Hong Kong Women's Rugby Team Falls Short In WXV3

Lack of preparation cited as major factor in disappointing tournament finish

Head Coach Andrew Douglas, who was appointed just before the tournament, attributed Hong Kong’s loss to the Netherlands to inadequate preparation / Getty Images.

By Priscilla Jepchumba

Andrew Douglas mentioned that the lack of adequate preparation for Hong Kong's women's rugby team put them at a disadvantage right from the beginning of their ultimately disappointing WXV3 campaign in Dubai.

It was imperative for Hong Kong to win in order to have any chance of making a comeback to the World Cup stage eight years after their last appearance in 2017.

Regrettably, Hong Kong entered the final round of matches on Saturday with a slim possibility of qualifying for next year’s World Cup in England, only for the Netherlands to dash those hopes with a convincing 33-3 victory.

The Dutch put up a strong fight to secure an 8-8 draw against the physically dominant Samoa in their previous match last week. They then faced Spain, the top-ranked team, and were defeated 28-20. The Netherlands' performance in the tour resulted in a third-place finish in the WXV3 2024.

During the first half of the game, Hong Kong displayed resilience, but the Netherlands led 10-03 at halftime. In the second half, the Netherlands took charge, with Lieve Stallmann and Linneke Gevers scoring the last two tries, securing their 33-03 victory.

Head Coach Andrew Douglas, who was appointed just before the tournament, attributed their loss to inadequate preparation.

“The Netherlands have played a lot of test matches, and Fiji had their European tour … we were off the back foot straight away because we couldn’t prepare properly,” said Douglas.

“We couldn’t change that, as much as we would have liked to. We have to keep this group together and get them playing test matches that have the intensity we experienced in WXV,” he added.

The game slipped out of Hong Kong's grasp during a quick five-minute period in the first half, as Linneke Geevers and Gaya van Nifterik scored tries while Hong Kong's hooker Fion Got received a red card.

In the second half, Hong Kong received two yellow cards, leading to increased pressure, and the Netherlands took advantage to secure their first WXV victory.