New Zealand and Japan will try to ease the gloom shrouding their earthquake-hit countries with strong performances at the Hong Kong Sevens, while Samoa are aiming to repeat last year's stunning win.

Organisers said Asian power Japan and mighty New Zealand, who are nine-time winners of the vibrant annual showpiece and jointly top the standings with England, could buoy home spirits after twin disasters in the past month.

"Of course they are extremely sad about what has happened," Trevor Gregory, chairman of the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union, told AFP.

"But they want to have a good tournament and lift the spirits of people back home."

New Zealand's hosting of this year's Rugby World Cup was thrown into disarray by a February 22 quake which claimed an estimated 182 lives in rugby-mad Christchurch and forced the rescheduling of games away from the city.

But the disaster paled when Japan was rocked by a monster earthquake and tsunami on March 11, leaving more than 25,000 feared dead and prompting a major nuclear scare.

New Zealand are also vying to avenge their painful loss to Samoa in last year's dramatic Hong Kong final. They face South Korea in their first match Friday in a pool that also includes France and Portugal.

"It is really important to do well here," said Kiwi coach Gordon Tietjens. "If you trip up early it could be a real struggle to get back on top."

The Samoans grabbed the Hong Kong crown by a nail-biting three-point margin in the Cup final last year in front of a 40,000-capacity crowd, a vital win on the way to their first IRB Sevens World Series title.

Read more: http://www.planetrugby.com/story/0,2...832208,00.html