Hong Kong China Confirms Sevens Teams For Melrose Claymores – Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2024

The Melrose Claymores Cup competition is due to be played as part of the 2024 Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens from 5-7 April 2024 at the Hong Kong Stadium, and Hong Kong China Rugby has announced its Women’s and Men’s squads who will play in front of a near sellout home crowd.

Updated 31st March 2024 (see final squad teams at the end)

The inaugural Melrose Claymores tournament will also feature the China and Thailand Women as well as the Japan and China men, with matches interspersed with the HSBC SVNS Series fixtures over three days in Hong Kong.

It is a congested calendar of tournaments in 2024, and a few players among the women and men also feature for the HKCR XVs teams.

Mr Chris Brooke, Chairman of Hong Kong China Rugby said at the team announcement, “On behalf of Hong Kong China Rugby I would like to congratulate all of the players here today and wish them all the best as they represent Hong Kong China inside the Stadium.

Win or lose we know these athletes will once again represent Hong Kong and our rugby community positively both on and off the field.”

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Photo Credit: HKCR Hong Kong China Confirms Sevens Women’s & Men’s Teams 2024

What The HKCR Partners Said

Ms Luanne Lim, Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Hong Kong added of the players chosen to represent Hong Kong China, “They carry the hopes and dreams of thousands of young local players and fans on their shoulders when they enter the stadium. We are confident that will do themselves, and our city proud.” 

Ms Lavinia Lau, Chief Customer & Commercial Officer of Cathay expressed how the values of the rugby reflect those of her teams – respect, discipline, and teamwork, adding.

“From our team at Cathay to yours, a huge congratulations to the players and to Hong Kong China Rugby for everything they have accomplished, and we look forward to cheering on our rugby teams as they strive together to achieve their dreams and inspire the next generation of Hong Kong sportspeople.”

L to R: Hong Kong China Women’s Captain Natasha Olson Thorne; Hong Kong China Rugby Chairman Chris Brooke; Lavinia Lau, Chief Customer and Commercial Officer, Cathay; Luanne Lim, Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Hong Kong; Robbie McRobbie, Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong China Rugby; Hong Kong Men’s captain Max Woodward at today’s team announcement.

HKCR Women’s 7s Team – Melrose Claymores Cup 2024

Women’s Sevens Head Coach Andy Vilk has named a wider squad of 16 players eligible for the final 12-woman squad to be named ahead of the Melrose tournament, with the group including experienced core players such as captain Natasha Olson-Thorne, Nam Ka-man and Chong Ka-yan.

It will be the captain’s 50th tournament knock at the HK Sevens (we have been told) which is very impressive for one of the team’s consistent top performers and talisman.

HKCR Women’s 7s Captain Natasha Olson-Thorne

Natasha Olson-Thorne, commented; “To run out in the stadium in front of our home crowd playing against some of the world’s best teams, those are moments that I treasure; playing in front of your friends and family in the stadium is something I will always remember.”

“It’s really important to have role models for female athletes, so girls know they can aspire to play rugby as a career. You can become a professional athlete, you can compete on the world stage in rugby, that will always be an option. I want young girls to look at me and say ‘yes, I aspire to do that, I aspire to play women’s rugby for Hong Kong,” added Olson-Thorne, who earned her first Hong Kong Sevens cap in 2007.

The younger talent in the squad includes Micayla and Chloe Baltazar, with several other potential first caps included in the wider squad ahead of the final selection. The omission of Julia Mibuy Mba Oyana is a surprise, however.

HKCR Women’s 7s Wider Squad – Melrose Claymores Cup 2024

HKCR Men’s 7s Team – Melrose Claymores Cup 2024

The final men’s squad has been confirmed by Head Coach Jevon Groves, with long-time captain Max Woodward marking his return to a seventh Hong Kong Sevens weekend, and his sixth as captain.

Groves said, “There are a few changes but we are giving some of the boys an opportunity and managing some players that picked up injuries in Uruguay, because it has been a heavy period.

Last year in Hong Kong some of our best memories were after playing, when we were interacting with the crowd. That is our motivation this year. We have a higher purpose to use the weekend as a way to generate buzz for Hong Kong Rugby. If we can, through our performance, get more people involved in rugby, and interested in rugby, that is what we hope to do.”

Other experience in the men’s group comes from Salom Yiu Kam Shing (his 13^th appearance in the Hong Kong Stadium). Lee Ka-to, Michael Coverdale and Alessandro Nardoni.

Seb Brien and Max Denmark will both be absent as they recover from injuries and Groves commented, “We have a real chance in the Challenger, so it has been a case of keeping one eye on that Munich tournament in May as well, which is another reason we needed to give some guys a look in now to get them back running again.”

James Sawyer and Fong Kit Fung will both be making their Hong Kong stadium debuts, and it will be everyone’s final appearance there as the tournament moves to the new facilities in 2025.

HKCR Coach Groves concluded; “Hong Kong is one of the best tournaments that I have played in and coached in; it was always the one the players wanted to be involved in even outside of Hong Kong, so to be a part of marking 30 years in the Stadium is really special.”

HKCR Men’s 7s Team – Melrose Claymores Cup 2024

Melrose Claymores Cup 2024 Schedule

The Hong Kong China women’s sevens will open their Melrose Claymore challenge on Friday, 5 April, at 18:22 versus China, while the men will also play China at 19:24.

On Saturday, Hong Kong China women face Thailand at 14:09 while the men take on Japan at 15:11.

The remaining matches in the round-robin format will be played on Sunday, 7 April, with China women taking on Thailand at 9:40 and China men playing Japan at 10:03.

At the conclusion of the round-robin format, the top two teams in each competition face off in the Melrose Claymores Finals, with the women’s match at 15:28 and the men’s match at 15:56.

Hong Kong China Men’s Sevens Squad – Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens – Melrose Claymores Cup

Max WOODWARD (Captain); James CHRISTIE; Mike COVERDALE; FONG Kit Fung*; Liam HERBERT; LEE Ka To Cado; Alessandro NARDONI; Bryn PHILLIPS; James SAWYER*; Harry SAYERS; Hugo STILES; YIU Kam Shing Salom.

*Hong Kong Sevens debut  

Image Credit: HKCR

Hong Kong China Women’s Sevens (wider) Squad – Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens – Melrose Claymores Cup

Natasha OLSON-THORNE (Captain); AU YEUNG Sin Yi; BALTAZAR Chloe; BALTAZAR, Micayla; CHAN Chor Ki Stephanie; CHAN Tsz Ching Agnes; CHONG Ka Yan; Shanna FORREST; FUNG Hoi Ching; HO Wai On Jessica; HUI Man Ling; KWONG Tin Tung, Etta; Sabay LYNAM; NAM Ka Man; POON Hoi Yan; Gabriella RIVERS

The list below is the final squad as confirmed by HKCR.

Image Credit: HKCR

HKCR Sevens Rugby Programme 2024

Both the HKCR Sevens teams and their wider squads have played in two of the three legs of the HSBC World Rugby Challenger Series 2024 in Dubai and Montevideo and will head to the final leg in Europe to attempt to secure a full-time place as a core side on the World Rugby HSBC SVNS series in 2024.

The final qualification event in the HSBC World Rugby Challenger Series will be held in May (the women’s in Krakow, Poland and men’s in Munich, Germany), and sides need to finish in the top four to earn a spot in the qualification tournament in Madrid where they will play the bottom four of the SVNS Series in a round-robin event.

Hong Kong China men are in fifth place, while the women are in eighth place – Both teams also will compete in the final international qualification tournament for the 2024 Olympic Games in Monaco in June.

Thereafter, the Asian Sevens Series 2024 will take place across three legs in South Korea, Thailand and China.

Stay Tuned as we bring you more from the HKCR Sevens Captains before the tournament!

If you are looking for somewhere to stay in Hong Kong, close to the HKFC grounds and public transport to reach the Hong Kong Stadium, Rugby Asia 247 recommends The Charterhouse who have been our accommodation partner for the past two years for the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2024 Week

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• Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2024 Week – Ultimate Fan Guide.
• Cathay / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2024 Star-Studded Line-up Of Ambassadors.
• SANIX World Rugby Youth Tournament 2024.
• Guide To The Asia Rugby 2024 International Tournaments.