Aden Ekanayake acknowledged careers were on the line at the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, but challenged his Australia team “to stay on the winning train” and dispel any relegation fears.
The bottom four finishers in the three-leg HSBC SVNS World Championship, which is beginning with the Hong Kong tournament, will be condemned to impoverished second-tier rugby next season.
But the towering 21-year-old figure of Ekanayake said his team, who finished third in the regular season standings, should be targeting an end to Australia’s four-year wait for a Hong Kong title, not looking over their shoulders at the hungry pack aiming to snatch their status.
At the Hong Kong Sevens, they began with a 14-5 win over promoted Kenya, who Ekanayake called “an outstanding outfit with very big physical boys”. They beat USA 38-5 in the day’s final match.
“You don’t think about the pressure when you’re out there, but I’m sure after some losses you might worry about [the future],” he said. “But if we stay on the winning train we don’t have to concern ourselves with that.”
An international debutant in 2024, Ekanayake said that despite his tender years he was fully aware of the prestige of the Hong Kong tournament, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.