World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series: Hong Kong’s men and women bounce back to bow out with pride
- After missing out on main Series spots in quarterfinals, Paul John’s teams claim wins in their placement matches
- Depleted men’s squad beat Italy and Uganda to finish fifth, while women end up sixth in Stellenbosch on Sunday
Hong Kong’s men and women rebounded from the disappointment of missing out on HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series spots in the quarterfinals of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in Stellenbosch by claiming wins in their placement matches on Sunday.
The men had lost to eventual Series champions Tonga, 33-12, in their quarter-final on Saturday, while the women were ousted at the same stage against Belgium, who went on to reach their second straight cup final in South Africa.
After a series of injuries hit his squad, Paul John’s depleted men’s side beat Italy 20-5 to advance to the fifth-place play-off against African champions Uganda, whom they beat 17-7 .
The women held off Paraguay 12-5 to set up a clash with Poland, where they lost out 24-10 to finish sixth.
China’s women’s team fell at the semi-final stages for a second week in a row, losing to Belgium 22-5, as Asia’s sides came up empty-handed from the 2023 Challenger Series.
