Rugby Sevens

The official draw for the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2016 which takes place at the Hong Kong Stadium from April 8-10, was held in Central Hong Kong on Monday March 14, 2016.

The second and final day of the qualifying tournament took place of Sunday Nov 8, 2015.

In the first Asia Rugby Sevens tournament of the new season - the China Sevens, in Qingdao last weekend Sept 5 and 6 - the Hong Kong women’s side posted a top result by beating hosts China 24-15 in the Cup Final. This is their first such win in an Asia Sevens tournament.

In London, at the final tournament for 2014-2015 HSBC Sevens circuit, Fiji was crowned the World Series winner for the first time since 2006.

If the Hong Kong Sevens had an air of predictability with the way matches played out, the Tokyo Sevens, one week later, was anything but. Round 7 of the HSBC World Series in Japan on April 4-5, provided upsets and hope, for the teams going on to the final events in May. (Glasgow, 9th-10th, and London 16th-17th).

Hong Kong celebrated 40 years of Sevens last weekend, March 27-29. The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union can rightly, but quietly, claim the Hong Kong Sevens re-launched the global popularity of the shortened version of the sport. It helped change Sevens from a post-season runabout to a competition requiring the highest levels of fitness in the sport. It laid the platform for Sevens to feature at the Rio Olympics next year: perhaps the greatest legacy of this event.

HONG KONG—Sunday morning (March 29, 2015) at the Hong Kong Sevens begins gently. The crowd is quiet and still dreamy from festivities the night before. The South Stand barely a quarter full. Despite the subdued atmosphere, Sunday Sevens is all about knock-out rugby, and winning finals. At stake today, the honour of qualifying for next year’s Sevens circuit, plus the Cup, Plate, Bowl and Shield in the Main competition, and valuable points towards qualification for Rio in 2016.