Hong Kong Rugby Sevens players talk char siu bao and mental strength

Sevens fever has hit Hong Kong as people descend on the city for the premier tournament on the World Rugby Sevens Series. The event, which started in 1976, has blossomed from humble beginnings to the stage where it attracts visitors from around the globe.

Rugby is gaining in popularity across Asia, with interest in the 15-a-side version expected to peak from September 20 to November 2 when Japan hosts the Rugby World Cup tournament.

Ahead of this weekend’s Hong Kong Sevens, we spoke to Hong Kong men’s winger Salom Yiu Kam-shing and women’s counterpart Chong Ka-yan on being professional athletes and preparing for the city’s biggest sporting event.

Yiu started playing rugby after watching the Hong Kong Sevens from the stands and realising that speed was just as important as strength.

“The first time my parents learned that I was playing the sport was when we reached the final of the East Asian Games in 2009, and it was televised,” Yiu said. “I had hidden the fact that I was playing rugby from my parents for two years, but when they saw it on television my secret was out. Their attitude slowly began to change after that, and they wanted to get to know me more.”

When Yiu started playing rugby, he worked part-time to support himself. But times have changed and Yiu and Chong both make a living from rugby as the sport in Hong Kong has gone from a leisure activity into a full-time profession.

Chong says her technical skills weren’t great when she started playing rugby five years ago. To break into the team, she had to learn quickly from the more senior players, a period that also saw her acquire the basics of martial arts and wrestling to help cope with the physical demands of rugby.

“Our practices are systematic,” Chong says. “We do some analysis looking at other teams or analysing our [own] performance. Besides strategic goals, our training methods are diversified. For example, we learn some martial arts techniques, which optimises our chances when making physical contact with the opposing team.”

She says there are greater opportunities for women to play and get involved in the three tiers of competition in the Hong Kong 15-a-side league as more women take up the sport.

Chong says there is an important focus on health and fitness for professional rugby players, which involves specific diets. To bulk up more Yiu has developed a fondness for char siu bao (barbecued pork buns).