City's sevens team to play in Dubai next Sat

Hong Kong’s men’s rugby sevens team will head to Dubai next week to compete in the Challenger Series, where they are set to face Tonga, Samoa and Colombia. 

Head coach Jevon Groves expressed strong confidence in his squad, saying the players are well-prepared.

He pointed out that all three opponents are strong but the strategy is clear, stressing that the opening match against Tonga is pivotal to build momentum and belief. “We must stay focused on Tonga and aim to take that game,” he said.

Groves acknowledged last year’s dip in form – with Hong Kong finishing 11th out of 12 teams in 2025, compared with fourth in 2023 and fifth in 2024 – saying that reaching the team’s end goal was not easy. 

“We were not satisfied with the previous results and performances, so this year’s goal is to improve and that is our motivation,” he said. He outlined a two-phase build-up, with the team completing five to six weeks of high-intensity training before Christmas to boost fitness and contact readiness after a short post-National Games break, and focusing on refining game plans and tactics this week.

Wing Fong Kit-fung, member of the gold medal-winning squad at the National Games, said that the triumph bolstered belief, describing the medal as “a shot of confidence.” “It proved our strength and reminded us we can reach the levels we achieved the year before last,” he said. 

He aimed to stay healthy, push for selection to the next Asian Games after missing the previous Asian Games, and ultimately help the city to qualify for the World Series.

The local team will first compete against Tonga next Saturday, January 17, at 4.12pm, then face off against Samoa at 7.50pm, and against Columbia at 10.44pm Hong Kong times.
marc

marcus.lum@singtaonewscorp.com

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