Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens Melrose Claymores 2025 Preview – Hometown Heroes HKCR Excited To Play In Front Of a Home Crowd

The squads have been selected and the invitational teams have arrived for the Melrose Claymores 2025, which will be just the second iteration of the tournament and the first to be played at the new and exciting Kai Tak Stadium from 28-30 March as part of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.

Photo Credit HKCR – Melrose Claymore Captains at Kai Tak Stadium

All captains of the 24 HSBC World Sevens Series sides and the six captains of the Asian teams competing in the Melrose Claymores gathered before the weekend in front of a large media presence.

Hong Kong China Men’s 7s captain James Christie, who will be playing his 21st tournament, said under the open roof of the 50,000-seat stadium, “We had a hit out against Ireland with this young team this week and I felt we did well against World Sevens Series opposition and its made the group more excited for this weekend. For many of us, it was our first tour of this new stadium this week and the boys got to see this amazing place for the first time – so now we just have to wait for Friday to run out here.”

Hong Kong China Women’s co-captain Natasha Olson-Thorne, who made her 50th tournament appearance at last year’s debut Melrose Claymore and will run out for her 56th tournament this weekend at Kai Tak Stadium.

Olson-Thorne added of her expectations.“I just hope we perform well as we have been training so hard for this weekend and it would be wonderful to go out there and show, what should be a big home crowd, what we can do. We need to have a positive mindset and these facilities are amazing, so I am so excited we get to play here, and it’s a big stadium as well!”

On where this weekend ranks in her rich list of accolades representing Hong Kong China, she added, “It’s right up there, there are a couple of standouts like winning my 50th cap at last year’s tournament and winning an Asian Games medal, but playing the Hong Kong Sevens is always a special occasion. I would say to the fans to get down here and enjoy this amazing experience as I know they will have a great time and be part of history – step back and enjoy the rugby.”

Photo Credit HKCR

The men are defending champions of the Melrose Claymores and are very keen to hold on to the title but will face a threatening Japanese and physical Chinese side. “The China team we know is big and powerful and if we can make our defensive reads and tackles we should be ok. We know Japan are smaller and step more which is hard to defend against but we have learned lessons recently in South Africa. We need to do our basics well and go from there,” added Christie.

On how proud he is of captaining the team for the first time at Kai Tak Stadium, he said. “It’s hugely exciting and we get this opportunity to make things right from recent tournaments, and we have to turn up straight away with so few games. It is a huge honour to captain the side in front of what will hopefully be a sold-out stadium. For anyone undecided about coming, grab those last few tickets and join in the huge crowd under a closed roof on Friday.”

Photo Credit HKCR

The Men’s team have two debutantes in the selected squad and 5 players who will play their first Hong Kong Sevens tournament. One of those is Shiven Dukhande who has only one other cap. He said, “It’s been a dream since I was a kid and growing up in Hong Kong and to be at this beautiful new stadium is really a dream come true.  I am just grateful to be selected.”

He has had to take it all in this week, explaining, “I’ve tried to enjoy it day by day and I am a young player so the senior teammates have been helping me and the other young and debut players out. I hope we can show how well we can play this weekend. Having the Hong Kong crowd is like having an extra teammate for us, so I am excited.”

Shiven Dukhande said, “I can’t believe I’m here honestly, as this is one of the best tournaments in the world – I have been there in the stands as a fan and to be playing is special. For any fans who aspire to play for Hong Kong China, just believe in yourself, go for it, and keep grinding at it. I believe you can make it happen, too.”

The Chinese men’s captain is HUANG Aoqi, and Japan’s captain is only 19 years old and comes from the University of Tsukuba. Daigo MORIO told us it was his first time in Hong Kong and he was quite nervous but excited to be playing in the Kai Tak Stadium. “It is very big and it is beautiful. We know we are playing two very different teams in the Melrose Claymores and we have a young team and we will be playing physical opposition, we know our strong points are our quickness, speed and fitness.”

For the women, the Kazakhstan captain is Anazhelika Pichugina, and the Thai captain is Passon Jaenjob.

With the most tickets ever sold at over 130,000, a record crowd at the  Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2025 are expected over the weekend.

You can find out more about the squad selections here for the Melrose Claymores 2025.

Melrose Claymores 2025 Schedule

Friday, 28 March

• HKCR vs Kazakhstan Women 18.22
• HKCR vs China Men 19.07 

Saturday, 29 March

• HKCR vs Thailand Women 14.06
• HKCR vs Japan Men 15.06

Sunday 30 March

• Kazakhstan vs Thailand Women 10:00
• Japan vs China Men 10.23
• Women’s Final TBC 15.47
• Men’s Final TBC 16.16

Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2025 Week

• 2025 Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens – What You Need To Know.
• Read More about the HKCR Melrose Claymores Squad Selections here.
• Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2025 – What The Teams Have Said.
• Rugby Matters 2025 To Celebrate History at Kai Tak Sports Park.