Hong Kong Name 28-Woman Squad for Rugby World Cup in Dublin, Ireland

The Hong Kong Rugby Union has named the 28-woman squad selected to travel to Ireland next month for Hong Kong’s first appearance at a fifteen-a-side Rugby World Cup.

Hong Kong will depart on 4 August for Dublin, where they will contest a challenging pool, playing 2013 runners-up Canada (7 August), four-time champions New Zealand (13 August) and Six Nations veterans Wales (17 August), before travelling to Belfast for the final placing matches.

“We are going to use every woman in the squad in Ireland, and that is a key to our larger goal and mission: to ensure that our first World Cup appearance isn’t our last, and to create a legacy for the game back home in Hong Kong,” said national coach Jo Hull. “Qualification for the World Cup is a good start, but our objectives transcend wins and losses in terms of creating our legacy. We want to inspire more girls to take up rugby after our appearance. We also want to change the perception of the women’s game in Hong Kong and to show how tough you have to be, how dedicated and how resilient you have to be – rather than giving in or walking away when it gets tough. The players selected are a key to crafting that legacy.”

The selectors have compiled a squad with a healthy mix of experience and potential, including some emerging and National Age Grade players, as Hull looks to leverage the Rugby World Cup as a transformative event for Hong Kong women’s rugby.

“There are not too many surprises in the final squad. We have gone with our experience and some of our more physical players that can withstand the challenge of a World Cup, but we are really excited to see the number of young players who have raised their hands during the campaign,” she added, singling out emerging players like scrumhalf Chloe Mak, flyhalf Lee Tsz-ting, flanker Agnes Chan and 18-year old centre Kelsie Bouttle. “These players have really come into their own and are improving every game. We have rewarded that potential and it is a fantastic opportunity for them to shine. The senior players will need to lead that culture-building in Ireland, while the younger players are the bridge to take this spirit back to their schools and National Age Grade teammates.”

The ever-reliable Chow Mei-nam will captain the squad in Ireland from lock. The 29-year old physical education teacher is relishing the opportunity ahead for both herself and her side.

“My ambition is to be a world-class lock and the World Cup will provide a stage for me to try and achieve that. By the end of the tournament, I want the other teams to know about Hong Kong rugby and respect us. That’s my main goal, earning that respect on the pitch. I just want to let the world know that the Hong Kong team is coming and trying hard to secure our spot on the world stage,” Chow vowed.

Chow is joined by a core of experienced campaigners, particularly in the forwards, with a selection for former captain Royce Chan. The world cup selection is fitting reward for Chan’s 13 years of sterling service to Hong Kong rugby.

Amelie Seure, Christy Cheng Ka-chi and Christine Gordon add further experience in the pack, and provide a steady hand at the tiller alongside relative newcomers in flankers Agnes Chan and lock Chan Ka-yan.

“We have gone with some players that we know can get us out of trouble in a game,” Hull said. “For a world cup you need that balance, you have to have a team. It isn’t just about the players, the combinations have to work, on and off the pitch, to carry the team through those three weeks. We have also given opportunities to some X-factor players. If they get things right, players like Agnes [Chan], Kelsie [Bouttle] and Rosie [Rose Hopewell-Fong] can help us break down defences. These players also help us achieve one of our targets, which was to have a multi-functional squad, with players that are comfortable playing in more than one position. We are confident that we have that strength in depth we are going to need to take on three world-class teams in the space of two weeks.”

The backline is anchored by vice captain and centre Adrienne Garvey, as well as other experienced players in fly-half/fullback Rose Hopewell-Fong and sevens squad members Natasha Olson-Thorne (centre/wing) and Aggie Poon Pak-yan and Colleen Tjosvold in the back three.

Emerging players among the backs include young scrumhalves 22-year old Chloe Mak, Ho-yee and 25-year old Jessica Ho Wai-on, with professional sevens athlete Lindsay Varty adding experience at the pivot.

21-year old ‘BB’ Lee Tsz-ting has been included at fly-half as she looks to add to her eight caps, with former England Academy player Hopewell-Fong (pictured) also capable of playing at ten and anywhere along the backline.

The youngest player on the squad is 18-year old centre Kelsie Bouttle who only came into the training squad in May after impressing in her first season of Premiership rugby and at National Age Grade level.

“It’s been an eye opener for me to be involved and a great motivator to develop my rugby. The World Cup will be an incredible experience,” said Bouttle, who received her first cap earlier this month. “It’s good to be included because I am still young and hopefully have a long way to go in my rugby, so I will be in a position to share that experience and transfer my knowledge to other young players, as I am still training with the U19s.”

While including several full-time athletes from the HKRU sevens programme at the HKSI, the majority of the squad are amateurs, who have given up significant amounts of time throughout the campaign to train.

“These are not professional players, but they train professionally,” said Hull. “They are doctors, teachers, social workers and students, and they deserve praise and respect for the commitment they have shown.”

The world cup will bring back memories for Hull after she served as Assistant Coach with Scotland in 2006 and again as Performance Manager at the Scottish Rugby Union for the 2010 campaign.

“The opportunity to bring my own squad to the world cup is a tremendous honour, especially with this group of players. To coach a team like this at a world cup is an honour and I feel a lot of responsibility because of it. I’m looking forward to that buzz and excitement that surrounds a world cup. I know from my own experience that this will be the most amazing three weeks of their sporting lives and to be able to lead them through that is a privilege,” said Hull.

HKRU Squad for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017

Forwards: CHOW Mei-nam (captain); CHAN Ka-yan; CHAN Leong-sze, Royce; CHAN Tsz-ching, Agnes; CHENG Ka-chi, Christy; CHEUNG Shuk-Han, Jasmine; Christine GORDON; LAU Nga-wun, Tammy; LEE Ka-shun; PUN Wai-yan; Amelie SEURE; SIU Wing-ni, Winnie; SO Hoi-ting, Karen; TSANG Sin-yan; WONG Yuen-shan.

Backs: Adrienne GARVEY (vice captain); CHONG Ka-yan; CHOR Lik-fung, Laurel; Kelsie BOUTTLE; HO Wai-on, Jessica; Rose HOPEWELL-FONG Siu-lan; LAU Sze-wa; LEE Tsz-ting; MAK Ho-yee, Chloe; Natasha OLSON-THORNE; POON Pak-yan, Aggie; Colleen TJOSVOLD; Lindsay VARTY.

Rugby pictures: Pictures from 2019 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures from 2018 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures from 2017 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures from 2016 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures of Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2015, Pictures of the Asia Rugby Sevens Olympic Games Qualifier in Hong Kong, Pictures of Singha Thailand Sevens 2015, Pictures from the 2013 British & Irish Lions Tour in Hong Kong, Pictures of Hong Kong Sevens 2014, Pictures of Hong Kong Sevens 2013, Pictures of Chartis Cup 2012 and Pictures of Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2012.

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