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Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens 2007
Kick-off Countdown Five leading teams prepare for battle for the Hong Kong Cup Hong Kong, March 29 2007: The captains of the co-leaders of the IRB Sevens World Series, Fiji and New Zealand, and that of defending Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens champions England gathered for today’s event preview press conference. This season, the IRB World Sevens Series is more evenly contested than ever with just 12 points separating the top four teams on the championship table: co-Series leaders New Zealand and Fiji each with 60 points, South Africa with 56 points and Samoa with 48. England, who have yet to win on this year’s Series but are entering their acknowledged home away from home in sevens rugby in Hong Kong round out the top five with 36 points. The parity of this year’s IRB World Sevens Series makes the increased championship points on offer in Hong Kong (30 points for the Cup winner as the World Series’ only 24 team event) the potential deciding factor to tip the balance of the entire season with just three events to follow next week in Adelaide and in London, England and Edinburgh, Scotland in May and June of this year. Joining today’s press conference were captain Simon Amor of defending Hong Kong Sevens champions England – who are aiming for an unprecedented fifth Hong Kong Sevens cup victory in a row; DJ Forbes, captain of George winners New Zealand and Semisi Naevo Saukawa captain of Fiji, cup winners at the last Series tournament in San Diego. Also in attendance at today’s press conference were IRB Tournament Operations Manger Beth Coalter, Hong Kong Rugby Football Union Chairman Trevor Gregory and Mr Allan Payne, Executive Director of the HKRFU.
Trevor Gregory welcomed the expected 120,000 visitors to the event saying, “Every year of the Hong Kong Sevens is something special, but this year is even more so, as we enter what is perhaps the most evenly contested Hong Kong Sevens ever. We can all look forward to some truly world-class rugby over the next three days.”
World Series co-leaders Fiji and New Zealand return to Hong Kong with vastly different sides as Fiji fields the legendary Waisale Serevi, man-mountain captain Semisi Naevo Saukawa and burgeoning star William Ryder, while New Zealand faces the challenge of entering the Hong Kong Sevens with eight of its 12-man squad having never experienced the cauldron of sevens rugby that is the Hong Kong Sevens. South Africa enters the tournament with the benefit but high expectations of fielding one of its most experienced sides ever in Hong Kong, a rarity for long-time coach Paul Treu who has star players like Stefan Basson and Springbok Ngconi Bobo released from Super 14 commitments for the weekend. Samoa is another hot hand entering the tournament after having won its first ever IRB Sevens World Series event in Wellington in February and reaching the Cup final the following weekend in San Diego. The Samoans have focused their efforts on a team of Samoa-based stars and the new continuity in the side this year is already delivering results as Samoa earned its maiden IRB Sevens championship in Wellington. Uncharacteristically, England enters the Hong Kong Sevens in fifth place on this year’s Series with 36 points and will be looking to its cadre of veterans and young stars under new coach Ben Ryan for a make-or-break performance in Hong Kong. The Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens 2007 begins tomorrow 30 March at 4:30pm and ends on Sunday 1 April. The Cup Final will be held at 6:20pm on Sunday. For more information on the Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens 2007, please visit the HKRFU’s official Sevens website at www.hksevens.com. (information provided by the pr company)
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