Disappointed Taiwan was overcome 26-17 by tiny Tonga at the Hong Kong Sevens, as the rugby tournament went ahead despite fears relating to an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the possible impact of war in Iraq.
Tonga is the second-seeded team in Pool B, with Taiwan third, Singapore fourth and England the runaway favorite to take the group without losing a match.
Taiwan, which plays under the name Chinese Taipei because of an Olympic Committee ruling on the country competing in international sporting events and due to China's insistence, made a big effort to hold off the Tongans, but they proved too strong and held the advantage at the final whistle.
England won the event last year and is heavily fancied to do the same again this time round. New Zealand tops the International Rugby Board (IRB) Sevens series with 68 points, Fiji is second with 56, followed by England on 46 and Australia on 44. Tonga is 12th.
Taiwan plays England today, followed by Singapore later in the afternoon and will play in the finals stages of the competition if it makes it through after that.
The Hong Kong Sevens, which has been played every year since 1976, was nearly cancelled because of 10 deaths in the territory from the disease. Organizers said they would issue face masks to spectators at the event.
Three teams -- Argentina, France and Italy -- have already withdrawn from the event in Hong Kong and were replaced by teams from The Netherlands, Namibia and Tonga.
Earlier yesterday, the IRB cancelled the Beijing leg of the IRB Sevens scheduled to be played on April 5 and April 6.
Organizers said the decision had been forced on the IRB as a result of the deteriorating circumstances surrounding the spread of the SARS virus on flights between Hong Kong and Beijing, where nine cases of the virus were confirmed on a recent flight.
Medical advice and World Health Organization prompted the decision, said Mike Miller, the IRB CEO. "This decision has not been taken lightly, particularly in view of Beijing's importance in the worldwide development of rugby.
"The Chinese Rugby Union has worked tirelessly to stage this event and we greatly appreciate their efforts in securing excellent medical backup and facilities," Miller said on the IRB Web site.
The IRB said the welfare of the players was paramount and this was the main reason for canceling the China leg of the series.
The Chinese Taipei Rugby Football Union, founded in 1946, had discussed not going to the Hong Kong Sevens, but decided to go ahead after consultations.
Taiwan earned a silver medal in sevens rugby at the Asian Games last year in Busan, South Korea.
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