Hong Kong aiming for the top

The new round-robin Asia Women's Rugby Championships (AWRC) parallels the men's competition. Last year at home Hong Kong gained great confidence with a narrow 13-10 loss to Kazakhstan in the opening match  going on to finish runners-up. As a result the team now has the target of winning the Asian championship this season, but there is a lot of rugby to be played before that point.

Kazakhstan were Asia’s representative at the World Cup last year – having been at every world cup since the country came into being in 1993. They have never been defeated at home, or come to that anywhere else in in Asia. Nearly 50% of its players are women – but a comfortable margin the most equal split for any country in the world. With the women’s team gaining far more international success than the men, some players such as captain Anna Yakovleva are some country’s most well-known sportswomen.

However, as Anna told Scrumqueens at the World Cup, the rise in importance of sevens is having an effect on their fifteens team. “It is more difficult now for us to find forwards”, she told us, a fact that may have contributed to their slipping to 12thin Paris.

Nonetheless the game remains a daunting opener for visitors Hong Kong but their coach Chris Garvey believes that this year represents a great opportunity for his charges.

"We have a good shot at winning this year. The girls are growing in self-belief now. They are winning regularly on the sevens circuit and are beating teams like Kazakhstan and Japan. I also like the new format and the idea of travelling to play on a home or away basis as it is a bit more intense," said Garvey.

"The travel to Almaty is a challenge but we will have a couple of days before the game. It's not an excuse and we look forward to meeting them on their turf. It was heart wrenching last year going up 10-0 versus Kazakhstan only to lose by three points but we gained confidence and bounced back to beat Japan. Hopefully that confidence will carry forward to this year," Garvey added.

Despite the challenge of opening in Kazakhstan's fortress like stadium in Almaty, Garvey believes that Japan will prove the biggest test in 2015.

"I think Japan will be our biggest threat and it will be interesting against them this year. It was a big result for us last year but they didn't have their strongest team here. We want to play the best so we hopefully they bring their full-strength team over in May. We prefer to beat their full strength team."

Hong Kong's build-up was impacted by the need to prepare the fifteens and sevens squads at the same time. Preparations began in December with a development camp for 100 players including representatives from Hong Kong's U16 and U18s set-ups, as well as the growing senior league.

Garvey explained his rationale for throwing the net as wide as possible, "If we get a strong base we can get a stronger national squad, so we wanted to have a look at lower division players who have shown potential. Off the back of that camp some of those girls performed well and are starting to compete now."

Following the completion of the Domestic Grand Championships, Hong Kong resumed its preparations and have now had six weeks to prepare. The sevens players joined the squad in April, as did HKRFU Women's Sevens coaches Anna Richards and Mark Komar.

Garvey has also called upon the services of Hong Kong Cricket Club coach Deacon Manu, a former coach of Fiji and super rugby star to help prepare the forward pack for the challenges ahead.

"Anna, Mark and Deacon have all come into the coaching team. They are all full-time coaches and it is great to be able to work with such experienced people. Having Anna and Mark on board also provides us with continuity with the sevens programme."

The 23-strong squad selected for the first test versus Kazakhstan includes 12 players returning from the 2014 campaign. Eleven 'new' faces have been added, including sevens players Lindsay Varty and Adrienne Garvey, further strengthening the team. Gai Wu's Christy Cheng Ka Chi will again captain the side.

"Our preparations may not have been as good as last year with the tournament a bit earlier, but I think the girls are better for it," Garvey added. "The sevens players have now had another year of playing full time and they add a lot to the squad and pick up things quicker when they enter our training environment."

In fact, Hong Kong women's rugby is trending upwards for Garvey. "We are seeing a great knock on effect from the women's sevens performances over the last season. The confidence of the girls from their performance is really helping us at all levels and our skill level in depth is improving."

"The women's domestic competition also grew from two to three leagues last season and there are some very strong players in the league who have helped raise the standard of the competition, which is vital for preparing our teams for overseas competition like the Asia championships," Garvey added.

Garvey also commends the HKRFU for opening the recruitment for a women's development officer. "This is a fantastic step. Women's rugby needs someone to streamline all of the good things that are happening from club and development level right through to the national teams."

With Women's Rugby World Cup qualification starting next year, Hong Kong's performance in 2015 will prove crucial to determining what is still needed for the women to earn a historic first invite to the world championship.

Hong Kong XV v Kazakhstan:

Adrienne GARVEY (Valley), Amelie SEURE (Valley), Royce CHAN Leong Sze (HKFC), Christy CHENG Ka Chi (captain, Gai Wu), CHENG Tsz Ting (Gai Wu), CHONG Ka Yan (Gai Wu), CHOW Mei Nam (SCAA CWB), Christine GORDON (Kowloon), Claire FORSTER (Kowloon), HO Hoi Lam (Gai Wu), KWONG Sau Yan (Taipo Dragons), LAI Pou Fan (USRC), LEE Ka Shun (Gai Wu), LEE On Yi (TPD), LEE Tsz Ting (Gai Wu), LI Nim Yan (Gai Wu), Lindsay VARTY (USRC), LO Wai Yan (USRC), POON Pak Yan (Gai Wu), SHAM Wai Sum (Gai Wu), Shonagh RYAN (HKFC), Karen SO Hoi Ting (Valley), WONG Yuen Shan (USRC).