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Oliver Kwan

Rugby is a truly great sport. It has got everything you could want:  wonderful displays of strength, athleticism  and  sportsmanship.

I've  played the game for only two seasons, and I'm already addicted.

What's even better about rugby is that we're in Hong Kong -   home to the best Sevens tournament in the world.

The city has hosted the Rugby Sevens World Cup twice and could even stage the 2009 showpiece.

Rugby was  a mainly expatriate sport until the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union (HKRFU) launched its development programme a few years ago.

And things have changed dramatically.

Over the years, rugby had developed a reputation for being a tough sport that  only the largest and strongest  people can play.

This isn't true: there are few 'giants' on the field, but half the players should  possess speed rather than strength.

For every big man,  there's a place for a small speedster.

The HKRFU should be praised for  trying to bring the sport to everyone. Under the HKRFU's development scheme, I've seen a  Sevens tournament run without a single international student.

I've  played against teams made up entirely of local students.

And they put up a really good fight against us.

If you've ever thought about playing rugby in Hong Kong, there are many  clubs on both Hong Kong Island and Kowloon with reasonable membership fees.

I only paid $250 for an entire season, including a jersey.

Rugby really is a game for all. Anybody of any build can play, and while you're having fun on the pitch, you're making friends.



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