Lucky Number Sevens: The link Between the Hong Kong Sevens and Chinese Rugby
Much has been made of Alibaba’s USD100 million-dollar pledge to invest in domestic Chinese rugby. If the investment comes to fruition, it will be a great first step towards popularizing a sport that is much like a ball carrier after a 10-man maul collapses; at the bottom of the heap.
Professionals and pundits in China realize they are amid a large and unprecedented spending bubble for sports. If the bubble pops, the savior of the game in the nation 300 times more populous than New Zealand will come from a strange place indeed: The Hong Kong Sevens.
Look for the Hong Kong Sevens in all its boozy, bacchanalian splendor to stoke the nationalistic fervor of the Chinese sports machine in the possible future absence of capital. The Hong Kong Sevens jumpstarted the commercialization of rugby a decade before the World Cup was a thing and kickstarted the development of the sport in Asia. The event has been a runaway smash hit for decades now and will be huge for years to come. The tournament has a very real chance to propel the sport into the limelight in China in the same manner it brought South Korea, Samoa, Japan and other Pacific and Asian nations into the international rugby fold.
China, like J.R.R. Tolkien’s eye of Sauron, perpetually has its gaze cast towards its pet administrative region, Hong Kong. With Rugby Sevens an official Olympic sport, the Chinese will be watching especially closely, as if Tolkien’s legendary ring was on the very precipice of Mt. Doom. The fact is the Chinese simply love taking home hardware from that quadrennial outpour of nationalistic fervor known as ‘The Olympic Games.’ More importantly, Chinese sport responds exceedingly well and develops quickly after even the most minute amounts of international exposure. Rong Guotuan becoming the first citizen of the then newly formed People’s Republic of China to become a world champion in any sport at the 1959 World Table Tennis Championships is the finest example.
Table Tennis and Rugby are as admittedly different as a burly prop and lithe winger. But don’t doubt the prowess of the state-sponsored sporting monolith to scour the mountains of Sichuan, the dystopian apartment blocks of Beijing and the plains of Tibet for the next Wilkinson, Joost or McCaw. The impetus behind this won’t be from venture capital doled out by an angel investor, either. It will come from high-quality events occurring on China’s doorstep, such as the Hong Kong Sevens or the 2019 World Cup in Japan. After all, the Chinese sports machine runs far more efficiently on ambition, nationalism and collective pride fueled by glory on the international stage than it does on paper money. Look for those types of events to spark a ‘why-not-me’ feeling in the echelons of Chinese sport and provide that spark to a nation that hasn’t yet come in sniffing distance of qualifying for a World Cup.
Currently, rugby played by Chinese exists chiefly only in two specialized areas; Marine detachments in the People’s Liberation Army and on social teams in a handful disparate, backwater third-tier cities in China’s western and central areas. Places like Changzhou, Hubei and Fuzhou have significant numbers of Chinese on their teams. Places like Changzhou, Hubei and Fuzhou also have average population sizes that exceed the population of New Zealand or Ireland, which is precisely why the development of the sport in China is so exciting.
Events like the Hong Kong Sevens will be key in providing high quality entertainment and simultaneously igniting the sporting dreams for the next generation of athletes in China. Bringing the game from fringe cities and the army and into the mainstream public school playgrounds that boast numbers no other rugby playing nation can match is an exciting potential development in World Rugby.
China may be lightyears away from being able to not be absolutely embarrassed by a Commonwealth Nation or other rugby power. It may never even develop a XV side capable of breaking in the IRB Top 10 rankings. But it is conceivable that continued exposure and glorification of the sport through the Hong Kong Sevens could put China on the path to a World Cup berth, competing with- and vanquishing on a regular basis- fellow Asian top-30 squads like South Korea or maybe even Hong Kong[1] itself.
Connor Frankhouser
[1] Note that China has beaten Hong Kong before in 2006 and previously drawn with HK, hence the use of the word ‘regularly’
Comments on RugbyPass
I hope Leinster’s proud of themselves fielding a poor team. They should decide if they’re all in or not.
1 Go to commentsJordie is looking at 16 games maximum if Leinster reach both the URC and champions cup finals. Thats not guaranteed. Some of those home URC fixtures will be cakewalks as well for Leinster and there is not much doing during the 6 nations in Feb and March so he can probably get a decent rest then. He will have to really put in it for maybe 7 or 8 games max. It should be a good move for both.
13 Go to commentsThe game was a quarter final, not a semi final. Barrett will be here for 6 months, he is no one's replacement at 13. That mantle will most likely ultimately go to Jamie Osborne, though Garry Ringrose has at least 4 more years in him. The long term problem position (in the next 3 years) for Leinster is tighthead prop, though there are a couple of prospects at schools level.
25 Go to commentsSo much for all that hype surrounding the ‘revival’ of Aussie rugby. The Blues were without the likes of regular starters Perofeta, Sullivan, Christie etc… This was a capitulation of the highest order by Australia’s finest. Joe Schmidt definitely has his work cut out for him.
2 Go to commentsYes they can ignore Sotutu. Like Akira Ioane plays OK at Super level but gets lost in tests. Too many chances too many failures.
2 Go to commentsA wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
13 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
13 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
6 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
25 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
6 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to comments