The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union will start lobbying today for the proposed World Sevens Grand Prix series to end with a big bang at the 2000 Hong Kong Sevens.
The new International Rugby Board-sponsored circuit is due to commence later this year.
In keeping with the stature of the Hong Kong Sevens, the HKRFU wants to host the climax - the last tournament in an eight- or nine-stop calendar.
'We would like to be the last,' said Dave Roberts, HKRFU commercial manager. 'The Hong Kong Sevens is presently the pre-eminent sevens competition in the world . . . naturally we would like to be the place which hosts the 'Grand Final'.' Senior HKRFU officials are expected to meet IRB chief executive Stephen Baines today in their bid to see that the calendar for the new event closes with the Hong Kong Sevens.
Baines flew in last night from Japan. He has arrived in Hong Kong primarily to attend the Asian Rugby Football Union council meeting tomorrow, where he will expand on the IRB's plans to promote the game in the region.
But he is also expected to brief the HKRFU on the progress of the World Sevens Grand Prix.
'The World Sevens circuit is of prime concern to us. We will be talking to the IRB about all the aspects of this new series in the next few days,' said Allan Payne, HKRFU executive director.
