While the Chinese national rugby team is struggling to get back into the top flight in Asia, Hong Kong has fast emerged as one of the region's most consistent title contenders.

The Chinese, two-time Bowl winners of the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, will miss this year's event. Hong Kong, boasting HSBC Asian Sevens Series championship titles in Shanghai and Mumbai in 2012, will take part in the Hong Kong Sevens as one of the 16 seeded teams in March, and will also participate in the London stop of the HSBC Sevens World Series in May and then the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow.

"The Hong Kong team could hardly compete with us three years ago, whether physically or level of play," said Zhang Zhiqiang, coach of the Chinese men's rugby team.