Hong Kong Sevens 2024: Yiu pleased to prove point for Chinese players, as successor Fong scores twice in final win
- Salom Yiu retired again on Sunday after Hong Kong’s men beat Japan to win the Melrose Claymore competition
- The emotional 36-year-old fights back tears as he thanks men’s head coach Jevon Groves for sending him on in final minutes
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Salom Yiu Kam-shing could not hold back the tears after what was likely to be his last Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens.
Yiu and his Hong Kong teammates rounded off the 36-year-old’s 14-year affiliation with the tournament in style, in the shape of a stunning 22-10 victory over Japan to win the Melrose Claymore competition.
The city’s men’s team had lost 33-14 to the same opponents a day earlier, but their victory second time around was rarely in doubt. They powered to a 22-0 lead through a pair of tries by Fong Kit-fung, sandwiched between one each from Bryn Phillips and Hugo Stiles.
Japan’s Kippei Taninaka did all he could with two tries of his own, but it was too little, too late.
Hong Kong lost 24-10 to China in the women’s Melrose final. Chong Ka-yan, with her third try in as many matches over the three days, joined Chan Tsz-ching in touching down.
“We set out to reach the final and we did,” Chong said. “We wanted to win in front of our home crowd in our last game here, but it was not to be.”
Captain Natasha Olson-Thorne called the tournament’s last hurrah before a planned move to Kai Tak Sports Park “sad, because this is the stadium I grew up watching rugby in. But I am so glad we got to experience it for a last time”.
Yiu, Hong Kong men’s rugby’s longest servant, insisted this was the end of his international sevens career after 75 tournament, and was raw with emotion when he started talking to media.
Still, he has retired at least three times already, so it would be no surprise if this were another false dawn.
“I still cannot calm down. This is the end, the full circle,” he said. “I appreciate the coach [Jevon Groves] sending me on in the final few minutes for my last game, in this final dance at Hong Kong Stadium.”
He tried to continue: “I’ll miss all these …”
When the 36-year-old was composed enough to resume, he dedicated his “grateful” tears to the spectators, who he said “gave me this identity”.
“They were the driving force for me to keep on playing, they powered me on to perform, and most importantly, to prove Chinese players like us can also do well in this sport. The fact that I stayed on for so long is iron proof that we can do it.”
Yiu said it was important for Chinese players to be part of the Hong Kong team.
“I will continue promoting rugby in the community, so that we can find and encourage more local players,” Yiu said.
Yiu had long tipped Fong as his successor and the 26-year-old did not disappoint, touching down twice in front of the South Stand.
“It’s like waking up from a dream, it’s still surreal, to be honest,” Fong said. “This really is a perfect weekend,” he said. “I felt Yiu could play on for a year or two more, so to see him leaving us now is a pity.”
