HK teams beat China in close Melrose matches

Hong Kong got off to a strong start in the Melrose Claymore tournament at the Rugby Sevens on Friday, with both the men's and women's teams beating their Chinese counterparts. In the women's match, Chong Ka-yan and Micayla Baltazar both scored tries to send the home fans into raptures before China pulled one back before the break. Hong Kong captain Natasha Olson-Thorne raced clear down the left and touched down for another try. China tried to close the gap, but it was not enough as the SAR won 19-12. "It's such a special moment to be able to run out on this pitch, especially celebrating my 50th. To hear the cheers from the crowd, it was a very special moment," Olson-Thorne said. "Running out, and hearing the cheers, and playing well, it was just amazing." In the men's game, China took an early lead before the SAR's James Christie scored two tries to put the home team ahead at the break. Hong Kong extended their lead after the break through a Harry Sayers touchdown and held off a spirited comeback from China to end the match with a 19-17 victory. "It's always hard against China. It's always within a try," Christie said. "Hopefully we got that game on Sunday, because that wasn't a sure bet, so now we got our first one." The men's team will play Japan on Saturday, while the women's team will take on Thailand. The finals of the Melrose Claymore tournament will be played on Sunday. On the first day of the Sevens, defending champions New Zealand made a strong start to the men's competition and are top of their group. France beat Australia 19-14 in the final match of the day to take top spot in their group, while South Africa won both their matches to finish top of their pool. In the women's competition, New Zealand finished top of their group as they defended their title. Australia and Canada finished top of their respective groups.