「國泰/滙豐香港國際七人欖球賽」. 新設「Melrose銀盾賽」展示亞洲球隊風采
Asian sides on showcase in new Melrose Shield Competition at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens
[香港，2024年1月10日]: 享譽全球的「國泰/滙豐香港國際七人欖球賽」將於4月5日至7日假香港大球場舉行，這將是賽事移師至啟德體育園新場地之前，最後一次在這個極具標誌性的球場舉行。這場全球最盛大的欖球派對邀請到亞洲強隊參與。
滙豐世界七人欖球系列賽（HSBC SVNS）的新賽制，是以12支男子及12支女子國際代表隊為參賽骨幹。中國香港欖球總會（欖總）保持了讓頂尖亞洲球隊在同一場地展示實力的驕人傳統，新增設的「Melrose銀盾賽」（Melrose Shield）將於今年4月與香港國際七人欖球賽同時舉行亞洲男、女子三角賽。
「香港國際七人欖球賽」多年來吸引了亞洲頂級球隊來港參賽。而今年新增的「Melrose銀盾賽」也不例外。屆時，男子組有中國、日本及東道主中國香港隊參加，女子組有中國、泰國及中國香港隊。
為期三日的比賽將穿插於「國泰/滙豐香港國際七人欖球賽」中進行，賽事以循環賽制共6場比賽，讓球迷目不暇給，也讓亞洲欖球回歸最著名的國際七人欖球賽舞臺。
欖總與蘇格蘭七人欖球發源地Melrose欖球會（Melrose RFC)，將交換各自著名的七人欖球賽獎盃，以表彰雙方在全球七人欖球界的共同傳承。香港男、女子組的獎盃命名為「Melrose銀盾」；而「香港銀盾」將頒發予在梅爾羅斯（Melrose）舉行的18歲或以下七人欖球賽的銀盾冠軍。
Melrose欖球有限公司賽事總監莫里斯先生（Phil Morris）表示：「我很高興代表Melrose欖球會及Melrose七人欖球賽，作為七人欖球的發源地，將『Melrose銀盾獎盃』捐贈給香港兩項新增賽事，以表達我們對中國香港欖球的支持和感謝。」
香港及日本男子隊自1976年首次舉辦香港國際七人欖球賽以來，一直是該項賽事的常客。中國隊於1998年加入香港大球場的七人欖球派對，而今年球隊將强勢歸來，是自2012年以來首次亮相香港國際七人欖球賽。女子組方面，泰國將是第一次亮相已有47年歷史的香港國際七人欖球賽。
去年9月，中國香港男子七人欖球隊在杭州亞運四強比賽，在最後時刻險勝日本，獲得決賽資格，最終奪金；在11月的巴黎奧運七人欖球資格賽的決賽，日本隊還以顏色，在賽事尾段反勝中國香港隊，率先奪得奧運入場券，兩隊將於4月在香港大球場再次相遇，勢將成為最引人注目的一場比賽。
中國隊在巴黎奧運資格賽曾在小組賽中擊敗日本隊，並於4強戰以12:19不敵中國香港，相比之下，中國隊似乎被看低一線。但欖球比賽瞬息萬變，誰勝誰負要到現場一較高下；肯定一點是所有「Melrose銀盾賽」的球隊都將珍惜在坐滿4萬名觀眾的香港大球比賽的機會。
在男、女子組其中五支隊伍，「Melrose銀盾賽」為他們提供重要的競爭環境，助力他們備戰「滙豐世界欖球挑戰賽2024」，參賽隊伍有機會透過這比賽贏得2025年世界系列賽的全年參賽權。參加挑戰賽的男子組隊伍包括中國香港及日本，女子組有中國、中國香港及泰國隊，他們將於本月12-14日在杜拜跟全球挑戰者展開首站爭奪戰。
在「滙豐世界欖球挑戰賽2024」中男、女子隊各頭四名將晉身5月31至6月2日的總決賽，跟滙豐世界七人欖球系列賽（HSBC SVNS）位列尾四的球隊來一次升級及降級賽；最佳頭四位將可於明年加入滙豐世界七人欖球系列賽的競爭行列，包括2025年香港站的國際七人欖球賽。
中國香港男子隊教練高勳（Jevon Groves）表示：「我隊熱切期望4月在大球場上演的『Melrose銀盾賽』，能夠跟亞洲勁敵日本及中國一較高下，對我們於6月的巴黎奧運遺材賽爭取入場券的備戰很有幫助；至於『滙豐世界欖球挑戰賽2024』，我們目標是爭取頭四名入總決賽。」
中國女子隊在巴黎奧運資格賽的決賽敗給日本，被逼要在遺材賽再爭奧運席位，相信中國娘子軍急不及待在香港大球場證明自己的實力，而泰國隊當然想一挫中國香港的銳氣，畢竟她們接連在杭州亞運及奧運資格賽的銅牌戰都敗給中國香港隊。
新任香港女子隊教練魏翊軍（Andy Vilk）表示：「我們隊員們很高興能在香港國際七人欖球賽期間再次亮相大球場，我也期待著在這個世界上最偉大的七欖賽事執教。」魏翊軍是2006香港國際七人欖球賽的銀盃賽冠軍得主 - 英格蘭隊 - 的其中一員。
魏翊軍補充說：「去年4月，我隊在大球場獲得觀眾的支持，幫助她們樹立信心，並推動我們在杭州亞運和奧運資格賽獲得進步。我們這班女孩十分渴望獲得更多比賽的機會，中國及泰國隊均將參加『滙豐世界欖球挑戰賽2024』，這將幫助我們更好地備戰。」
「國泰/滙豐香港國際七人欖球賽」的門票可透過中國香港欖球總會官方票務平台：CATHAY/HSBC HONG KONG SEVENS | HK Sevens購買。有關賽事詳情，請瀏覽網頁：www.hksevens.com。
資料及相片來源 : Elite Step Asia Limited / Hong Kong China Rugby
[Hong Kong, 10 January 2024]: In its final staging in the iconic Hong Kong Stadium before a move to the new Kai Tak Sports Park stadium in 2025, the renowned Cathay / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens returns to its roots in welcoming teams from across Asia to the world’s biggest rugby party from 5-7 April 2024.
With the change to the new HSBC SVNS format, which maintains a laser focus on the 12 men’s and 12 women’s international teams playing on the current world series, Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR) will return to its proud tradition of showcasing the best of Asian sevens by hosting men’s and women’s triangulars, entitled the Melrose Shield competitions, this April.
The Hong Kong Sevens has a long and proud history of featuring the top men’s teams in Asian sevens and the 2024 Melrose Shield men’s competition will be no different, featuring the sevens teams of China, Japan, and hosts Hong Kong, China. The women’s Melrose Shield tournament will feature China, Hong Kong, China and Thailand.
The competitions will take the format of a six-match, round-robin tournaments interspersed throughout the three-day Hong Kong Sevens that will keep fans on the edge of their seats, while also returning Asian rugby to the fore of the world’s most famous Sevens tournament.
In recognition of their shared global sevens legacies, Hong Kong China Rugby and Melrose RFC, the birthplace of Sevens in Scotland, will exchange trophies for their respective famed rugby sevens tournaments. The trophies for the men’s and women’s teams in Hong Kong will be named the Melrose Shields, while the Hong Kong Shield will be presented to the shield winner of the U18s Sevens competition at Melrose with the Jim Telfer Cup already awarded to the tournament champions.
“On behalf of Melrose RFC and the Melrose Sevens, I am delighted, that as the home of rugby sevens we are able to donate ‘The Melrose Shields’ to the two new competitions in Hong Kong, as a mark of our support and gratitude to Hong Kong China Rugby, which has done so much to promote and grow our wonderful game of rugby sevens in Asia and beyond,” said Mr Phil Morris, Tournament Director of Melrose Rugby Limited.
Hong Kong and Japan are perennial participants dating back to the first Hong Kong Sevens in 1976, while China joined the Hong Kong Sevens party in 1998 and will be making their first appearance in the stadium since 2012. In the women’s competition, Thailand will feature in a Hong Kong Sevens weekend for the first time in the tournament’s 47-year history.
After Hong Kong, China’s men’s seven edged Japan in the final minute for Asian Games gold last September, Japan turned the tables in similar fashion at November’s Olympic qualifiers - setting up an enticing decider at Asia Rugby’s most historic sevens tournament.
Both sides will discount China at their peril, after they beat Japan in Olympic qualifier pool play, and pushed Hong Kong to the limit in an 19-12 semi-finals loss.
All of the Melrose Shield teams will relish the opportunity for a competitive hit-out in front of 40,000 cheering fans in Hong Kong.
For five of the six sides, the Melrose Shield competitions will also offer an important competitive opportunity for their efforts to qualify for a full-time spot-on tour via the World Rugby HSBC Challenger Series 2024. The Challenger Series includes Hong Kong and Japan in the men’s bracket - and all three women’s teams, against global challengers in three tournaments starting this month in Dubai (12-14 January).
The top four teams after the Series will compete in the promotion and relegation play-off at the HSBC SVNS Grand Final in Madrid (31 May-2 June), alongside the bottom four teams from HSBC SVNS 2024.
The best four top teams from the Grand Final will earn the right to compete in every stop of the HSBC SVNS World Series, including the Hong Kong Sevens in 2025.
“We are looking forward to the Melrose Shield competition at the Stadium this April,” said Hong Kong, China Men’s Sevens coach Jevon Groves.
“The competition with our two top rivals in Asia in Japan and China will be excellent preparation for the Olympic repechage in June, and another important competitive opportunity for us as we target reaching the HSBC SVNS Grand Final,” he added.
China will have a point to prove after being forced to the international repechage by Japan in the final of the Olympic qualifiers, while Thailand will be out to reverse the trend of a resurgent Hong Kong, China women’s seven beating them for bronze in both the Asian Games and the Olympic Qualifiers.
“The team are excited to be appearing inside the Stadium once again during Hong Kong Sevens weekend, and I am also looking forward to coaching them at one of the world’s great rugby occasions,” said new coach Andy Vilk, who was part of England’s cup-winning squad in Hong Kong in 2006.
“The support from the crowds they received last April has helped build their self-belief and fuelled our progress at the Asian Games and at the Olympic Qualifier. The girls are hungry for more competitive opportunities and games against China and Thailand who are both participating in the women’s Challenger Series will be excellent preparation for us as a squad,” he added.
Cathay / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens tickets can be purchased via the official HKCR ticketing platform: CATHAY/HSBC HONG KONG SEVENS | HK Sevens. For more information on the Cathay /HSBC Hong Kong Sevens please visit: www.hksevens.com.
Information and photo source : Elite Step Asia Limited / Hong Kong China Rugby
