The 2014 Hong Kong International Sevens will be held from the 28th to the 30th at the Hong Kong Stadium. This marks the second consecutive year that Hong Kong hosts a tournament featuring 28 teams. The 15 seeded teams from the World Rugby Sevens Series will compete for honors in the "Seeded Teams" category alongside Sri Lanka, ranked third in Asia, while another 12 teams will participate in the qualifiers for the sole opportunity to advance to the "Seeded Teams" category next season.
This season, the champions of the first six tournaments in the World Rugby Sevens Series were shared among South Africa, New Zealand, and Fiji. The recently crowned champions at the Tokyo tournament, Fiji, enter as the top seed in Group A, alongside Kenya, Wales, and Sri Lanka, aiming for their 15th title in Hong Kong. As a strong contender, Fiji is poised to become the first team in history to achieve the "Triple Crown" three times.
Currently ranked first in the series standings, South Africa is placed in Group B, which also includes Australia, France, and Spain.
England will face challenges from Canada, Argentina, and Portugal in Group C. Under the leadership of new coach Simon Amor, England aims to secure their first Hong Kong title since 2006.
Despite being ranked second in the standings, just 2 points behind South Africa, the traditional powerhouse New Zealand has had a disappointing season. To reverse their fortunes, they must overcome the obstacles posed by the United States, Scotland, and Samoa in Group D as they pursue their 11th Hong Kong title.
In the qualifiers, American Samoa, Barbados, Chile, and Trinidad and Tobago are making their debut at the Hong Kong tournament. Russia, Zimbabwe, Chile, and Barbados are in Group E, while the host team, Hong Kong, is grouped with Italy, Tunisia, and American Samoa in Group F. Trinidad and Tobago, Japan, the Cook Islands, and Uruguay are in Group G.
