Selectors opt for mix of veteran nouse and new blood for Russia tests
The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union on Wednesday announced its extended 33-man training squad for the two home tests against Russia next month.
The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union on Wednesday announced its extended 33-man training squad for the two home tests against Russia next month.
Hong Kong will play the world-ranked 20th European team in a two-test series – November 8 (King’s Park) and 15 (Hong Kong Football Club) – with both matches kicking off at 18:00.
The second test match at HKFC will be part of a showcase of rugby which will be preceded by the Natixis Cup featuring an HKFC President’s Select side against high-flying French Top 14 outfit Racing Metro (15:00), and an HKFC-Shanghai interport game (12:30). Entry for all games will be free.
The Hong Kong national fifteens management team, headed by senior coach Andy Hall and manager Dai Rees, have invited seven additional players to train with the main squad or be placed on stand-by to add strength in depth for the upcoming international campaign.
“We have been working with the IRB on bringing a team ranked near us in world rugby to push us out of our comfort zone,” said Rees, who is also the HKRFU’s head of technical development and performance.
“We had some negotiations and Russia, on the back of fighting to qualify for the [2015] World Cup, were the ideal opponents.”