This week we venture to Hong Kong, catching up with Sports Editor of the South China Morning Post, Josh Ball, in the wake of their RWC 2023 qualifying defeat to Tonga which sent the Pacific Island nation through to the final tournament in France. Luckily Hong Kong have another chance to qualify, but we don’t waste the chance to hear about the toll of COVID on professional sport on the island, learn more about what makes the famed HK 7s event tick and get the full picture on the rather impressive grassroots rugby structure they have in place. Key Segments: [3:00] Professional & semi-pro sporting landscape in Hong Kong [5:15] The famed Hong Kong 7s [12:30] COVID-19 and the full magnitude of it’s impact on sport on the island, and the full grassroots structure of rugby in Hong Kong, as well as the big clubs and the standard of facilities [22:15] Women’s rugby in Hong Kong [24:00] Hong Kong’s qualification campaign for RWC 2023, including the narrow defeat of South Korea and the competitive effort against Tonga last weekend [35:30] Looking ahead to the final repechage competition, and Josh’s thoughts on global game development   Follow us on Twitter: @OutsideCTRpod Follow us on Instagram: @outsidectrpodcast Connect with us on LinkedIn: “Outside Centre: Rugby’s new territories” Email: [email protected]