of the first-ever Hong Kong Sevens, former city rugby captain Bob Lloyd admitted there was “no way” he could have imagined 50 years ago that the tournament would become what it is today. The first edition that kicked off at the Football Club on March 28, 1976, was the only Sevens tournament Lloyd competed in. A former England international with five caps and two career tries between 1967 and 1968, after he finished playing, Lloyd became the coach for the city’s team in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3348258/former-hong-kong-sevens-captain-bob-lloyd-relives-50-years-rugby-magic-tournament?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3348258/former-hong-kong-sevens-captain-bob-lloyd-relives-50-years-rugby-magic-tournament?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 12:30:12 +0000 SCMP SCMP This article was first published on March 29, 1976. By Jack Beattie World ‘sevens’ for HK? A seven-a-side rugby union world cup competition – and possibly staged in Hongkong! That’s the exciting prospect that emerged after yesterday’s first International “Sevens” Championships held at the Hongkong Football Club. Last night Rothmans and Cathay Pacific, the joint-sponsors of this unique event, which had 12 countries competing, were playing it a bit coy – but both agreed that a similar promotion... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3348128/first-hong-kong-sevens-rugby-tourney-held-1976-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3348128/first-hong-kong-sevens-rugby-tourney-held-1976-scmp-archive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 02:30:07 +0000 Mike Rowse Mike Rowse It was entirely by chance that I attended the first Hong Kong Sevens rugby tournament 50 years ago. It has been a priority annual event for me every year since. I was living in the old government quarters site at Leighton Hill at the time (later sold and now a luxury residential development) when a neighbour encouraged me to go. He had attended at the Football Club stadium just down the hill from us on the Saturday, really enjoyed it, and persuaded me to join him on the Sunday. Having nothing... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3348092/trip-down-memory-lane-how-hong-kong-sevens-has-evolved-world-class-event?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3348092/trip-down-memory-lane-how-hong-kong-sevens-has-evolved-world-class-event?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Fresh from being honoured at the Hong Kong Coaching Awards last weekend, Paul John said he still had unfinished business as head of the city’s sevens programme. Into his 10th year in the role, John was rewarded with the best team coach prize after Hong Kong’s men claimed National Games gold and strolled to Asia Rugby Sevens Series success in 2025. This year began on a low note, however, when the city team narrowly lost an HSBC SVNS 3 semi-final to Canada, costing them promotion to the second... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3347627/hong-kong-sevens-head-has-unfinished-business-underlines-world-and-olympic-aims?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3347627/hong-kong-sevens-head-has-unfinished-business-underlines-world-and-olympic-aims?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Stephy Zhang Stephy Zhang The Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens celebrates its 50th birthday next month, although there appears to be little excitement in the city as the tournament approaches. Rather than being ready to mark the special occasion, fans and businesses the South China Morning Post spoke to were more inclined to treat it as “just an ordinary week”, while bemoaning the rise in ticket prices. A first rise in prices since 2018 has taken the cost of a three-day ticket to HK$2,250 for adults and HK$1,100 for children... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3346719/hong-kong-sevens-hits-50-fans-more-focused-ticket-prices-just-ordinary-week?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3346719/hong-kong-sevens-hits-50-fans-more-focused-ticket-prices-just-ordinary-week?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:30:09 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport The Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens in April is promising to be the biggest in the tournament’s 50-year history, with organisers saying they had already sold the equivalent of 100,000 tickets. Last year’s crowd for the Sevens’ debut at Kai Tak Stadium was more than 110,000 for the three days, and officials expect to surpass that figure with all corporate boxes and individual hospitality sold out. The South Stand Pass category offering access to the infamous party area is also sold out, although... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3342359/hong-kong-sevens-rugby-expects-another-bumper-crowd-2026-after-selling-100000-tickets?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3342359/hong-kong-sevens-rugby-expects-another-bumper-crowd-2026-after-selling-100000-tickets?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Feb 2026 09:30:37 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Hong Kong have suffered more rugby sevens heartbreak, surrendering a late lead to lose 24-19 to Canada in sudden-death extra time of their crunch HSBC SVNS 3 semi-final on Sunday. Head coach Jevon Groves’ side were 19-14 in front with 60 seconds remaining in Dubai, only for an Adam Doane try to draw Canada level. Thomas Isherwood missed the conversion, but gained almost immediate redemption when he crossed for the winning score two minutes into the additional period. As a result of World Rugby’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3340325/hong-kongs-sevens-heartbreak-world-rugby-meddling-plunges-beaten-city-team-void?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3340325/hong-kongs-sevens-heartbreak-world-rugby-meddling-plunges-beaten-city-team-void?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 10:29:19 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Hong Kong were poised for a win-or-bust clash with Colombia late on Saturday night, after the city team experienced mixed fortunes in their opening two HSBC SVNS 3 matches in Dubai. They recovered from trailing at half-time to begin their day with a 33-14 victory over Tonga, only to then come unstuck in a 31-17 defeat by Samoa. Hong Kong had to finish in the top two of their four-team group to book a spot in Sunday’s semi-finals. Only progress to the final is good enough to qualify for the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3340276/hong-kong-sevens-team-battle-keep-season-alive-win-or-bust-colombia-clash-dubai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3340276/hong-kong-sevens-team-battle-keep-season-alive-win-or-bust-colombia-clash-dubai?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 14:39:32 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Jevon Groves has worked his Hong Kong players to the bone ahead of a potentially watershed weekend in Dubai, one year after the city team “couldn’t stand the intensity” of Challenger Series rugby. Hong Kong must reach Sunday’s HSBC SVNS 3 final to advance to the next stage, a three-leg competition over February and March that will provide four tickets to the inaugural HSBC SVNS World Championship Round. But as much as Groves, the head coach, is keen to stave off the possibility of no serious... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3339846/hong-kong-aim-close-intensity-gap-season-hangs-balance-hsbc-svns-3?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3339846/hong-kong-aim-close-intensity-gap-season-hangs-balance-hsbc-svns-3?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 23:00:09 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport This year’s Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens pumped almost US$100 million into the city’s economy, according to a report from leading global analytics firm Nielsen. Held at Kai Tak Stadium for the first time, the three-day event in March had a total attendance of 110,907, the report said, with Saturday drawing the largest number of fans to the 50,000-seat venue. While local supporters made up the lion’s share of that figure, almost 24 per cent were visitors, with officials estimating that 10,000 had... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3336220/hong-kong-sevens-injected-almost-us100-million-local-economy-kai-tak-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3336220/hong-kong-sevens-injected-almost-us100-million-local-economy-kai-tak-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 09:30:08 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Although it would be an exaggeration to say that rugby sevens is fighting for its life, this is a sport in urgent need of care and attention. World Rugby’s attempt to apply a healing hand this year resulted in the sort of messy outcome that one would expect if a hospital handed its surgical instruments to the porter. In slashing the number of core World Series teams from 12 to eight and introducing a convoluted and labyrinthine qualifying process for its new World Championships, the global... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3332150/hong-kong-rugby-delicate-balancing-act-it-hunts-olympic-games-world-cup-spots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3332150/hong-kong-rugby-delicate-balancing-act-it-hunts-olympic-games-world-cup-spots?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 00:00:14 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Head coach Jevon Groves has called on his senior stars to “inspire the next generation”, after Hong Kong declared their hand for the National Games rugby sevens at Kai Tak Stadium this week. A formidable-looking 13-strong men’s squad will be spearheaded by James Christie and Seb Brien, the co-captains, wing wizard Max Denmark and evergreen Cado Lee Ka-to. And ahead of what could prove a last sevens hoorah for some key figures, given the city’s 15s team’s qualification for the 2027 Rugby World... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3332234/hong-kong-rugby-sevens-teams-named-national-games-asked-inspire-generation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3332234/hong-kong-rugby-sevens-teams-named-national-games-asked-inspire-generation?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Nov 2025 11:57:53 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Co-captain James Christie has said it would be a “huge honour” to lead Hong Kong in the National Games next month, before he hunkers down for an austere Christmas ahead of his team’s next challenge. Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium will stage the Games’ three-day rugby sevens tournaments from November 12. On their return to the competition after a 12-year absence, the hosts’ men are in a pool with Shandong, Tianjin and Inner Mongolia. “It’s a huge honour being back in the National Games, especially... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3330798/hong-kong-rugby-star-enjoy-national-games-honour-christmas-denial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3330798/hong-kong-rugby-star-enjoy-national-games-honour-christmas-denial?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Oct 2025 04:00:14 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara As one of the city’s sporting poster boys, Max Denmark has embraced the “grand scale” of next month’s National Games, and is relishing the prospect of watching his mainland sprinting idols duelling for gold. Before he can turn his gaze to the Guangdong Olympic Stadium, however, the Hong Kong rugby sevens flier will focus on the “tough and interesting challenge” that awaits his team over three days at Kai Tak Stadium. Denmark has two Asian Games gold medals, from 2018 and 2023, but this year... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3330332/hong-kong-rugby-sevens-star-max-denmark-relishing-grand-scale-national-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3330332/hong-kong-rugby-sevens-star-max-denmark-relishing-grand-scale-national-games?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 02:00:13 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Liam Herbert was once “booted out” of Hong Kong’s youth rugby programme. Courted by football clubs in England following a series of trials, he ran for the hills. “I’d been homesick and was calling my parents, telling them I wanted to get out,” Herbert said. “I came back and they were fuming, they told me, ‘You idiot, get on with it’.” Showing an aptitude for understatement to match the talent and physicality that have made him one of Hong Kong’s outstanding rugby sevens players, Herbert added:... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3329778/how-liam-herbert-went-wasteman-hong-kong-key-man-national-games-rugby-7s?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3329778/how-liam-herbert-went-wasteman-hong-kong-key-man-national-games-rugby-7s?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Oct 2025 00:00:12 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Andy Vilk has said his Hong Kong players would take time to absorb the hammer blow of missing HSBC SVNS 3 qualification before gathering themselves for an assault on National Games glory. On Sunday, the city women’s team lost a make-or-break Asia Rugby Sevens Series third-place play-off 10-5 against Thailand in Sri Lanka. Hong Kong finished level on points with the Thais after the two-leg series, but their opponents advanced, along with Japan and China, because of their superior head-to-head... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3329822/hong-kong-absorbing-asian-series-hammer-blow-national-games-medal-assault?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3329822/hong-kong-absorbing-asian-series-hammer-blow-national-games-medal-assault?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 01:00:30 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan My previous column explored how the fear of repercussions is driving widespread self-censorship within institutions and public discourse. Yet, at the same time, the world of sports is experiencing a troubling increase in toxic behaviour, where once-unifying arenas are becoming battlegrounds of hostility and division. At the recent Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York, Rory McIlroy and the European team faced relentless abuse, including verbal taunts, homophobic slurs and even outright... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3329131/hong-kong-can-showcase-true-sportsmanship-national-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3329131/hong-kong-can-showcase-true-sportsmanship-national-games?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 01:30:09 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Hong Kong rugby sevens mainstay Liam Herbert has targeted the twin goals of “getting one up on China”, and earning a HSBC SVNS 3 shot over this weekend’s Asia Rugby Sevens Series leg in Sri Lanka. The city team powered to victory in last month’s first leg in Hangzhou. A repeat performance in Colombo would book their spot in the rebranded global sevens competition and lay down a marker for next month’s National Games at Kai Tak Stadium. “We went to Hangzhou to show what we could do after all the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3329209/hong-kong-aim-get-one-china-city-rugby-sevens-teams-gun-asian-joy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3329209/hong-kong-aim-get-one-china-city-rugby-sevens-teams-gun-asian-joy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 09:30:09 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Hong Kong women’s rugby sevens star Nam Ka-man said her team were “super-proud” after the city’s teams took positive first steps towards the distant goal of reaching global sevens’ elite level this season. Nam and her teammates staged a late comeback in Hangzhou on Sunday to beat Thailand 19-17 in a gripping Asia Rugby Sevens Series third-place play-off. That meant they finished behind only Japan and China, both of whom had already qualified for the revised HSBC SVNS calendar. With that placing,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3326311/hong-kong-teams-take-solid-first-steps-towards-world-stage-after-vital-asian-series-wins?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3326311/hong-kong-teams-take-solid-first-steps-towards-world-stage-after-vital-asian-series-wins?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Sep 2025 00:00:16 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Only nine years after she was inspired by her brother to begin playing rugby, Julia Mibuy Mba Oyana has set her sights on being a key part of Hong Kong’s Olympics quest. Her journey will resume this weekend when she returns to Hong Kong colours for the first leg of the Asia Rugby Sevens Series in Hangzhou. Hong Kong-born Mba Oyana spent the first 10 years of her life in Hangzhou’s neighbour, Shanghai. Coming back to Hong Kong, her sporting passions were handball and track running. But when her... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3325986/olympic-rugby-dream-starts-hangzhou-hong-kongs-shanghai-raised-mba-oyana?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3325986/olympic-rugby-dream-starts-hangzhou-hong-kongs-shanghai-raised-mba-oyana?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Sep 2025 23:45:08 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Seb Brien has said the chance to remain best in the region is all the incentive Hong Kong need as they begin the Asia Rugby Sevens Series. It is just as well: there is further to climb to reach the global elite this time. Not that Brien lacks motivation, having battled back from a serious injury suffered last year and managed to start a business and get married during his enforced downtime. Now he is returning to action for the city’s men, who start this year’s Asian competition in Hangzhou this... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3325902/hong-kong-sevens-ace-was-sent-devastating-email-now-hes-fit-take-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3325902/hong-kong-sevens-ace-was-sent-devastating-email-now-hes-fit-take-world?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 17 Sep 2025 23:45:07 +0000 Tom Bell Tom Bell Ticket details have been revealed for the 2026 Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, as the tournament prepares to celebrate half a century in existence. Next year’s edition, to be held at Kai Tak Stadium from April 17 to 19, will mark 50 years since the event’s inception in 1976. The first key date for ticket sales is October 1, when priority access will begin for registered members of local rugby clubs. International ticket and travel packages will go on sale in early October through the tournament’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3325708/hong-kong-sevens-2026-ticket-details-announced-50th-anniversary-tournament?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3325708/hong-kong-sevens-2026-ticket-details-announced-50th-anniversary-tournament?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Sep 2025 07:35:54 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara The 2026 Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens has been scheduled for mid-April and confirmed as the opening leg of the inaugural HSBC SVNS World Championship. Hong Kong remain in the dark, however, over their precise route into the elite competition, three weeks before the city teams begin their campaigns with an Asia Rugby Sevens Series (ARSS) competition in Hangzhou. Kai Tak Stadium will stage its second Hong Kong Sevens from April 17 to 19. The 2025 edition, which concluded with Argentina’s men and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3323887/hong-kong-sevens-set-mid-april-and-chosen-launch-controversial-world-championship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3323887/hong-kong-sevens-set-mid-april-and-chosen-launch-controversial-world-championship?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 01 Sep 2025 06:45:29 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Rookie Leroy Carter was still coming to terms with his inclusion in the All Blacks squad to play in Argentina in the opening rounds of the Rugby Championship when he made the shocking discovery: “The dog ate my passport.” The utility back with the Hamilton-based Chiefs was one of four uncapped players included in Scott Robertson’s Championship squad. The phone call from Robertson telling him of his selection had come as a massive surprise. Carter was rushing to get things together for the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3321062/dog-mauled-my-passport-family-pooch-mars-newcomers-all-blacks-call?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3321062/dog-mauled-my-passport-family-pooch-mars-newcomers-all-blacks-call?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Aug 2025 07:30:08 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Rosie Wright has vowed to fight tooth and nail for her international rugby career, after “excruciating” surgery to repair a third tear of her left anterior cruciate ligament. Hong Kong sevens player Wright had been feeling “better than ever” before she suffered the knee injury in April that has ruled her out of this year’s National Games. “My foot got stuck under the person tackling me, then somebody hit me from above, and my body and knee twisted,” said Wright, who had surgery at London’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3320591/hong-kong-rugby-star-pledges-overcome-shock-third-knee-injury?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3320591/hong-kong-rugby-star-pledges-overcome-shock-third-knee-injury?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Aug 2025 00:45:10 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Two major Hong Kong sevens figures are set for long-awaited returns to action after they were included in squads for this weekend’s LIT Super Sevens Series climax in England. Seb Brien has been sidelined since he tore an anterior cruciate ligament in Hong Kong’s 15s victory over Brazil in July last year. Melody Li Nim-yan, meanwhile, has been away since January 2024 to have a child. Brien’s injury deprived him of the chance to play in Kai Tak Stadium’s debut Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3316891/key-hong-kong-rugby-sevens-pair-set-return-after-injury-and-childbirth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3316891/key-hong-kong-rugby-sevens-pair-set-return-after-injury-and-childbirth?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Jul 2025 00:00:08 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara After playing a significant role in the inaugural Rugby Premier League in India, Michael Coverdale has hailed franchise tournaments as “the way forward” for the troubled sevens format. World Rugby has consistently meddled with international sevens, most recently chopping the number of elite series teams from 12 to eight for next season. As some countries axe or reduce their full-time programmes, RPL provided a two-week platform for some of the planet’s best players to perform and earn. The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3316661/rugby-premier-league-hong-kong-star-backs-franchise-model-power-rugby-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3316661/rugby-premier-league-hong-kong-star-backs-franchise-model-power-rugby-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:30:09 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball World Rugby has said the changes to its sevens competition were designed to secure the sport’s financial future and grow its global reach ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Confirming it was slashing the number of teams in the World Series from 12 to eight, and installing a six-team second division, the sport’s governing body also said regular tournaments would be cut from three days to just two. There was no word, however, on the format for the new World Championship Series, which will be... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3308766/sevens-financial-future-stake-changes-necessary-olympics-world-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3308766/sevens-financial-future-stake-changes-necessary-olympics-world-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 May 2025 02:42:46 +0000 Hong Kong players will be able to gain vital insights when they rub shoulders with some of the world’s best sevens exponents in India in June. That is the view of Paul John, the head of Hong Kong sevens rugby, who said it was imperative for his charges to acquire more experience outside the handful of do-or-die tournaments they contest every year. Michael Coverdale, Mak Kwai-chung and Fong Kit-fung are all going to the pioneering Indian-staged Rugby Premier League (RPL), whose six franchise... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3307908/indias-rpl-circuit-will-be-high-quality-sevens-experience-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3307908/indias-rpl-circuit-will-be-high-quality-sevens-experience-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Apr 2025 23:30:09 +0000 We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. In earthquake-stricken Myanmar, rescuers claw at debris with hands 2. What if curing cancer could cost 99% less in China? 3. From underdog to genius: Yale computer scientist Sun Huanbo returns to China 4. Comac C949: China unveils quiet supersonic jet with ultra-long range 5. ‘Ridiculous’:... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3304509/myanmar-earthquake-curing-cancer-china-hong-kong-sevens-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3304509/myanmar-earthquake-curing-cancer-china-hong-kong-sevens-5-weekend-reads-you-missed?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Mar 2025 04:30:10 +0000 The Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens is over for another year, and what a weekend it was – an incredible coming-out party for the tournament’s new home and a thrilling three days of rugby. Argentina’s men won for the first time, and New Zealand’s women for the third in a row, and Hong Kong’s teams put together a double delight for the home crowd. So, after 74 matches, countless tries, world-class entertainment and a couple of hiccups, here are five things we learned this weekend. Kai Tak... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304506/hong-kong-sevens-5-things-we-learned-another-incredible-weekend-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304506/hong-kong-sevens-5-things-we-learned-another-incredible-weekend-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Mar 2025 00:00:43 +0000 Peerless Argentina confirmed their emergence as the world’s best men’s team by beating France 12-7 in a physical, unforgiving Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens final on Sunday. A 10th-minute yellow card for France’s Liam Delamere, when the game was scoreless, proved decisive. Santiago Alvarez immediately charged over, after collecting a pass from the man who replaced him as captain last year, Santiago Mare. With France still a man down, the electric Marcos Moneta shimmied in the middle of the pitch,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304485/hong-kong-sevens-argentina-win-mens-title-write-new-history-seal-world-best-status?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304485/hong-kong-sevens-argentina-win-mens-title-write-new-history-seal-world-best-status?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Mar 2025 13:43:05 +0000 As Mark Roche gave away his match-worn socks to a gleeful young fan inside Kai Tak Stadium, it was tempting to wonder if the hard-up Irish union would scold their player for his generosity. After reporting losses of £15.3 million (US$19.8 million) in their 2023-24 accounts, which they blamed on costs for their men’s 15s’ 2023 World Cup quarter-final campaign, Irish rugby made changes to their “funding model”. It is believed that Ireland’s sevens teams have been in the crosshairs of cost-cutting... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304484/hong-kong-sevens-ireland-journey-threatens-downwards-turn-spain-surge?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304484/hong-kong-sevens-ireland-journey-threatens-downwards-turn-spain-surge?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Mar 2025 13:25:12 +0000 New Zealand’s women were crowned champions of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens for a third year in a row on Sunday after beating arch-rivals Australia 26-19 in the final. The Olympic champions’ first two victories were at the Hong Kong Stadium and they followed that up with the first title at the city’s new Kai Tak Stadium. But New Zealand were made to work for their “three-peat”, as they went behind for the first time all weekend and played the final two minutes of the first half a player... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3304479/hong-kong-sevens-new-zealand-women-complete-three-peat-win-over-australia-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3304479/hong-kong-sevens-new-zealand-women-complete-three-peat-win-over-australia-final?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Mar 2025 13:00:08 +0000 Hong Kong coaches have identified what their teams need to do in the months to come before the city hosts the National Games in November. The city’s men’s team retained the Melrose Claymores trophy with an emphatic 38-5 win over China, while their women’s counterparts blew Kazakhstan away in a 45-5 win, playing most of the final with a numerical advantage. Hong Kong Sevens debutant Sabay Lynam was again the star with another two tries, making her the team’s top scorer with five from three... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3304475/hong-kong-coaches-lay-out-years-plans-after-teams-clinch-melrose-claymores-double?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3304475/hong-kong-coaches-lay-out-years-plans-after-teams-clinch-melrose-claymores-double?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Mar 2025 12:30:17 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Sevens comes to a conclusion on Sunday, and there is sure to be as much interest in what happens off the pitch as on it. Saturday was not a good one for Kai Tak Sports Park, and the dismissive manner with which they handled people’s complaints over a lack of food and drink is not... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3304448/hong-kong-sevens-france-black-ferns-chase-history-citys-teams-finals-day-3-live?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3304448/hong-kong-sevens-france-black-ferns-chase-history-citys-teams-finals-day-3-live?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Mar 2025 01:59:59 +0000 A quirk in the draw at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens on Saturday saw New Zealand beat Brazil twice in a row to set up a Sunday semi-final against Canada, a repeat of last summer’s Paris Olympics gold medal match. The Hong Kong draw has still, more logically, kept the Black Ferns on track to meet Australia in a final many hoped to see at Kai Tak Stadium on Sunday. The New Zealanders saw off Brazil for the second time by 31-17, while Australia recorded a 35-5 win over USA and will face France... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3304447/hong-kong-sevens-new-zealand-set-womens-semi-final-canada-australia-face-france?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3304447/hong-kong-sevens-new-zealand-set-womens-semi-final-canada-australia-face-france?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Mar 2025 01:58:36 +0000 New Zealand’s Jazmin Felix-Hotham was no stranger to playing in the Hong Kong Sevens but this year is a special one for her. Playing at the new Kai Tak Stadium was only one of the reasons: the trip to the city also reunited her with her father, Nigel Hotham, who moved to Hong Kong last summer. A renowned rugby coach back home, Hotham Snr accepted a role with local Premiership outfit USRC Tigers and decided to embrace “a change of my lifestyle” with his wife Dianne, after spending the past three... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3304421/hong-kong-sevens-new-zealand-star-has-extra-special-reason-enjoy-tournament-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3304421/hong-kong-sevens-new-zealand-star-has-extra-special-reason-enjoy-tournament-year?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Mar 2025 01:30:15 +0000 Australia star Maddison Levi has hailed the contribution that the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens has helped to make in giving women opportunities to play high-profile matches in front of thousands of spectators. Levi became Australia’s highest career try-scorer on Friday at the age of just 22 when she crossed four times against Canada, following a hat-trick against Spain, to take her total to 189. She added two more on Saturday. Having surpassed the previous record of 186 held by her idol,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3304406/australian-record-breaker-maddison-levi-thanks-hong-kong-sevens-giving-women-stage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3304406/australian-record-breaker-maddison-levi-thanks-hong-kong-sevens-giving-women-stage?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Mar 2025 00:30:13 +0000 The 2025 Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens at the new Kai Tak Stadium reaches a conclusion on Sunday, March 30. As everyone gets used to the tournament’s new home in Kowloon, the Post takes you through what you need to know. Hong Kong Sevens tickets As of Saturday evening, only three-day passes remained for sale. If you’re still keen to join the fray, those are available from the event’s official ticketing platform for HK$1,950 (US$250) per adult or HK$950 per child (ages 3-12) plus fees. All... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3304426/hong-kong-sevens-2025-guide-day-3-tickets-schedule-how-get-there-sunday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3304426/hong-kong-sevens-2025-guide-day-3-tickets-schedule-how-get-there-sunday?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Mar 2025 23:30:08 +0000 New Zealand have lost their grip on the Hong Kong Sevens crown after France staged a stunning comeback to beat the two-time defending champions 21-14 in an absorbing quarter-final at chilly Kai Tak Stadium. The French, whose bloodstained forward Antoine Zeghdar called the victory his team’s best since they won last summer’s Olympic final, will meet Fiji in the semi-finals – a repeat of the Paris final – after the 19-time champions survived a dramatic Spanish recovery to win their last-eight... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304430/hong-kong-sevens-new-zealand-reign-ended-france-fightback-fiji-break-spanish-hearts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304430/hong-kong-sevens-new-zealand-reign-ended-france-fightback-fiji-break-spanish-hearts?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Mar 2025 14:01:50 +0000 Hong Kong captain James Christie warned his team that their landslide 43-21 victory over Japan on Saturday would mean nothing if they do not finish the job in Sunday’s Melrose Claymores final. For the second straight day, the city’s men overcame a sticky start to thrill a raucous Kai Tak Stadium. There was a sense of deja vu, too, in the way the Hong Kong women got the ball rolling, walloping Thailand 47-0 about 24 hours after they inflicted similar pain on Kazakhstan. For the men, there is a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304425/hong-kong-sevens-hosts-told-finish-job-following-more-thrills-kai-tak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304425/hong-kong-sevens-hosts-told-finish-job-following-more-thrills-kai-tak?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Mar 2025 13:27:29 +0000 As a descendant of Kenyan running royalty, Samuel Asati was perhaps always destined to compete in elite sporting circles. However, until the rugby sevens star received the cane for “skiving school” to play football, Asati – whose grandfather Charles Asati won 4x400 metres Olympic gold in 1972 – thought his future was in the round-ball game. Keen to continue dodging lessons at his Genesis Academy school back in 2012, Asati responded to being caught playing hookey by joining the rugby team, which... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304415/hong-kong-sevens-how-being-caned-turned-kenyan-sporting-royal-rugby-7s-star?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304415/hong-kong-sevens-how-being-caned-turned-kenyan-sporting-royal-rugby-7s-star?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Mar 2025 11:00:13 +0000 China women’s dramatic sudden-death victory over Great Britain on Saturday saw them avoid the possibility of finishing as the tournament’s worst team at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens. A 24-10 defeat by the United States in their final Pool C fixture earlier in the day had left them in danger of a last-place finish. But they battled to outlast Britain and record their first win of the weekend, which means they will finish as high as ninth should they beat Spain on Sunday. China led the match... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3304417/chinas-dramatic-win-v-gb-sees-them-avoid-worst-team-tag-hong-kong-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3304417/chinas-dramatic-win-v-gb-sees-them-avoid-worst-team-tag-hong-kong-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Mar 2025 09:43:32 +0000 Henry Hutchison, the Australia captain, said managing the “emotional and physical comedown” following last summer’s Olympic Games had been a challenge for his team. Nonetheless, the 28-year-old is confident Australia are coming back to the boil, as they aim for a first tournament success since their November 2022 Hong Kong triumph. Australia’s men’s side finished a disappointing seventh in last year’s HSBC SVNS Series, before losing an Olympic bronze medal playoff against South... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304408/hong-kong-sevens-australia-aiming-big-dance-after-recovering-olympic-comedown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304408/hong-kong-sevens-australia-aiming-big-dance-after-recovering-olympic-comedown?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Mar 2025 07:20:42 +0000 China’s women’s team have come to the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens to beat the United States, the side’s coach has revealed. Fan Shun-kei, technical coach with the mainland China squad, said on Friday he was “100 per cent confident” his side would retain their place in the HSBC SVNS Series and had targeted a win over the US along the way. In the SVNS Series, the bottom four teams at the end of the season compete in relegation play-offs at the Grand Final in Los Angeles. The top eight in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3304366/hong-kong-sevens-china-target-win-over-usa-aid-svns-series-survival-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3304366/hong-kong-sevens-china-target-win-over-usa-aid-svns-series-survival-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Mar 2025 01:00:19 +0000 This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. Saturday at the Sevens can only mean one thing – fancy dress and lots of it. If Friday is the gentle introduction to the weekend, then Saturday is no holds barred, no turning back, a day when you go all in, both on and off the pitch. For the teams it’s about making the quarter-finals, or... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304389/hong-kong-sevens-fancy-dress-fly-pasts-and-race-quarter-finals-day-2-live?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304389/hong-kong-sevens-fancy-dress-fly-pasts-and-race-quarter-finals-day-2-live?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Mar 2025 01:00:19 +0000 The 2025 Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens continues on Saturday March 29 at the new Kai Tak Stadium. As fans adjust to the tournament’s move across the harbour to Kowloon, the Post takes you through all you need to know. Hong Kong Sevens tickets As of Friday evening, three-day passes remained available from the event’s official ticketing platform for HK$1,950 (US$250) per adult or HK$950 per child (ages 3-12) plus fees. All corporate hospitality suites and corporate boxes have been sold. How to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304362/hong-kong-sevens-2025-guide-day-2-tickets-schedule-how-get-there-saturday?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304362/hong-kong-sevens-2025-guide-day-2-tickets-schedule-how-get-there-saturday?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Mar 2025 23:30:08 +0000 A new era of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens began at Kai Tak Stadium on Friday, winning plaudits from players and supporters alike and with organisers hailing “an exciting new chapter in the tournament’s storied history”. With 90 per cent of the 47,000 tickets sold, officials said 33,735 fans passed through the gates on the first day, estimating that was around 5,000 more compared with recent years. And those supporters were not only dazzled by a three-minute light show during the opening... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304367/hong-kong-sevens-kai-tak-stadium-heralds-start-exciting-new-chapter-events-history?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hk-sevens/article/3304367/hong-kong-sevens-kai-tak-stadium-heralds-start-exciting-new-chapter-events-history?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Mar 2025 15:15:07 +0000