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Hong Kong China Rugby
RugbyHK Sevens

Hong Kong coach Royce Chan targets second Rugby World Cup outing for ‘the women trying to become leaders in the sport industry’

  • The former international made history with Jo Hull’s infamous 2017 World Cup team to put city on the rugby map
  • In a male-dominated industry, Chan embraces the ‘vulnerability’ of coaching and wants to be a ‘role model’ for Hong Kong

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Hong Kong’s Royce Chan after a sevens match against Japan in Hong Kong Football Club in 2013. Photo: SCMP
Andrew McNicol

Royce Chan Leong-sze’s name is already etched in the history books as a member of the first and only Hong Kong 15’s team – across genders – to play in a Rugby World Cup in Ireland four years ago. Now the 42-year-old plans to repeat the feat in a coaching capacity – and with a much deeper mission.

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“It’s the bigger picture. It’s more about how women appear in sports in an industry that is, for the majority, dominated by males. [My goal is] to show myself as a role model, to deal with different conditions, to be confident and speak up for ourselves. It’s not only for rugby, but for women who are trying to become leaders in the sport industry,” said Chan, a former team captain and front row who now oversees the new generation of women’s forwards.

Despite news of the indefinite postponement of the 2021 World Cup originally slated for New Zealand this September – and the Covid-19 pandemic’s intermittent wrath on the domestic scene – Chan is confident that the squad, led by instrumental head coach Jo Hull, will shine once the preceding Asian qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Japan are rescheduled.
Hull, who coached in the UK and Canada before arriving in the city in 2015, was notably the only female head coach at the 2017 World Cup. It was yet another profound achievement for the debuting minnows, who may have lost their five matches, but gained respect from the likes of titans New Zealand.
Hong Kong celebrate their 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup qualification. Photo: HKRU
Hong Kong celebrate their 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup qualification. Photo: HKRU
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“To be honest, when we mention preparing for the World Cup back in the day, I never imagined it would be that big,” Chan said. “We had always played in Asia with the occasional training camps or games outside. I remember we played a qualifier in Hong Kong – we beat Fiji and were able to get that [qualification] spot. That was the first time I really felt we were actually going out of Asia to play. It was amazing.

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