Asia Rugby Sevens Series: Hong Kong men qualify for World Cup finals after dominating China in semis as women fall short
- Hong Kong outplay a physically bigger Chinese side 24-0 in the men’s semi-finals to join South Korea in the September finals
- The women’s side fall 29-0 to Japan in their semi-finals, with Japan and China qualifying for the World Cup in South Africa
The Hong Kong men turned in a dominant performance against their larger Chinese opponents to win 24-0 in Dubai in their Asia Rugby Sevens Series semi-final and qualify for September’s Rugby World Cup Sevens in South Africa.
Two years after the disappointment of losing to South Korea in a crucial Olympic qualifier, Hong Kong showed superior tactical and individual skills to shut down the mainland’s big men and seal their place in the 24-team World Cup finals. The South Koreans stunned Japan in the other semi-final, 21-14, to join Hong Kong in South Africa.
After China dominated possession in the early minutes, Hong Kong broke away with Max Denmark scoring under the post after four minutes.
Seconds before the interval, Denmark flew down the outside after collecting the ball at the halfway line to give Hong Kong their second try and a 12-0 lead.
China came to Dubai on a chartered flight with one of the biggest teams in the competition, physically. However, the relatively smaller Hong Kong players were fierce in the tackle and never allowed their opponents to find a way through.
Hong Kong scored their third try when a Liam Herbert offload helped Russell Webb steam down the middle to score under the posts with Harry Sayers also touching down.