Hong Kong Name Squad for Malaysia Sevens

Hong Kong has named the men’s squad for this weekend’s (6-7 September 2014) Malaysia Sevens, the second of three legs on the Asian Rugby Football Union’s 2014 Asian Sevens Series.

Malaysia represents the final competition for the Hong Kong men’s sevens squad ahead of the upcoming Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea (30 September - 2 October).

The Hong Kong women’s team will be in action at Shek Kip Mei on Friday and Saturday, 12-13 September, in the IRB Women’s World Sevens Series qualifiers. Both men’s and women’s teams will reunite for the final leg of the Series in Beijing in mid-October.

Rowan Varty beating a challenge at the HK Sevens. Click to Enlarge.

Hong Kong enter the circuit’s second leg in Malaysia with strong momentum after beating Korea convincingly 40-0 in the final of the Hong Kong Asian Sevens, the opening event of the Series and the first ARFU Asian Sevens Series event to be hosted in Hong Kong.

Hong Kong currently reside atop the Asian Sevens ladder with 12 points, followed by South Korea on 11, Japan on 10 and Sri Lanka on nine points.

Coach Gareth Baber has kept faith in the majority of the squad with just two additions for Malaysia as Tsang Hing Hung and Kwok Ka Chun come into the squad to give coach Baber a look at all of his options for the Asian Games.

“Our expectations are the same as for Hong Kong and really the same for all of the Asian Sevens events we participate. To reach our performance targets and the results will follow,” said Baber. “We need to maintain our performance levels and the goal is always to reach the final. The two new players coming in, Dog (Kwok) and Hing Hung, come with a huge amount of experience and will help keep the pressure on the squad in lifting our performance levels.”

Tomasi Lawa and Hong Kong fifteens captain Nick Hewson will be left out of the squad for Malaysia, as both players are not presently eligible to represent Hong Kong at Asian Games level.

“It is tough for Tomasi and Nick but they are good professional athletes and they understand exactly what is at stake for the squad. So Kwok and Hing Hung will get their chance this weekend to stake their claim for inclusion for the Asian Games as well.

Rowan Varty. Click to Enlarge.

“They both offer a wealth of experience in relation to the Sevens series and Asian Games. We have one eye on the Asian Games now and are making sure we get players to the standard we need them to be at, and the fitness levels that we need them to be at, going into the Games, while also ensuring we don’t detract from the quality we have in the squad,” added Baber.

Hong Kong top Pool A in Malaysia ahead of Philippines and Thailand, who finished seventh and ninth respectively in the 12-men’s team bracket.

“After seeing them in Hong Kong, we won’t be taking them lightly that’s for sure. They can cause us problems but we need to get our heads right and focus purely on ourselves and doing what we have set out to do. This is what we did well in Hong Kong and it proved successful so we will be looking for much the same in Malaysia,” Baber said.

Baber has also kept faith in his latest finds as youngsters Jack Capon and Michael Coverdale have both been named for Malaysia.

“These two got on with their job description in Hong Kong. That enabled us to get the performances we did, so going into Malaysia we will be looking for the same from them. They are both young men. They are both developing and they know what they need to do in their game. From a coaches perspective, it is one of the biggest ticks in the box s when you get players doing their specific role,” said Baber.

Eleven of the 12-man Hong Kong squad selected for Malaysia are eligible for the Asian Games with nine of the squad being born in Hong Kong or China and nine of them possessing HKSAR Passports.

Captain Jamie Hood is grandfathered into the squad due to his participation in the 2010 Asian Games while Michael Coverdale is currently waiting on approval of his application for an HKSAR passport. Lee Jones is the only outlier for the team in Malaysia as the one squad member selected for Malaysia that is not eligible to play at the end of the month in South Korea.

Hong Kong Squad for Malaysia Sevens

Jamie Hood (captain), Tsang Hing Hung, Kwok Ka Chun, Jack Capon, Max Woodward, Lee Jones, Michael Coverdale, Lee Ka To, Cado, Alex McQueen, Tom McQueen, Yiu Kam Shing, Rowan Varty.