Hong Kong Sevens: every game a blessing for Brazil star Kochhann after breast cancer battle
- Raquel Kochhann only returned to the sport in January after almost two years out
- The 31-year-old spent time training with teammates as she underwent treatment and praised the bond they have
Brazil’s performances at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens were nothing if not underwhelming, but any time on the pitch for Raquel Kochhann was a blessing.
The 31-year-old only returned to the sport in January, after spending almost two years fighting and beating breast cancer.
While Brazil’s 14-5 loss to Great Britain in the ninth place play-off left them further adrift of the safety of the top eight, Kochhann said every game “was an inspiration, not just in life but for everything”.
“Rugby needs all of you, you need to be strong, fast and have good energy, so for me to be here, it’s such a big thing not just because of the cancer, but because I’m able to be a rugby player,” she said.
The two-time Olympian pulled on the gold jersey for the first time in 20 months in January, when Brazil went to Perth for the third leg of the HSBC SVSN Series.
She had not appeared for her country since May 2022, when she suffered a knee injury during a 31-7 defeat to England. It was during her recovery she was diagnosed with cancer.
Kochhann said before the Perth tournament she was “stronger, faster and [had] more motivation” despite spending the previous year in hospital waiting rooms and treatment centres.
But during the invasive treatment process, Kochhann was still training with the squad and after Sunday’s game at Hong Kong Stadium, praised her teammates.
“We stay together all the time. [Now] we are tired, but we never let our heads drop,” she said.
Over the weekend, Brazil struggled through a series of tough fixtures.
They lost all their pool games against France, New Zealand and Great Britain, but picked up one point for the three tries they scored against Les Bleus.
Their first win presented itself in the form of a 12-5 victory in the 9th place semi-final against whipping girls Spain.
“We had a really hard pool, we played well, we tried to put what we trained onto the pitch, but some games it’s hard because the girls are stronger and bigger than us,” Kochhann said. “We need more physicality.”
But despite not setting the world alight in Hong Kong or throughout the series, Kochhann believed her team was going in the right direction.
“The whole tournament, the series, it’s a process. Last year, we were growing little steps, this year, bigger steps. Every year it’s a process,” Kochhann said.
