Melrose Claymores Teams For Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2025 Announced

Hong Kong China Rugby will once again face Asian challengers in the Melrose Claymores at Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2025, with defending champions Hong Kong China men’s sevens taking on Japan and China, while the HKCR women will play Thailand and Kazakhstan in their Melrose Claymores clash.

Updated March 2025 (Squad news and schedule)

The inaugural Melrose Claymores was held in 2024, and next year, the Asian sides will meet during the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2025 held from 28-30 March at the new Kai Tak Stadium. The Melrose Claymores was introduced to feature invitational teams from Asia in honour of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens’ role in supporting the development of Asian rugby from its inception in 1976.

The winners of the debut competition were the Chinese women and Hong Kong China Men, and the Chinese women have since earned promotion to the HSBC SVNS Series.

The Hong Kong China men beat China 19-17 before losing 26-14 to Japan in the second match. Japan beat China 31-26 to reach the final but lost to Hong Kong China in the final in front of a noisy and packed crowd 22-12.

The HKCR women beat China 19-12 and then Thailand 28-10 to set up a rematch in the final against China, which Hong Kong China lost 24-10.

The Melrose Claymores trophies were donated by Melrose Rugby Football Club in Scotland, which is host of the world’s oldest sevens competition, the Melrose Sevens which was founded in 1883. In a reciprocal gesture, the Hong Kong Sevens trophy is on offer to winners of one of the competitions at Melrose.

Photo Credit: HKCR – HKCR Women beat China in the pool stage in 2024

Women’s Teams 2025

• Hong Kong China
• Thailand
• Kazakhstan

Men’s Teams 2025

• Hong Kong China
• Japan
• China

Busy Period Of Sevens Rugby –  Melrose Claymores 2025

The Hong Kong China sevens squads, Japan men and Thailand women will also have a busy roster with the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger 2025 announced to take place at the start of March 2025.

Hong Kong China Sevens Head Coach Paul John, said “It’s definitely an intense period of rugby. Both our men’s and women’s teams qualified for the Challenger Series, which was our goal; it is a reward for our success in Asia to be able to compete in these global competitions for spaces on the series.”

Paul John added, “The timing is a bit tough with four tournaments in six to seven weeks, but we are fortunate that with the support of HKCR and the HKSI (Hong Kong Sports Institute), we have bigger squads to draw from and that the competition for places in the team is very hard; it is difficult to select squads now.”

Despite the opening two rounds of the Challenger Series taking place in Cape Town, with the intention of qualifying for the third and final round from 11-12 April 2025 in Krakow, Poland (after the Melrose Claymores),  John said: “Hong Kong is such an important event for all of us as players and coaches here – and also for the international teams as well.”

Of the competition in the 2025 Melrose Claymores, John added, “The last Melrose was excellent for us. Both teams played three games, and the timing of the games meant the crowd was able to get behind us. The atmosphere in the stadium was really special and was marked by a very special win for the women over China on day one.

We are fortunate to have another really good competition this year. When the men play Japan and China the competition is always intense. It’s difficult now to predict the outcomes here and that is why these games are always so good.

The women are the same. Our competition with Thailand has been close historically. They had a slight edge over us on the Asian series last year, but we did enough to fend them off and reach the Challenger Series ahead of them. Kazakhstan has always been tough for us with a very physical style that is different to what we usually face in Asia.”

Team Squads – Melrose Claym0res 2025

HKCR Squads – Melrose Claym0res 2025

See more here about the HKCR Women’s and Men’s squads selected.

Thailand Women’s Squad – Melrose Claym0res 2025

The Thai Women qualified for the final and 3rd leg of the HSBC World Rugby 7s Challenger in early April in Krakow and have sent mainly a development team but there are still some dangerous players selected, notably the likes of the young Dion Akwaja and Jirawan Chutrakun who was their top try scorer in the two legs of the Challenger 7s in Cape Town.

Image Credit – TRU

Kazakhstan Women’s Squad – Melrose Claymores 2025

N/A

Japan Men’s Squad – Melrose Claym0res 2025

With the Japanese men heading to the third leg of the HSBC World Rugby 7s Challenger in early April, they have opted to send a Men’s Senior Sevens Academy team to Hong Kong, with the squad confirmed by the JRFU Former Sakuar 7s Head Coach Takashi SUZUKI is the team’s coach in Hong Kong – he also took the SDS Men’s team to the HSBC Vancouver 7s to play in the invitational event earlier this season.

China Men’s Squad – Melrose Claym0res 2025

N/A

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

Photo Credit: HKCR Melrose Claymores Tournament 2024 – China Women Champions

Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2025

John said of playing at the new stadium, “The excitement in the squad is already starting to grow with Kai Tak coming. Everyone wants to be included. Players want to play, and everyone wants to play at Kai Tak,” added John.

The 2025 edition of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens will be able to host 50,000 at the new stadium from 28-30 March 2025.

Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2025 News

• Hong Kong China Rugby CEO James Farndon – “Hugely Exciting Times Ahead”.
• 2025 Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens – What You Need To Know.
• 2025 Tradition HKFC 10s Dates Locked In.
• Kowloon RugbyFest 2025 Teams and Pools.