Groups announced for Hong Kong leg

By Shamseer Jaleel

The Asian Rugby Sevens Series for 2018 will kick off in Hong Kong on 14 September at the Hong Kong Football Club (HKFC) in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong.

This first leg will move to South Korea and end in Sri Lanka during mid-October 2018. The top two teams at the conclusion of the series will qualify for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series qualifier, played as part of next April’s Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2019. Japan and Hong Kong qualified for this event in 2017.

The Sri Lankan squad, expecting a team medal at the Asian Games 2018 in Indonesia, will return to the island and have only a week to prepare for this event. Sri Lanka will play alongside Japan, China and Taipei in the Men’s segment while in the Women’s event they will play against China, Kazakhstan and Singapore. Soon after their arrival the Sri Lanka men are expected to make some changes before they depart to Hong Kong. Sudharshana Muthuthanthri will lead the outfit with Peter Woods operating as the Head Coach.

Men’s

Group A:  Sri Lanka, Japan, China and Taipei

Group B: Hong Kong, South Korea, the Philippines and Malaysia

Women’s

Group C:   Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand and 

South Korea

Group D:  China, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka and Singapore

September 14 (all Sri Lankan times)

Men’s

Sri Lanka vs. China 

11.28 a.m.

Sri Lanka vs. Japan 

2.46 p.m.

Women’s

Sri Lanka vs.    Kazakhstan  9.00 a.m.

Sri Lanka vs. Singapore  

12.56 p.m.

September 15

Men’s

Sri Lanka vs. Taipei 

9.20 a.m.

Women’s

Sri Lanka vs. China

7.30 a.m.