HONG KONG, China, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese women's sevens rugby team faced a tough start at the Hong Kong Sevens on Friday, suffering two losses in a single day at the newly inaugurated Kai Tak Sports Park.
After finishing sixth at last year's Paris Olympics, China lost its opening match 45-0 to defending champions New Zealand and followed with a 36-10 defeat to Brazil two hours later.
The team will next compete against the United States in its final Group A match on Saturday. The U.S. side secured a 31-12 victory over Brazil but fell to New Zealand 33-21.
This tournament marks the fifth leg of the World Rugby Sevens Series, featuring 12 teams divided into three groups. The top two teams from each group, along with the two best third-placed teams, will advance to the quarterfinals.
Playing its first World Rugby Sevens Series season since 2019, the Chinese team currently sits 11th with 16 points after the initial four legs of the series.
The tournament will culminate in the championship match on March 30. This year's event is historic as the first Hong Kong Sevens held at Kai Tak Sports Park, a 50,000-seat venue that opened March 1. ■
