Au King To joined a three-team competition when she was coaxed into playing rugby a decade ago.
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It was an opportunity to spend time with friends and play a sport she instantly fell in love with, but that was where the scrumhalf thought her ambitions would end.
Fast forward 10 years and Au is leading the Hong Kong China women's team into battle against the ACT Brumbies Super W side.
The Brumbies claimed the clash at Viking Park 33-19 in a hotly contested affair, their size ultimately proving too much for the visitors to handle.
While the result didn't go their way, just being in Canberra to play an elite Australian rugby team is testament to how far women's rugby in Hong Kong has come in the past decade.
Au has watched as the game has proliferated at all levels, with both sevens and XVs experiencing growth.
"When I was in secondary school there were only three teams in the school competition," she said. "Now there are more and more schools with their own teams.
"The union has put more money and resources so now both boys and girls teams are having better results in sevens and XVs."
![Ka Yan Chong takes on the Brumbies defensive line. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong Ka Yan Chong takes on the Brumbies defensive line. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GzY3iczng7SLWqVgHSV78t/01504383-9e45-48eb-a170-e485d38e8025.jpg/r0_377_5300_3369_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Hong Kong has long been known for its world-famous sevens tournament and rugby playing British expat community.
The sport has, however, grown beyond a single tournament and is gaining popularity among diverse sectors of society.
The focus has recently shifted to the women's game and investment from World Rugby and Hong Kong officials has triggered further expansion.
Resources have been dedicated to establishing rugby at the community level and setting up pathways to the elite game.
Sevens has been an entry point for many players, but XVs provides a more traditional season-long competition structure for junior and senior teams.
There remains a long way to go, with Hong Kong currently 18th in the World Rugby rankings and the majority of the players working jobs outside of sport. Au is a graphic designer.
Royce Chan has been at the forefront of the effort to grow the game, signing up to play rugby as a post-work activity and quickly progressing through the pathway.
A decorated international career followed, before Chan stepped into coaching and administration upon her retirement following the 2017 World Cup.
The experienced official is currently the head of women's high-performance rugby in Hong Kong. While COVID halted much of the sport's momentum, she is confident the future is bright.
"Looking back 10-20 years ago, it was a leisure sport when I started playing," Chan said.
"People would finish work and go play rugby. Now there is the opportunity to be a full-time athlete, opportunities to travel and experience different cultures. Not many other sports will give you that.
"COVID didn't help but we are building up again and it's an exciting time for women's rugby in Hong Kong."