Hong Kong Sevens: hosts told to ‘finish the job' following more thrills at Kai Tak
Hong Kong captain James Christie warned his team that their landslide 43-21 victory over Japan on Saturday would mean nothing if they do not finish the job in Sunday's Melrose Claymores final.
Advertisement
For the second straight day, the city's men overcame a sticky start to thrill a raucous Kai Tak Stadium. There was a sense of deja vu, too, in the way the Hong Kong women got the ball rolling, walloping Thailand 47-0 about 24 hours after they inflicted similar pain on Kazakhstan.
For the men, there is a sense of trying to atone for this month's Challenger Series disappointment, when poor performances in successive legs blew their chance of promotion to the HSBC SVNS Series. It is the teams in that elite-level series who contest the main prize in their hometown tournament, while Hong Kong play in the lesser Melrose Claymores section.
Christie, who replaced former long-standing skipper Max Woodward last year, said trying to help his team out of the hole they found themselves in after Cape Town had been among the toughest challenges of his career.
Two-try Harry Sayers evades a Japan challenge during Hong Kong's convincing victory. Photo: Elson Li
'It was a big surprise for me to be named captain,' Christie said. 'It was a good start in the Asia Rugby Sevens Series, when we won 15 out of 15, [but] then the Challenger was the lowest of the low.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
04-04-2025
- South China Morning Post
7 economic narratives from the Sevens to make us glad we live in Hong Kong
The first Hong Kong Sevens in the new Kai Tak Stadium was a success except for the rule that forbade outside food and drink to protect the concessionaires – who then ran out of, er, food and drink Advertisement Despite these privations, three days in a small seat surrounded by thousands of people allows for deep introspection with neighbours. In between loud cheers for Hong Kong's victories in both the men's and women's Melrose Claymores , the dominant narrative was geopolitics. Blackrock CEO Larry Fink recently wrote to shareholders that 'nearly every client' and 'nearly every leader' is 'more anxious about the economy than any time in recent memory'. Good investment forecasts are not made from a single narrative, such as inflation or interest rates. Investment expectations are driven by a coincidence of the timing and strength of different sub-narratives which cause events to occur, as with the alignment of the holes in slices of Swiss cheese. Each slice is a narrative that together makes investment forecasts multidimensional. Imagine the multiple factors involved in the chain of events that led to the mid-air collision of two aircraft at Reagan Washington National Airport in January. Advertisement
South China Morning Post
30-03-2025
- South China Morning Post
History made at Hong Kong Sevens' shiny new Kai Tak home but questions remain
New Zealand and Argentina made history as the first Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens of the Kai Tak Stadium era came to a close on Sunday, with a mixture of nostalgia, a look to the future and continuing questions over the present. Advertisement For those of a certain vintage, the fly-past by a Cathay Pacific A350 evoked memories of a time when planes, rather than rugby balls, were landing where players now raced around. And while the HSBC SVNS Series has an uncertain future, Hong Kong only reinforced its place in the sport, even if the operators of its 'amazing, incredible, outstanding' new home face an uncomfortable few days. There was history, too, with New Zealand's women completing another dominant run to their third consecutive title with a 26-19 win over Australia, and Argentina claiming a first crown in the city by beating France 12-7. Hong Kong leader John Lee presents the Sevens trophy to Argentina's captain, Santiago Mare. Photo: Handout Black Ferns skipper Sarah Hirini said she hoped her team would be back to a 'bigger and better' Sevens next year, although what that might look like is open to debate.
South China Morning Post
30-03-2025
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong Sevens: Ireland journey threatens downwards turn, as Spain surge
As Mark Roche gave away his match-worn socks to a gleeful young fan inside Kai Tak Stadium, it was tempting to wonder if the hard-up Irish union would scold their player for his generosity. Advertisement After reporting losses of £15.3 million (US$19.8 million) in their 2023-24 accounts, which they blamed on costs for their men's 15s' 2023 World Cup quarter-final campaign, Irish rugby made changes to their 'funding model'. It is believed that Ireland's sevens teams have been in the crosshairs of cost-cutting chiefs. The men, who finished second in last year's HSBC SVNS Series standings, following only five years on the elite circuit, were a lowly 11th in this season's table, after climbing off the bottom with a seventh-placed finish in Hong Kong. Talking after his side beat Great Britain 28-12, Roche said he 'would not comment' on whether his team retained strong backing from their union. He said, however, that the country's full-time programme, which was introduced in 2015, remains operational, while Ireland's sevens teams still share a high-performance centre with their 15s counterparts. Ireland's Mark Roche passes the ball as Great Britain's players look on. Photo: Elson Li Nonetheless, the narrative around Roche's team has changed: last year, captain Harry McNulty told the Post about the 'special drive' that was responsible for Ireland's progress since they beat Hong Kong to gain world series status in 2019.
