https://www.scmp.com/rss/524236/feed The latest news and top stories on Harry Sayers. Known for his dynamic play as a back, he represents the Hong Kong national rugby team in both Sevens and 15s, having notably scored points in a dominant victory over South Korea. He also plays professionally for Valley RFC in the Hong Kong Premiership and previously for South China Tigers and Canterbury RFC. Sayers has achieved significant milestones, including playing in the HSBC World 7s Series and winning the Asian World Championship with Hong... 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 Josh Ball Josh Ball Hong Kong rugby bosses believe they can be successful on several fronts over the next 18 months, despite a relatively small player pool and the setting of some ambitious targets. While preparations for the 2027 Rugby World Cup are likely to dominate the headlines for the next year and more, the city’s men also have their eyes on retaining their Asian Games sevens title and reaching the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Officials have spent the past six months thrashing out what that entails in terms of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hong-kong-rugby-union/article/3343190/olympic-sevens-and-world-cup-ambition-can-go-hand-hand-hong-kong-rugby-bosses-say?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hong-kong-rugby-union/article/3343190/olympic-sevens-and-world-cup-ambition-can-go-hand-hand-hong-kong-rugby-bosses-say?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:42:38 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball Hong Kong head coach Logan Asplin is under no illusions as to the “harsh reality” his side will face over the next 18 months as they prepare for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. The tournament’s opening game against Australia on October 1, followed by Chile and then the All Blacks two weeks later, will be preceded this year and next by Test matches against higher-ranked opposition in the Nations Cup and as many training games as can be arranged before the main event. The side’s South American rivals in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hong-kong-rugby-union/article/3342396/hong-kong-ready-harsh-reality-rugby-world-cup-coach-proud-progress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hong-kong-rugby-union/article/3342396/hong-kong-ready-harsh-reality-rugby-world-cup-coach-proud-progress?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Feb 2026 01:02:41 +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 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Harry Sayers spent large parts of his Christmas break in Sri Lanka outrunning stray dogs and dodging flying cricket balls, after Hong Kong’s rugby players pledged to retain optimum condition for their crunch HSBC SVNS 3 campaign this month. In a classic boom-or-bust scenario, the city’s sevens side must reach the final of the eight-team tournament in Dubai on January 17 and 18 to advance to the next division, a three-leg competition that holds the keys to the inaugural HSBC SVNS World... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hong-kong-rugby-union/article/3339037/hong-kong-star-outruns-dogs-dodges-cricket-balls-sri-lanka-crunch-7s-series?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hong-kong-rugby-union/article/3339037/hong-kong-star-outruns-dogs-dodges-cricket-balls-sri-lanka-crunch-7s-series?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball Qualifying for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia was the easy part; now the hard work begins for Hong Kong head coach Logan Asplin. Faced with the prospect of taking on the world’s best sides in one of the biggest sporting occasions there is, the New Zealander must build a team capable of holding their own. The first step has been to sign 26 players in the city to full-time contracts. Overseas stars have been brought in, the nucleus of the squad that won the Asia Rugby Championship kept... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hong-kong-rugby-union/article/3326693/rugby-world-cup-2027-journey-begins-hong-kong-aim-get-speed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hong-kong-rugby-union/article/3326693/rugby-world-cup-2027-journey-begins-hong-kong-aim-get-speed?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 09:30:09 +0000 Josh Ball Josh Ball Hong Kong’s men made history in Incheon on Saturday, qualifying for the Rugby World Cup for the first time. A 70-22 victory over South Korea sealed a sixth consecutive Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship title and booked a spot at the global tournament in Australia in 2027. Three years ago, Hong Kong escaped with a narrow 23-21 victory, thanks to Gregor McNeish’s final kick of the game. This time, they had run in three tries midway through the first half and were 39 points clear at the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hong-kong-rugby-union/article/3317080/hong-kong-men-make-history-qualify-rugby-world-cup-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/hong-kong-rugby-union/article/3317080/hong-kong-men-make-history-qualify-rugby-world-cup-first-time?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Jul 2025 07:51:34 +0000