YOUR GUIDE TO THE WORLD RUGBY HSBC SEVENS CHALLENGER 2024
This weekend, our Hong Kong China Men’s and Women’s teams are set to compete in the first round of the revamped HSBC Sevens Challenger, with the aim to win a coveted spot on the newly reformatted World Rugby HSBC SVNS tournament. Read on for everything you need to know!
What’s at stake:
The new World Rugby HSBC SVNS competition features the top 12 men’s and women’s rugby sevens teams from around the world. Each season, there is a promotion/relegation opportunity, known as the HSBC Challenger for new teams to join the circuit, replacing the bottom ranked teams of the tournament. Teams qualify for the Challenger through a variety of regional tournaments.
Who’s competing?
Men’s: Georgia, Papua New Guinea, Uruguay, Chile, Japan, Portugal, Tonga, Germany, Kenya, Mexico, Uganda, Hong Kong China
Women’s: Belgium, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Uganda, China, Kenya, Mexico, Czechia, Argentina, Paraguay, Poland, Hong Kong China
What’s the format?
There are four tournaments over three rounds, plus a grand final.
Round 1: 12-14 January 2024, Men’s & Women’s combined, Dubai
Round 2: 8-10 March 2024, Men’s and Women’s combined, Uruguay
Round 3: 18-19 May 2024, Women’s, Poland
Round 3: 18-19 May 2024, Men’s, Germany
The top four placed teams based on cumulative series points at the conclusion of the third round will go on to compete in the final promotion/relegation tournament at the SVNS Grand Final in Madrid (31 May – 2 June 2024). They will play the bottom four ranked teams on the SVNS circuit, and a total of four men’s and four women’s teams combined from these playoffs will then join the 2024-2025 SVNS circuit.
What’s on this weekend?
Both the Hong Kong China men’s and women’s teams are competing in the first round of the Challenger in Dubai.
The squads are:
Men’s (in Pool A with Georgia, Papua New Guinea and Uruguay)
Pierce MACKINLAY-WEST
Callum McCULLOUGH
Liam DOHERTY Harry SAYERS
Max DENMARK
Bryn PHILLIPS
Russell WEBB
Sebastian BRIEN ©
FONG Kit Fung
James CHRISTIE
LEE Ka To Cado
Liam HERBERT
Women’s: (in Pool C with Argentina, Paraguay and Poland)
OLSON-THORNE Natasha ©
LI Nim Yan Melody Blessing ©
CHAN Chloe
AU YEUNG Sin Yi
NAM Ka Man
HO Jessica Wai On
POON Hoi Yan
CHONG Ka Yan
RIVERS Gabriella
MBA OYANA Julia Mibuy
LYNAM Sabay
CHAN Tsz Ching
Hong Kong China Referees in action: Morgan White and Sunny Lee
How can I watch the tournament?
The HSBC Challenger is available to view on RugbyPass TV. Sign up for your free account here.
Information and Photo source : Hong Kong China Rugby
