Hong Kong get serious about Sevens
Hong Kong have appointed former Black Fern legend Anna Richards as its new Elite Women's Sevens Coach following news it is to recieve increased investment from the Hong Kong Sports Institute who have now deemed the game an elite sport.
Published by Alison Donnelly, November 4th, 2013
2 minute read
Richards will take up a fulltime role with the Hong Kong Rugby Union in December but will travel with the team to their upcoming competition in the second and final leg of the Asian Women’s Sevens Series in Pune, India (Nov. 9-10).
Richards made her New Zealand Black Ferns debut in 1990 and has won three Women’s Rugby World Cup titles (1998, 2002 and 2006)
Her appointment comes as the HKRU also appoint ex-Wales Sevens coach Gareth Baber as the new Head Coach of the country’s overall Sevens programmes.
Being granted elite status by the HKSI is a significant step forward for the game in Hong Kong with rugby becoming the first team sport to be granted this status under the new HKSI and Sports Commission’s Elite Sport status criteria.
The granting of Elite Sport status will see the HKRFU’s National Sevens Performance Programmes qualify for special training and financial support and will allow at least six women’s players to train fulltime with full funding.
A further six are expected to train part time due to existing work commitments.
Hong Kong has high hopes for its women’s programme and certainly there have been improvements over the past year – with the side narrowly losing recently to China at the Shanghai Sevens. A key target is next season’s Asian Games in South Korea.