Hong Kong China Sevens Teams Confirmed For Challenger Series 2023

The Hong Kong Rugby Union have announced the Hong Kong China men’s and women’s sevens squads set to compete in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series at the end of April 2023 in South Africa.  

The two-leg series takes place from 21-23 April and 28-30 April in the Markotter Stadium in Stellenbosch and are part of the qualification process for a spot on the seven-leg HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in 2024.

Hong Kong, China Sevens head coach Paul John and men’s coach Jevon Groves confirmed the squads for the two tournaments with 15 men and 16 women named ahead of their departure.

Hong Kong China Men Sevens – Challenger Series 2023

All 13 of the men’s team that won the Shield at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2o23 – have been named in the squad along with forward Michael Coverdale and wing Harry Sayers.

HK China Men’s coach Jevon Groves said: “We’ve used 21 senior players over the last four months and those three tournaments (Borneo, Hong Kong, and Singapore) gave us a chance to see everyone play and to select the players we think best suits this tournament.

There were some tough decisions given that everyone has put their hands up over the past three tournaments, but this squad has the balance we need for what we expect will be a high attrition competition, with two three-day tournaments on back-to-back weekends.

Winger Salom Yiu will mark his record-setting 71^st sevens tournament in South Africa, while Seb Brien will look to carry on from an impressive performance in Hong Kong where he finished as the first-ever local player to lead the Hong Kong Sevens try-scoring table with six tries.

The winner of the men’s Challenger Series will book a spot in a final four-team tournament alongside the three teams that will be eliminated from the World Series. From next season, the HSBC World Sevens Series will consist of 12 men’s and 12 womens teams aligned with the Olympic 7s tournament.

The men have had two previous appearances in the Challenger Series, finishing as runners-up to Japan in the inaugural series in 2020 and fifth place in 2022.

Groves added: “This is the event that we are targeting to win, and the last three months has given us a good opportunity to prepare and select, now it is about showing what we can do and getting the results we want.”

Russell Webb in action at the Hong Kong Sevens 2023

Max WOODWARD (Capt.); Seb BRIEN; James CHRISTIE; Michael COVERDALE; Max DENMARK; Liam HERBERT; Callum McCULLOUGH; Alex McQUEEN; Pierce MACKINLAY-WEST; MAK Kwai-chung; Alessandro NARDONI; Harry SAYERS; Hugo STILES; Russell WEBB; Salom YIU Kam-shing.

Hong Kong China Women Sevens – Challenger Series 2023

It is the first time that the Hong Kong China women’s squad has qualified for the Challenger Series and the latest in a season of debuts for the team after making their first appearance at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2023.

The winner of the women’s Challenger will advance directly to the HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series as one of 12 teams on the international circuit.

Coach Paul John has selected an experienced squad with 10 of the 12 women from the Hong Kong Sevens retained.

“This is the first time for the women to participate in the Challenger Series and we are very excited to be participating.

It is a great opportunity for us to carry on from the Hong Kong tournament. We should be proud of how we played in Hong Kong. We won our kick-offs and our defence was good. Now the challenge is for us to make that our baseline performance, to keep that level of progress and to keep improving.”

Squad lynchpins Natasha Olson-Thorne and Melody Li Nim-yan will once again co-captain the squad in South Africa. Chong Ka-yan has returned to fitness, while Nam Ka-man, Jess Ho Wai-on, Chloe Chan, Maggie Au Yeung Sin-yi, and Stephanie Chan Chor-ki all provide added nous.

Youngsters Agnes Tse Wing-kiu and Rosie Wright are retained from the HK Sevens side, while Cherly So Yee-kei and Shanna Forrest both come into the wider squad. The squad features two sets of siblings with Micayla and Chloe Baltazar selected alongside Gabriella and Georgia Rivers.

Chloe CHAN in action at the Hong Kong Sevens 2023

Natasha OLSON-THORNE (Co-Capt); Melody LI Nim-yan (Co-Capt.); Maggie AU YEUNG Sin-Yi; Micayla BALTAZAR; Chloe BALTAZAR; Chloe CHAN; CHAN Chor-ki, Stephanie; CHONG Ka-yan; Shanna FORREST; Jessica HO Wai-on; NAM Ka-man; Gabriella RIVERS; Georgia RIVERS; SO Yee-kei,Cherly;  TSE Wing-kiu, Agnes; Rosanna WRIGHT.

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