Hong Kong sevens side to ‘come out firing’ for Challenger Series in Cape Town
Canada clash looms, with Matteo Avitabile poised for debut in global circuit’s second tier after breaking into city’s 15s and sevens teams
Matteo Avitabile has said Hong Kong’s men’s rugby sevens players will “come out firing” when their cutthroat Challenger Series campaign gets under way in Cape Town on Saturday.
Hong Kong must top a three-team pool featuring Madagascar and Canada to advance to Sunday’s semi-finals, in a format shortened from three days to two because the second leg follows next week, again in the South African city.
Failure to reach the last four would damage the city team’s quest for HSBC SVNS Series qualification, with only the leading quartet over the three legs booking spots in May’s play-offs. The third leg will take place in Krakow in April.
Avitabile said Hong Kong would use their opening game, against the lowly Madagascans, to “set the tone” for their clash with a Canada side smarting from world series relegation.
“This new format gives you no mercy, so you have to come out firing,” Avitabile said. “We’re really focused on Canada, and want to see all the preparation we’ve done come to fruition.”
For fly-half Avitabile, who turned 23 on Monday, his Challenger Series bow will represent another first, after he made international 15s and sevens debuts during an “awesome” 2024. A former South Island School pupil, he returned to the city in 2023 after three years at university in the Netherlands.