China Women & Hong Kong China Men Are in Challenger 7s 2023 Cup Contention

Day two of the opening tournament of the Challenger 7s 2023 saw Hong Kong China women and Thailand women pick up their first-ever wins in a Challenger Series on Friday 21st April 2023, while the Hong Kong China men’s team and China women’s teams marched on to the Cup semifinals. The South Korean men are still looking for their first win of the tournament. 

There were some standout wins from the Asian contingent at the Markötter Stadium in Stellenbosch. China remains one of the few teams to yet suffer a loss this tournament and look like real title contenders as they head into Saturday with the tough task of taking on the hosts South Africa in the Challenger 7s 2023 Cup semifinal – who themselves look much improved since the RWC Sevens 2022. China dispatched of both Belgium (33-0) and Colombia (32-0) on Friday – the latter victory included a hat-trick of tries from Liu Xiaoqian.

China was dominant in all aspects and with the change of coaches this year, with Chinese Rugby not keeping the Fijian coaching contingent (that we thought did quite well in 2022 and despite winning the Asia Rugby 7s Series 2022 title, coach Osea Kolinisau and his two assistants were not retained). Instead, the CRFA returned to New Zealand coach Sean Horan who took the China Women’s 7s team to the Olympics for the first time in 2020 and one of his main three goals is to win the Challenger Series.

China women are unbeaten and play the Cup Semifinal on Saturday

Hong Kong China ladies won both matches on Friday, securing their first Challenger Series win against a tough Paraguay team 17-12, before demolishing a physical PNG team 44-7. The HK ladies moved the ball better and were at times more clinical but still butchered some try-scoring opportunities.

They don’t have the physicality of the teams they have played but when they distribute well with key playmakers in the mix they have threats across the park. In the match against PNG, co-captain Natasha Olson-Thorne led the way with a hat-trick followed by two tries apiece from Rosanna Wright and Gabriella Rivers, and a single score from the ever-reliable Nam Ka-man.

Photo Credit: HKRU – HK China co-captain Natasha Olson Thorne scored a hat trick against PNG in Challenger Series

Thailand also won their first Challenger Series match against PNG (48-7) and with interim coach Paul Delport taking the team against his former side (his country and hosts South Africa) in the Cup quarterfinals, the Thais created chances after trailing at the half and scored twice quickly to come back before a bustling run up the middle put SA away and win 29-12.

South Korea started the day with a big loss against a powerful and quick Uganda team 0-40 but in their 9-12th playoff match against PNG, they nearly snatched victory from defeat scoring with less than a minute to take the lead but PNG retook the lead and victory 22-26 in the final play of the game leaving South Korea looking for a first win.

Challenger 7s 2023 – the South Korea Men are still looking for a first win

Hong Kong China men lost their opening match on Friday (their final pool game) against Chile 7-14 but had already secured their quarterfinal berth. With defence the main focus from coach Jevon Groves, the team clicked through all the gears in the Cup QF against Brazil and although the South Americans were massively physical, Hong Kong China defended like tigers and put them to the sword with a great 35-7 win to move onto the Challenger 7s 2023 Cup semifinals against Tonga on Saturday – who are unbeaten and tipped by some as the favourites in South Africa.

Hong Kong coach Jevon Groves had called for a complete performance ahead of the Brazil game and believes he is starting to see it. “I think we improved against Brazil, particularly in the second half. We were a bit slow to start that game and had to grind it out a bit, but we were much better in the second half when our defence was better.

We certainly can’t rest on that performance. Tonga has threats across the park. They are physical and direct, but they also have pace and guys with good footwork. If we stand off from them, we will put ourselves under pressure, but if we show the kind of commitment in the tackle we did against Brazil, we can show more of what we can do.

We are still looking for that complete effort. It will be a tough semi, but we just need to keep that effort going. We know it is in us, we just need to surface that a bit more on the pitch,” Groves added.

Challenger Series 2023 #Round 1 Results & Fixtures – Asian Teams

All Fixtures can be seen here. (Below times – Indochine time GMT +7)

Livefeed Streams:

• Link for Field A
• Link for Field B

World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series Day #2 Results

• Pool C – Thailand 48-7 PNG (14:00) Women
• Pool C – China 33-0 Belgium (14:22) Women
• Pool A – Hong Kong China 17-12 Paraguay (14:22) Women
• Pool C – South Korea 0-40 Uganda (15:38) Men
• Pool B – Hong Kong China 7-14 Chile (16:10) Men

Women

• Quarterfinals – South Africa 29-12 Thailand
• Quarterfinals – China 32-0 Colombia
• 9-12th place – Hong Kong China 44-7 PNG

Men

• Quarterfinals – Hong Kong China 35-7 Brazil
• 9-12th place – South Korea 22-26 PNG

Thailand Women won their first Challenger 7s matches on Friday

World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series Day #3 Sat 22nd April Fixtures

Women

• 5th SF – Thailand 19-5 Colombia – 14:00
• Cup SF – South Africa 5-0 China – 14:54
• 9th Play-Off – Hong Kong China 15-12 Mexico – 15:16
• 5th Play0ff – Thailand 10-34 Czechya
• 3rd Play0ff – China 14-10 Poland

Men

• 11th playoff – Jamaica 5-12 South Korea – 15:38
• Cup SF – Hong Kong China 0-33  Tonga – 16:00
• 3rd Playoff – Hong Kong China 26-21 Belgium

Challenger Sevens Rugby 2023 News

• Hong Kong China Men 7s Team Aim To Break Sevens Challenger Series Hoodoo.
• Asian Teams Stumble – Organisers Drop The Ball On Opening Day of Challenger 7s 2023.
• Full Guide to World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023.
• Hong Kong China Women Set for HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2023.