Hong Kong sevens team sacrificed for 15s Asia Rugby campaign, but coach Andy Vilk sees ‘exciting opportunity’ for newbies
- Women play final 2024 Challenger Series leg this weekend missing key players because of Asia Rugby Championship match
- Vilk has mastermind storming opening nine months in charge, and says Poland event ‘is about this team coming together’
Head coach Andy Vilk said he had no issues with his women’s sevens squad being ransacked by Hong Kong’s 15s team, ahead of this weekend’s Challenger Series leg in Poland.
Vilk has made a flying start in the job following his appointment last August, leading Hong Kong to Asian Games bronze and qualification for next month’s Olympic repechage.
However, he has had his wings clipped for the closing leg of the 2024 Challenger Series.
A host of sevens stalwarts, including captain Natasha Olson-Thorne and try machine Chong Ka-yan, have been taken for the 15s team’s Asia Rugby Championship (ARC) campaign, which begins against Japan on Wednesday.
The winners of the three-team tournament, also featuring Kazakhstan, qualify directly for next year’s Rugby World Cup.
A 10-year strategic plan, released by local rugby chiefs last month, challenged Hong Kong’s women’s sevens team to win the 2030 Asian Games and qualify for the Olympics two years later.