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Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games: Hong Kong women’s rugby sevens team have belief and firepower to push for qualification, says coach Iain Monaghan
- Co-captains Li and Olson-Thorne to lead Hong Kong’s pool C campaign in Monaco next month
- Coach Monaghan balances ‘excitement’ and ‘trepidation’ as they prepare for first international matches in 18 months
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The Hong Kong Rugby Union announced its representative rugby sevens teams for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games repechage qualifiers in Monaco scheduled next month.
Hong Kong men’s and women’s will be aiming to finish top of their groups and progress through the knockout rounds from June 18-20, where 5,000 fans are set to take their seats at Stade Louis II.
Women’s team coach Iain Monaghan has picked a mixture of experienced stars, domestic league top performers and promising youngsters in his squad of 13.
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After a year and a half without international competition – and weeks of intensive preparation at the Hong Kong Sports Institute – familiar faces Melody Li Nim-yan and Natasha Olson-Thorne are tasked to lead the team into repechage pool C against France, Colombia and Madagascar.
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“This is the first opportunity we have had to play on a global stage in a while. There is a lot of excitement and I’m sure a wee bit of trepidation because it has been a while. But we back ourselves and the process that we have to navigate all that,” said Monaghan, who has been impressed with his side’s international performances since taking charge in January 2019.
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