On Thursday at King’s Park in Jordan, defending champs and tournament favourites Canada opened up strong against Samoa, winning 31-7, followed by two blowout victories against Argentina and Mexico.
First runner-up and regional powerhouse Japan also proved their worth by beating Papua New Guinea, Tunisia and the Netherlands.
China won the plate as they overpowered the Samoans 19-0. Papua New Guinea took the bowl after beating Tunisia 12-0.
Hong Kong women were undefeated on the tournament’s first day, bagging victories against Singapore, Kazakhstan and China, which brought home the gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games.
“The girls love playing at home and it is a great opportunity for them to showcase the improvements we’ve made over the past year,” said Anna Richards, coach for Hong Kong.
Facing Japan, the Hong Kong women were unable to repeat their day-one performance and had to settle for a 10-5 loss at Happy Valley’s Hong Kong Football Club on Friday. That same day they were defeated by the Netherlands in another close score of 14-7 for third place, coming into fourth.
It is the first time that the city’s team has made it into the top tier at the Hong Kong Women’s Rugby Sevens.
The final match between Canada and Japan was played in the festive Hong Kong Stadium before the rugby men’s opening ceremony on Friday. Canada came out on top with a score of 24-12 to win the cup, their third in a row.
The tournament also featured several matches showcasing the best of the city’s young players, representing the future of Hong Kong rugby.
Photos/Words: Kevin Dharmawan
