Hong Kong’s Rosie Wright ready to shine in sevens after Wasps breakthrough
- The former South Island School pupil has been ‘pushed out of my comfort zone’ playing in England’s Allianz Premier 15s
- She is a ‘great ambassador to show what is possible for girls in Hong Kong’, says city’s head of women’s rugby performance
Rosie Wright is aiming to make an impact for Hong Kong in the summer’s ongoing UK Super Sevens Series after a breakthrough season in England’s Allianz Premier 15s with Wasps.
The former South Island School pupil has joined up with the Hong Kong squad in England having made four appearances for Wasps since the start of the year at full back.
The versatile Wright, who can also play at fly half and centre, has been lining up in a Wasps backline that features numerous internationals including England’s Meg Jones and Abby Dow.
She took a step up in her rapid ascent of the rugby ladder when she made her debut for Hong Kong at the Rugby World Cup Sevens qualifier in Dubai last November, after previously representing the city at age-grade levels.
Sevens pedigree runs in the family, with her brother Mark Wright being one of Hong Kong’s most capped sevens exponents, but she said playing in the English league had been “extremely valuable for me”.
“Training and playing with some of the best in the world has been an incredible opportunity and has improved my overall skill set by leaps and bounds,” Wright said.
“The added pressure from this constantly competitive environment around weekly game selection has been eye-opening and invaluable for me.
“I have been pushed out of my comfort zone numerous times,” she said, adding that she hoped it would “translate into my performances for Hong Kong”.
Wright’s progress is being watched with interest by Jo Hull, head of women’s rugby performance at the Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU).
“Rosie has come through the HKRU pathway and is a great ambassador to show what is possible for girls in Hong Kong,” Hull said.
“She has been part of our programme since a young age, having played under-20s sevens in the Asian series before leaving for university. She remained committed and involved in our performance programme throughout her time at Northumbria University and is a great example to showcase the possibilities that players have to represent Hong Kong while studying overseas.”
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The experience of playing in the Allianz Premier 15s will be invaluable, according to Hong Kong women’s sevens coach Iain Monaghan, who handed Wright her debut late last year.
“The benefit of playing and training with some of the northern hemisphere’s best international players is a win-win for both Rosie and Hong Kong,” he said.
“The Allianz Premier 15s is arguably the most competitive women’s league in the world and will give Rosie a chance to be immersed in a high-performance environment daily, and give her the confidence that she is good enough to perform at the highest level.
“We look forward to Rosie continuing to improve further at Wasps and bringing back what she has learned on and off the field.”
