Asia Rugby Sevens Series: Hong Kong’s men win Bangkok leg after women lose final
- Men’s team follow up their Asian Games gold with victory over Japan in Thailand
- The city’s women’s team, who won bronze at the Games in Hangzhou, overcome China in their semi-final in Bangkok before Japan prove too good
Hong Kong’s men’s team blitzed all-comers to win their Asia Rugby Sevens Series leg in Bangkok on Sunday – and banish the disappointment of a rare defeat in the competition two months ago.
Fresh from retaining their Asian Games crown three weeks ago, head coach Jevon Groves’ team were ruthless in outplaying Japan to win the final 26-12, following a succession of heavy victories earlier in the tournament.
Two months ago in South Korea, they had lost a leg of the series for the first time in more than three years, surrendering a 22-match undefeated run in the process.
Hong Kong’s women’s rugby sevens stars eye Olympics after Asian Games bronze
And Hong Kong maintained that momentum in the semi-finals on Sunday, scoring 50 unanswered points against United Arab Emirates – the only team to prevent Groves’ side from winning a match across last year’s three series legs when they forced a draw in Incheon.
In the final, Japan were a clear second-best to an unstoppable Hong Kong and did not come close to repeating their recent victory over them in Incheon.
Andy Vilk’s women’s team, meanwhile, produced arguably the result of the weekend, when they thrillingly toppled China 17-14 in a gripping semi-final.
It was a stunning turnaround from the 33-0 defeat Hong Kong suffered against the same opponents in their Asian Games semi, representing progress for a side who have tended to lose in the last four, typically to China or Japan.
The Hongkongers came up short in the final, losing 29-5 to Japan, who had inflicted their only pool-stage defeat.
Both the men and women received a boost before next month’s Olympic qualifiers in Japan as they clinched spots in next year’s second-tier Challenger Series, which offers promotion to the elite World Rugby Sevens Series.
