Hong Kong women’s rugby sevens head coach Andy Vilk has said his team are reaping the benefits of a rivalry with Thailand ahead of this year’s Asian Games.

While the city team ended their Melrose Claymores campaign at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens without a win, Vilk hailed the importance of having a rival so close by.

Still, it was the first time in three years that Hong Kong’s women, who drew with eventual champions Denmark and lost to their Asian neighbours, had not made the final at their home tournament.

“It’s always been a really good rivalry with them, and it’s been so close over the past few years since I’ve been here,” he said. “Any game against Thailand is a special feeling, and you always want to play to your game. You also want to win.”

At the previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, Hong Kong beat the Thais 7-5 to win bronze, their only medal in four appearances, having previously lost to them and Kazakhstan in 2010 and 2014, respectively. The Hongkongers also lost to Thailand in the quarter-finals in Jakarta in 2018.

“This rivalry, I think, brings out the best of both teams,” Vilk said. “It’s going to be a big six months for everyone preparing for those games. For now, it’s going to be a little bit of decompression time and a deload, and then we’ll come back towards the end of May and build into the Games.