As the global rugby community descends upon Asia\u2019s World City for the 50th anniversary of the Cathay\/HSBC Hong Kong SVNS, all eyes are on the beginning of the World Championships.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But amid the giants of the circuit, a different kind of history is being written. In the shadow of the new 50,000-seat Kai Tak Stadium, Hong Kong China\u2019s men and women are preparing to defend the Melrose Claymores, a trophy that has fast become the spiritual heart of the home weekend.<\/p>\n
For co-captains Seb Brien and Chloe Chan, this isn\u2019t just another tournament. It is a milestone five decades in the making, a chance to prove that the Fragrant Harbour produces more than just a world-class atmosphere. It produces world-class athletes as well.<\/p>\n
The Kai Tak cauldron: A new era of acoustics<\/p>\n
The move away from the legendary So Kon Po venue to the futuristic Kai Tak Stadium could have felt like a loss of soul, but according to those on the pitch, the energy has only intensified.<\/p>\n
\u201cRunning out at any Hong Kong Sevens is incredible, no other feeling in rugby comes close,\u201d said men\u2019s co-captain Seb Brien. Having already tasted the atmosphere during the National Games final at the venue, Brien describes it as a \u201ctaster for what\u2019s to come\u201d.<\/p>\n
Women\u2019s co-captain Chloe Chan agrees, noting that the stadium\u2019s unique architecture has created a literal pressure cooker. \u201cThe fans are super loud, I think it\u2019s because of how the stadium is built, everything is echoing,\u201d she said. \u201cAs we ran on last year, I just remember looking at the South Stand and the fans were going crazy. You could really feel the support from the home fans.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speed v Size: The Melrose Tactical Chess Match<\/p>\n
Both squads enter the weekend as defending champions, but the path to retaining the Melrose Claymores is paved with formidable regional rivalries. The men face familiar foes in Japan and China, a draw Brien views with both respect and relish.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe play Japan and China a lot and we love the rivalry we share,\u201d Brien says. \u201cBoth teams have a lot of athletes and threats and always bring big performances to Hong Kong.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
For the men, the goal is simple but demanding: play a \u201cfearless brand of rugby\u201d and let the results follow.<\/p>\n
The women\u2019s side faces a similar physical challenge, specifically against a \u201csuper physical\u201d Denmark side and a \u201cneck-and-neck\u201d rivalry with Thailand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Denmark travelled to Hong Kong a week early to play warm-up games against the local side before the weekend. \u201cDenmark are a lot bigger than us, so we\u2019re going to use our speed and agility to our advantage,\u201d she says. Against the clinical Thai side, Chan believes the edge will come down to \u201ctactical knowledge\u201d.<\/p>\n
This focus on agility over pure bulk is the hallmark of the Hong Kong system, which relies on highly skilled agile players.<\/p>\n
The weight of the sword: a trophy like no other<\/p>\n
The Melrose Claymore, a massive, traditional Scottish sword exchanged with the birthplace of Sevens, is arguably the most intimidating trophy in world sport. For the players, lifting it is a physical reminder of the heritage they represent.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a massive sword!\u201d Chan laughed, recalling her first time holding it. \u201cIt\u2019s super heavy and quite scary because it is pretty sharp! But it was so special.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Chan hopes to feel that weight again this weekend, Brien remains focused on the process. For him, the trophy is the reward for the \u201cfearless brand\u201d he expects his squad to execute while putting on a show for the home crowd.<\/p>\n
Inspiring the next generation<\/p>\n
Perhaps the most significant aspect of the 50th Anniversary is the legacy being built for the young players watching from the heights of the Kai Tak stands.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Both captains see themselves in those young fans.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Sevens\u2019 march around is one of my earliest memories,\u201d Brien said. \u201cThe dream of playing in the Hong Kong Sevens is what made the choice to move back to Hong Kong after university a no-brainer. It is the ultimate goal for all Hong Kong kids to score a try in front of their family and friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chan, who grew up playing in the youth games on the Sunday of the tournament, now feels the weight of being the \u201cface\u201d of the sport’s exponential growth. \u201cExposure is everything,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAll we want to do is inspire the next generation of young local girls to come up and play. We\u2019re at a point where women\u2019s rugby is exponentially growing.\u201d<\/p>\n
As the lights dim over Kai Tak this weekend and the World Championship giants take the stage, the loudest roar will likely be reserved for the home teams.<\/p>\n
For Brien and Chan, the Melrose Claymore is more than just a heavy piece of sharp steel.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It is a symbol of a 50-year journey. From the youth games on Sunday mornings to leading national teams out in front of 50,000 people, their journey mirrors the evolution of the city itself.<\/p>\n
They aren\u2019t just defending a trophy. They are defending a legacy. And in the echoing cauldron of Kai Tak, they are ready to put on a show.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As the global rugby community descends upon Asia\u2019s World City for the 50th anniversary of the Cathay\/HSBC Hong…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":391040,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[85,46,105,4277],"class_list":{"0":"post-391039","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-il","9":"tag-israel","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-text"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=391039"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391039\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/391040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=391039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=391039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=391039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}