“To be honest, when we mention preparing for the World Cup back in the day, I never imagined it would be that big,” Chan said. “We had always played in Asia with the occasional training camps or games outside. I remember we played a qualifier in Hong Kong – we beat Fiji and were able to get that [qualification] spot. That was the first time I really felt we were actually going out of Asia to play. It was amazing.

“We still had a year’s preparation, but that year was tough. I thought we had achieved our goal, but when it got closer to the competition, I started to think ‘we’re not here to participate, but to compete’. If you watched our games, how we played in our first and last games was totally different.

“Trying to compete against the Black Ferns [New Zealand’s women’s team] in the World Cup in front of the whole crowd was amazing and I was lucky to have that experience.

“Nobody knew Hong Kong beforehand until they watched how we played. [After the games], they would ask where we were from, how we trained, what our experiences were. Those type of questions. We realised we were not only players, but found ourselves on a mission to accomplish for Hong Kong. It was one of the most memorable journeys as a rugby player and I really hope we can go through more of those with Hong Kong players in future.”

Chan retired soon after the World Cup and was a natural apprentice coach given her international experience and club days with Hong Kong Football Club.

The more than year-long initiative was part of the pair’s blueprint to increase the proportion of female coaches at the Olympic Games and high performance women’s rugby scene across the world. World Rugby reported that, as of the August 2020, women account for more than a quarter of total rugby players globally.

“WSLA was a turning point for me. Even though I was named as a coach, I was still thinking as a player. It was actually more like a reboot,” Chan said, adding that there were 18 other non-rugby coaches in the programme.

“We had seven rugby coaches, most of them Olympians, trying to develop their leadership skills and give back to their countries. I still remember the first time I walked into the room. It was quite scary and I was nervous. Different to walking out [on the pitch] after preparing for a game. You find you are so little. A Hong Kong rugby coach in the world.

“I actually enjoyed being so vulnerable. I hadn’t been in such a vulnerable and uncomfortable situation in a long time, being challenged throughout and working with different people. It triggered a reflection on why I actually wanted to be a coach. It reminded me to think from the perspective of the team, not just myself, not just the players, but the overall Union, the staff, the sport.”

Chan was expected to return to the UK for the second instalment of the programme but Covid-19 nixed that plan. They concluded the course via Zoom and phone calls which helped her learn how to conduct future team video conferences.

While Chan’s journey from local player-coach to international recognition is remarkable, she made sure to highlight several key figures who, without their knowledge and expertise, the fledgling Hong Kong women’s game would not be where it is today.

On a personal level, Chan did have one other target in mind aside from taking Hong Kong to a second-ever World Cup.

“The Olympics is always everyone’s dream, isn’t it? It was one of the biggest dreams in my mind. I was disappointed that I was injured in our last qualifiers and couldn’t compete any more. I actually still want to be involved in the Olympic Games. It’s just magical.”