Boots and all | There’s no place like home to get Hong Kong fired up for Olympics qualifier
Dare I say it? Home field advantage will definitely give Hong Kong a huge boost when they bid to win the direct berth for Asia at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Dare I say it? Home field advantage will definitely give Hong Kong a huge boost when they bid to win the direct berth for Asia at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Dare I say it? Simply because the referees are inclined to subconsciously favour the home team – and in sevens, sadly, the referee plays a big role.
A key area is policing the breakdown and how a referee interprets it can make or break a team. As it did for Hong Kong during the gold medal final against Japan at the Asian Games. At least that is how Vern Reid, head honcho at the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union, sees it.
“We were being beaten at the breakdown and in our view the referee wasn’t correctly policing the play,” Reid said.
Yes, there is no doubt the man in the middle will be the most important person when it comes to the men’s Asian qualifying tournament, where the winner will earn an automatic ticket to Rio.
The move to play the [Rio Olympics] Asian qualifiers in Hong Kong is great for the city
Hong Kong’s home advantage just might give us a small helping hand.