Draw completed for Hong Kong Rugby Sevens 2004

The Official Draw for the eagerly awaited Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse First Boston Hong Kong Sevens 2004 held last night has provided what is sure to be another entertaining mix of fierce rugby rivalries and unique match-ups for the Hong Kong Sevens, which will be played from 26 to 28 March, 2004 at the Hong Kong Stadium.

With four nations having won the four IRB Sevens events played to date (South Africa, England, New Zealand and Argentina), the Hong Kong Sevens, the fifth of eight tournaments on this year's Series, is shaping up to be the most competitive ever.

Four-time IRB Sevens champions, New Zealand again top the IRB Sevens table with 68 points, while England, winners in George South Africa, are second on 52, South Africa are third on 48 points, followed by fourth-placed Fiji with 44. The 2003 Hong Kong Sevens champions England will be returning to Hong Kong looking for a third consecutive Cup win, a feat which has only been achieved by two other countries in the 28 years of the Hong Kong Sevens, Fiji and New Zealand. 

Only 16 points separate first and second on the IRB table, with eight points the difference between second and fourth, making the 30 IRB Sevens championship points on offer to the Cup winner in Hong Kong, as the series' only 24-team tournament, a decisive factor in determining the eventual world champion. The expanded points total for teams advancing to the Cup, Plate and Bowl quarter finals, combined with the event's US$150,000 prize purse, the series' most lucrative event, means that the world's leading sevens nations have everything to play for in Hong Kong.

In line with IRB Sevens regulations, the draw procedure for the 2004 Hong Kong Sevens Official Draw sees core IRB Sevens participating nations seeded based on their results from the preceding six IRB Sevens tournaments. For the Hong Kong leg, the seeding period runs from last year's Cardiff and London Sevens in May and June 2003 through the first ever IRB Sevens in the USA in February 2004.

For invited teams not participating in these events, seedings are based upon appearances and results in the IRB Sevens to date, as well as on past Hong Kong Sevens and European Satellite Series results. All seedings have been ratified by the IRB Sevens organisers.

By virtue of its series-leading performance to date which includes one circuit victory, at home in Wellington and Cup final appearances in the three other events played to date, New Zealand has been ranked as the tournament's top overall seed in Pool A. New Zealand will face Italy seeded 12th, together with last year's Hong Kong Sevens Bowl winners the United States and last year's losing Bowl finalists Japan. 

Based upon their successful performance on the Series to date, with a victory in South Africa and two Cup semi final appearances, England is the second seed overall at the top of Pool B. Their route to the Cup must go through pool mates Georgia, the tournament's 11th seed, as well as Scotland and China.

In Pool C, South Africa, winners of the season-opening Dubai Sevens are matched up in an African challenge with last year's Hong Kong Sevens Plate quarter finalists Kenya, ranked 10th on the IRB Sevens table; the Cook Islands and Thailand round out the pool. Pool D sees fourth overall seed Fiji, who have yet to win on this year's series but reached the Cup Final in New Zealand and have made the Cup semi finals in two other circuits drawn against Sevens veterans Canada, the ninth-placed team in this year's IRB Sevens. The hosts Hong Kong, who lost to Canada in last year's Hong Kong Sevens Plate quarter final, and Portugal complete Pool C.

Traditionally one of the toughest pools due to the seeding structure, Pool E features fifth tournament seed Argentina, winners of the first IRB Sevens in the United States against IRB Sevens veterans France, the eighth-ranked team in world sevens; Asian sides Korea and Singapore make up the rest of the group.

In the tournament's final pool, Pool F, sixth overall tournament seed Samoa, who have reached two cup semi finals in the four events preceding the Hong Kong Sevens is set for a head-to-head clash with the tournament's seventh seed, five-time Hong Kong Champions Australia. Namibia and Chinese Taipei were also drawn into the final grouping in the third and fourth tiers respectively.

John Molloy, Chairman of the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union, commented on the results, saying: "This year's draw proves that there are no more easy matches in the Hong Kong Sevens. The IRB Sevens have introduced new parity in the international game and this year every match will present a challenge. England's pool (Pool B) is probably the toughest with England, Georgia and Scotland. Georgia and Scotland are separated by only two points on the IRB Sevens standings, so England will have a substantial challenge early on."

Rod Mason also commented on the Official Draw noting that it has been one of the most even in Hong Kong Sevens history, saying "All of the pools are very nicely spread out and there are no clear leaders in most of the groups. The draw of Scotland in Pool B with England adds some United Kingdom interest while having China in the same group brings it all home for Hong Kong nicely."

The 2004 Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse First Boston Hong Kong Sevens, the 29th consecutive year of sevens rugby in Hong Kong, will be played from March 26 to 28, 2004 at the 40,000-seat Hong Kong Stadium. Ticket prices in 2004 are HK$750 for adults and HK$250 for children up to 12 for the three-day sevens extravaganza.