Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Hong Kong women’s team fly past Colombia 31-10 thanks to Chong and Olson-Thorne
- Chong takes early lead in tournament try-scoring standings with hat-trick as Olson-Thorne pulls strings against towering Colombians
- ‘I feel so happy after 18 months [without international competition]’ said Chong, who praises her team for ‘training with purpose’
Hong Kong’s women’s team made an early statement after blitzing Colombia 31-10 in their opening World Rugby Sevens Olympic Repechage match in Monaco on Saturday.
Nippy winger Chong Ka-yan grabbed a hat-trick while co-captain Natasha Olson-Thorne scored twice to temporarily put coach Iain Monaghan’s team atop pool C at the Stade Louis II.
Hong Kong’s sharp passing and offloads were the key to the win against David Jaramillo’s side in what was deemed a tight fixture pre-match.
They led from the start, putting together two tries, thanks to a charging Olson-Thorne line break and a mazy Chong run, before Colombia even strung a pass together.
Chong soon doubled her tally before Colombia’s Carmen Ibarra scored late in the first half to slightly narrow the lead. It could have been a turning point for the much more physically imposing South Americans.