Hong Kong new boy’s National Games dreams come true, but after sleepless night
Matthew Rickard crosses in rout of Tianjin as men begin with twin victories, while city’s women on brink after two losses
Hong Kong rugby sevens new boy Matthew Rickard said he barely slept before he marked the opening day of the National Games tournament with a dream first home international appearance.
The city’s men saw off spirited Shandong 24-12 and then ran in 50 unanswered points against overmatched Tianjin to all but confirm their spot in Thursday’s semi-finals.
It was a much tougher day for the women, who went down 31-12 to a Shandong side that featured a number of China national team players, then left a fightback too late in a 19-12 defeat by Sichuan.
The action unfolded in front of a near-deserted Kai Tak Stadium, although Rickard, who scored his team’s penultimate try against Tianjin, was not alone in praising a “good atmosphere”.
The 20-year-old, who made his city team debut in September’s Asia series leg in Hangzhou, said he had dreamed about scoring for Hong Kong in his home stadium since he started playing at five.
He was watched by his Hong Kong-based mum and his dad, who travelled from Canada for the competition.