Asia Beckons with Sevens Rugby

While the rugby world looks on to the six nations and the super 14s, another number is on the minds of rugby fans in Asia this weekend, sevens.

Yes, its time once again for that magical tournament which is the Hong Kong Sevens. The whole region comes alive with anticipation and excitement, helped in no small part by obscene amounts of alcohol all weekend long.

What makes this year's edition of the sevens festival all the more interesting is that the teams competing will be fresh off the recent Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament in Dubai which included a number of key upsets to the "kingpins" of sevens rugby, namely New Zealand, Fiji, and South Africa.

Who could have predicted that it would be the men from Wales that would be crowned kings of the sevens world for just a moment? Given that all the key southern hemisphere teams fell at the quarter final stage, the world cup in Dubai clearly showed that seven's rugby is becoming a sport on its own, and that the power is clearly spreading.

So what impact will Dubai have on this year's Hong Kong edition?

Clearly Hong Kong is not the world cup, and who cares about just another tournament on the IRB seven's circuit? That's where the doubters are wrong. The Hong Kong Sevens is not just another stop on the world tour which is the IRB Sevens Circuit. It has long been and will continue to be the tournament which makes the difference in the world of sevens.

Rest assured that New Zealand, South Africa and Fiji will look to topple Wales early on, and don't forget the likes of Argentina coming in with their box of surprises.

Gordon Tijiens, "Titch" is the coach with the most sevens wins in history, and he is still smarting from New Zealand's shock quarter final loss to Wales. The man clearly has a point to prove, and with his never ending supply of talents in his ranks, one might just bet on New Zealand proving a point.

Sevens has most definitely grown into a sport on its own, and some might argue that its the same as the normal 15s, rugby is rugby after all.

I beg to differ, the game is totally different. The skills are the same, but the pace, space, and tactics are light years away from any 15s game, even the sped up super 14s are no match for a game of sevens. South African coach Paul Treu, an ex-player and captain recognizes this, and has managed to get the union to employ a team specifically for sevens.

They don't play in the super 14s, they just play sevens. He's a great preacher of the sevens game and constantly looks for other tournaments outside the circuit to better his team. One of these is the Singapore Cricket Club International Sevens Tournament. His SA Vipers have won two on the trot, and look set for another year.

More on the SCC tournament and rugby in Asia coming up, for now, sit up and cheer for those in Hong Kong this weekend

Enjoy the rugby, beer in hand is compulsory!