港隊新加坡站遭逢硬仗 SINGAPORE PROVES A TOUGH TOURNAMENT FOR SHIELD CHAMPIONS

[12/4/2023] 緊接於國泰/滙豐香港國際七人欖球賽中勇奪銀盾，香港中國男子七人欖球代表隊持外卡赴新加坡，參加滙豐世界欖球七人系列賽第九站賽事。

港隊與香港站銀盃得主新西蘭、強敵澳洲及南非同屬A組，註定首日賽事已是場場硬仗。港隊拼盡全力，與南非的對壘中攻入兩記達陣。惜於次日賽事中，港隊與老對手日本對戰失利，其後於銀盾決賽亦不敵加拿大，以5-26吞敗。港隊縱五仗皆北，能夠對陣世界勁尖對手，以高水平比賽寓賽於操，實為球隊在迎戰南非舉行的挑戰者系列賽前，帶來寶貴的賽戰經驗。

教練高華斯（Jevon Groves）表示：「過去4個月我們起用21名球員，現時男子隊實力和板凳深度兼備，球員間具良性競爭，令人欣喜。新加坡站賽事為我們提供與世界上頂級勁旅短兵相接的好機會。在過去五星期的四個賽事中，我們調整陣容，讓不同球員有機會上陣。」

高華斯續指：「在上周末滙豐新加坡七人欖球賽中，港隊表現持續進步，無懼強敵，心無旁騖，全力以赴不設限。接下來兩星期，他們將重整旗鼓，赴南非斯泰倫博斯，參加挑戰者系列賽。從挑戰者系列賽脫穎而出的一支隊伍，將獲參加來季滙豐世界欖球七人系列賽的席位。」

中國香港男、女子隊均已晉級挑戰者系列賽，並將分別出戰在4月22至23日，以及4月29日至30日連續兩個週末賽事。女子隊獲勝隊伍將加入明年滙豐世界七人欖球系列賽；而優勝男子隊伍將赴倫敦七人欖球賽，與系列賽第12、13、14名隊伍進行附加賽，競逐2024年世界七人欖球系列賽資格。

[12 Apr 2023] Fresh from lifting the Shield at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, the Hong Kong, China Men’s Sevens Squad headed to Singapore to join the 9th leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series as the invitational team.

Drawn in Pool A alongside Hong Kong Cup winners New Zealand and fellow heavyweights Australia and South Africa, there were never going to be any easy games on Day 1, but the team battled hard and were rewarded with a brace of tries against the Blitzbokke. An early loss to old rivals Japan on Day 2 meant a date in the 13th place semi-final against Canada, the side that Hong Kong, China defeated in the Shield Final in front of their ecstatic home fans the previous weekend. However there was to be no repeat of those heroics, and Canada exacted some revenge with a 26-5 win, leaving Hong Kong, China without a win but with some valuable top level competition ahead of the upcoming Challenger Series in South Africa.

Coach Jevon Groves said: “The most pleasing thing for the men’s programme at the moment is the competition for places. We’ve utilised 21 players over the last 4 months, and it has provided us with the depth that we have been lacking in the past. Singapore Sevens gave us another opportunity to play against the best teams in the world. With four tournaments in five weeks, we have made right changes to the squad to give players the opportunity.”

“The Hong Kong, China Men’s Sevens Squad has been continually improving and playing with no inhibition and hesitation in the HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens last weekend. We will refocus where are going into the Challenger Series in Stellenbosch, South Africa in the following two weeks, so a couple of tough games are not a bad thing.” Groves continued.

Both the Men’s and Women’s Hong Kong, China teams have qualified for the Challenger tournaments which will be played on successive weekends on 22/23 and 29/30 April; the top Women’s team will be promoted onto next year’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, whilst the top Men’s team will head to the London Sevens next month and a play-off against the 12th, 13th and 14th placed Series teams.

Information and Photo source : Hong Kong Rugby Union