Hong Kong win A7s rugby

Favourites Hong Kong made a mockery of Japan, the No 1 rugby team in Asia, with a 28-7 thrashing to win the Mumbai Sevens ufffd the third and final ranking event of the 2012 Asian Sevens Series at the Bombay Gymkhana yesterday

The victory gave Hong Kong their first ever A7s series title, meaning they have gained an automatic entry into the International Rugby Union (IRB) London Sevens in December.u00a0

Hong Kong players celebrate with the trophy yesterday. Pic/Atul Kamble

Earlier, the Hong Kong side trounced Chinese Taipei 54-0 and got the better of Sri Lanka 17-12. The Asia No 2 won quite a few new fans during the two-day tournament. Viraf Mehta (30), a member of the Gymkhana, said: "You don't get to see this level of rugby in India, so it's fantastic!"

Hong Kong captain, Rowan Varty (26), was all praise for the support and the culture of Mumbai. "We've come from Hong Kong where there are a lot of big flashy buildings, but not a real culture like this. Also the crowd support was fantastic. We're looking forward to coming back."

Debutants India finished 14th after losing 7-22 to Iran.u00a0