I would have to say that the Hong Kong Sevens is up there on the list of world sporting events that I would love to see, having not made it yet. The tournament has such great history (starting long before the arrival of the IRB Series) and, from what I gather, has an amazing party atmosphere.
The event is one of the highlights on the Sevens calendar, drawing spectators in from all over the globe, and the venue is also gaining profile having recently hosted a Bledisloe Cup fixture (Australia v New Zealand).
The pools and match schedule for the 2010 edition have been set and, as always, there could be some enticing contests. There are two particular pools that stand out for me. First of all Pool E, which includes England, Wales, Japan and Hong Kong, should be tough to get out of. Some intense rivalries there and the home crowd will be an extra boost for the HK team. I also like the look of Pool F where the three African teams will compete against each other.
Alongside the 12 core teams that participate in every IRB Series leg, it’s great to see a good mix of teams completing the line up, especially the six from the Asian region: China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea and Thailand. Involvement in tournaments like this are fantastic for the development of rugby in these countries and it’s a great opportunity to showcase local talent.
The Hong Kong Football Club will also be hosting the 13th annual Hong Kong Women’s Rugby Sevens. The draw is made up of 12 teams including reigning champions, Australia, as well as the beaten finalists from last year, China. The event will also be the debut outing for Malaysia.
We’ll wait to see what happens in Adelaide and how the results will impact the overall standings going in to the Hong Kong weekend. Whatever happens, I’m sure rugby 7s fans will not be disappointed.
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