As the HSBC SVNS 2024 series moves towards the historic Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Luke Trehorn explains what a special week on tour has been like for the players.
Tennis has Wimbledon. Masters in Golf. As the HSBC SVNS 2024 series moves towards the historicCycling, Tour de France. And Hong Kong is in Rugby Sevens.
The history of these great sporting events gives them a luster and the excitement grows as a new chapter is written every year. Every player wants to win them and every fan wants to enjoy the live action.
For many players, winning in Hong Kong is like winning Olympic gold. It was an incredible tournament and I loved every time I got to play there.
before the weekend
It all starts with an epic plane landing. You see the city dotted between the islands for the first time. As soon as the plane takes off, you know you’ve arrived somewhere special.
The first port of call is the hotel. Your biggest enemy isn’t the teams you face on the field, but your nutrition and hydration levels throughout the week, as well as the jetlag and rigors of long flights. Get them wrong, and you’ll have little chance of lifting the trophy at the end of the tournament.
Groups in Hong Kong are very well looked after. I have spoken to many people who find it strange that rival teams share a hotel during the week but it is always very friendly and most of the players are fierce rivals on the field but good friends off it.
Teams travel with 13 players, split into two rooms, and captains often have the luxury – or curse – of a single room. Every player hopes for a room with a view of the harbor where you can see buildings and mountains from the shore.
After hours of sitting on a plane, most groups take the opportunity to jump in the pool to get the muscles and joints moving again.
As the HSBC SVNS 2024 series moves towards the historic :Monday
Monday brings the first day of training As the HSBC SVNS 2024 series moves towards the historic, which usually consists of a light upper-body gym session at the hotel or at one of the many gyms around the city, followed by a rugby session on Hong Kong’s iconic pitch.
I still remember the first day I stepped off the Happy Valley Racecourse to be greeted by a sports arena surrounded by skyscrapers and the massive Colosseum. I was in complete awe and spent most of the session just looking around me.
Then back to the hotel for the week’s many ice baths. After refueling, players hop on laptops to review the day’s training and watch footage of past opponents.
Most teams divide their players into review groups covering attack, defense and kick-off. At the beginning of the week, these groups will present their work to the rest of the group for discussion.
Tuesday
Tuesday is the heaviest training day at the gym As the HSBC SVNS 2024 series moves towards the historic with lower-body sessions. It usually involves power movements like jumps and Olympic lifts. From here, teams can play ‘semi-opposition’ games against one of the other teams not in their group.
The goal of these games is to match the speed of the players with near-maximal effort. These are intended to be ‘possession’ games but inevitably turn into full contact when one goes through the tackle. They can be very busy sessions… but some of the most fun and memorable.
Then it’s rehydrating, ice baths, refueling and repeating the day’s training review. Hong Kong’s climate is very humid and players must take a mixture of water and electrolytes to replace those lost in sweat.
In the evening, As the HSBC SVNS 2024 series moves towards the historic players have time to meet with a physiotherapist or masseuse to help prepare the body for the weekend’s activities.
As the HSBC SVNS 2024 series moves towards the historic : Wednesday
Most teams are given a day off As the HSBC SVNS 2024 series moves towards the historic – which creates problems for every squad. There’s a delicate balance between the excitement of exploring a new bustling city and spending too much time on your feet in the hot sun. Most teams limit themselves to one or two activities so they don’t drain the battery.
They aren’t a full day off though, as the head coach uses the time to talk to the players about their individual games and how they can best contribute to the team over the weekend. There is usually a photo shoot with the captains during the day at an iconic venue around town.
As the HSBC SVNS 2024 series moves towards the historic: Thursday
Teams usually have one last training session together, called the captain’s run, where the aim is to polish your game and kick-offs. Teams will then have the opportunity to visit the stadium and see the facilities available over the weekend.
In the evening, the players were presented with their jerseys and the team names were announced for the first game. Often teams invite a guest speaker to give a speech and give away jerseys. I have fond memories of visiting St David’s Society in Hong Kong, Warren Gatland gifting us a year’s worth of jerseys.
As the HSBC SVNS 2024 series moves towards the historic: Tournament weekend
Friday is the end of the business week. Traffic and people in fancy dress add to the experience of riding the bus to the stadium.
Hopefully, all these efforts lead to success as a team and can do well in the tournament. The first priority is the team’s performance, then your own – and the icing on the cake is still having some energy to hit the town for a few drinks before heading home the next morning.
Excitement and nerves begin to build. The key to a successful weekend is riding this wave of emotion, getting up for the warm-up and then coming down straight after the game to conserve physical and mental energy.