Hong Kong Sevens men’s squad draw Tonga, Zimbabwe and the Philippines for 2019 tournament
- Hong Kong drew a group which did not feature two teams that beat them last year
- There is also an incredibly enticing Group of Death when it comes to the men’s main card
The Hong Kong men’s sevens squad probably could not have asked for a better group to be drawn into for 2019. Pitted against Tonga, Zimbabwe and the Philippines, they escaped two teams that beat them last year – Chile and Germany.
Men’s sevens coach Paul John said they still have to focus on themselves first before their opponents.
“Look there’s a lot of good sides in this tournament and each year they get stronger and stronger,” said Paul, who led his team to Asian Games gold in 2018. “It could have been tougher, but it’s still a tough group.”
Paul said they’ve obviously seen a lot of the Philippines given the Asian Sevens Series, a team who Hong Kong consistently beat handily. However he said nothing mattered once kick-off starts on April 5 at Hong Kong Stadium for the 44th edition of the tournament.
“We have a fighting chance and I think the most important thing is to get through the group the best you can, and see where you are after that,” he said.