The Premiership’s resumption is music to the ears of HKRU general manager of rugby performance and former national men’s 15s coach Leigh Jones, who will be casting a keen eye on potential squad members for the still-postponed 2020 Asian Rugby Championships [ARC] – an important step in the 2023 Rugby World Cup qualifiers. Hong Kong are the defending 2018 and 2019 ARC champions.

“It’s a really important season – a shorter one – and clubs have recruited well from what I understand. That means there’s more pressure on players to perform in a shorter window because the season is closely followed by the ARC. Hopefully, that will be the start of our World Cup journey,” Jones said, adding that last season’s form “does not matter” and players will have to “prove themselves again”.

“In order for that to happen we have to win the ARC, so we will obviously be looking closely at the form of our domestic players because they’ll end up playing in the competition. From there we can potentially qualify for the repechage [round-robin knockout qualifying tournament].

“What [the extended time off] has done is reset the values of people. They missed the game and understand why they play. I think it’s a great reboot for everyone to enjoy what they’re doing.”

Starting with two-time reigning league champions HKFC, here is a breakdown of each Premiership team’s pandemic preparations and campaign expectations.

Natixis HKFC

Coach: Jack Wiggins

Captain: Campbell Wakely

Last season’s finish: 1st

This season’s expectation: 1st

Since Wiggins took charge in 2018, HKFC have swept the men’s domestic scene, winning the Premiership in the first season before securing a historic treble with the league, Grand Championship and inaugural Challenge Trophy. With several high-level reinforcements – including former England Sevens international Charlie Kingham and former Scotland U-19s prop Jamie Ross – Wiggins wants to repeat the treble and go for a league three-peat. Keep your eyes peeled for the Hong Kong sevens stars making a welcome return to club action – including but not limited to Max Denmark, Raef Morrison and Michael Coverdale.

“Those young guys are probably the future of Hong Kong rugby – certainly the future of Hong Kong sevens – so it’s going to be exciting to see how they adapt,” Wiggins said.

“Certainly we’ve faced some restrictions around training, which has meant that preparation time has been shorter and our normal routines have been thrown upside down. Although we’re probably not as far along as we would have hoped, I’m comfortable where we’re at and excited to see our new players perform and get back into the season. Everyone else was in the same boat, so we can’t use it as an excuse. We’ve had that mentality driving from the word ‘go’.

“Backing up winning after winning is always difficult and something not many teams across all sports are able to do. Statistically, it’s certainly difficult, but for the players it’s not about being able to back it up, but trying to improve individually and as a team and focusing on the process rather than the outcome. There’s always got to be an overall goal and that’s going to be to do what we did last year – to win the league, Grand Champs and the Challenge Cup.”

Societe Generale Valley

Coach: Mark Fatialofa

Captain: Ruan du Plooy

Last season’s finish: 2nd

This season’s expectation: 1st

Valley have a fresh face at the helm in Fatialofa after predecessor Andrew Kelly’s return to Scotland. Two years without any silverware is uncharacteristic for the club celebrating its 45th season. With the trusty veterans growing a year older (and the likes of Ben Rimene and Max Woodward moving on), Valley hope young signings Peter Laverick from English Premiership club Exeter Chiefs and Kiwi hooker Luke Dewar can fill in some crucial roles. Watch out for second-year acquisitions Nyasha Tarusenga and Sion Bennett as they increasingly evolve in the club’s depth-building culture.

“It’s been a long road so there’s a great sense of relief that we’re at the start line,” said Valley chief operations officer Grant Beuzeval. “There’s been a change of leadership and this will be a transitional season. I don’t mean we’re not peaking this year, I’m saying we have to blood guys who will carry us into the next two or three seasons. We talk about not just winning the next one, but the next three, and that’s important. Everyone is under the age of 25.

“Like all clubs it’s obviously been a massive challenge with lots of scenario planning week by week for the past three months. Getting the roster right, visas sorted, pitch space … but there’s been a huge amount of energy in staying fit physically and mentally.

“It hurts to see Football Club holding up all three trophies. They deserve them and there’s no arguments there, but it’s inspired everybody to come back hard. It’s unusual for two seasons running not to have a single bit of silverware. The big one is the Grand Championship, that’s the one that everybody remembers. No-one’s got any excuses, everyone’s fit and we’ve recruited well.

Bloomberg Hong Kong Scottish

Coach: Craig Hammond

Captain: Joshua Dowsing

Last season’s finish: 3rd

This season’s expectation: 1st

“We’re very motivated this year and Hammo needs to win a bit of silverware for his own credibility because it’s his ninth season! We look forward to having a bit of a Scottish party at every single game – hopefully the bagpipes can be the 16th player.

“We are really competitive and showed in a few performances last season that we can do it – we can compete with the top teams when we bring our A game. We’ve got the potential to win this season and you’ve got to believe that as well. We’ve got as much a chance as everyone else on the day. That’s what makes the league particularly exciting because everyone else does, too.”

Herbert Smith Freehills HKU Sandy Bay

Coach: Brett Wilkinson

Captain: Gair Currie

Last season’s finish: 4th

This season’s expectation: Top four

“We’ve been quite active on recruitment and we’ve been quite lucky because the McQueens are back and they are normally a bit of a luxury. I think the big signing for us this season is Kruger, who played at really high level in the Pro 14s and is really keen to establish himself,” general manager John Byrne said.

“The really positive thing for us is that we’re recruiting players for the long term rather than the one-season wonder. We want players who want to establish themselves and hopefully become Hong Kong qualified and – even longer term – get careers here. Everyone’s keen to lay down a marker and try to make the jersey their own, especially in the backline department.

“When you come off the high of the absolute fairy-tale run we had [in 2018-19], the goal is to try to replicate that. The first goal is always to make the finals. You can see in these kind of finals, whoever turns up on the day can win. The guys have a quiet confidence, but it’ll be an intriguing first couple of weeks because nobody knows what’s going to happen.”

DAC Kowloon

Coach: Scott Sneddon

Captain: James Sawyer

Last season’s finish: 5th

This season’s expectation: Top four

“There’s nothing you can do about the lack of rugby but everybody is now excited and hungry to perform, none more so than the guys from the UK,” said general manager Jacob Rowan. “Just recently we’ve signed Boyland with a partnership with [English Premiership team] Bristol Bears. He needs a bit of game time considering their season, but he’s in the right place at the right time.

“Look at Kowloon’s results in the last four or five years, they haven’t been great – we’ve been in that sort of bottom half of the table so it’s probably time to really kick on and at least get to the top four. We need to get into those play-offs and if we play well then we have a good shot.

“It’s probably going to be a test to see how much people have done away from the gyms and training parks. It’s a leveller and some teams could come out on top because of it. Hopefully the off-season and strength and conditioning we’ve done has put in a good foundation.”

Borrelli Walsh USRC Tigers

Coach: Sam Hocking

Captain: Josh Hrstich

Last season’s finish: 6th

This season’s expectation: 1st

“We obviously want to go out there and stake our claim to winning it all. We’re not there to make up numbers and this year is going to be massive for us in taking back the respect out there – letting the league know that we’re a force to be reckoned with,” said captain Hrstich.

“It’s been a strange preseason with the pandemic but it’s given us some extra time to work on our game. The boys are looking sharp and ready to rip into the Premiership. The three new boys are definitely ones to watch, but if I could throw in Salom, he’s going to be a real threat out wide, and our half-back Cado, who is a live-wire and could cause teams a lot of problems around the ruck.

“The quality of the competition keeps rising – it’s not getting any easier. Teams are bringing in new boys and guys are committing to their clubs. It’s shaping up to be a big year.”