Hong Kong are gearing up for a busy 18 months with the eventual goal of coming to Japan to play in rugby's two biggest tournaments, the World Cup in 2019 and the Olympics a year later.

"It's a big year all around," the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union's chief operations officer Dai Rees recently told Kyodo News at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka, Fiji, where he had brought three teams -- men's, women's and youth -- for the Fiji Coral Coast Sevens.

"First of all balancing our sevens program leading into an Olympic qualification and the Asian Games, which is big for us as it helps us keep our funding. And we are also passionately looking to qualify for the World Cup in Japan."

Hong Kong's route to Rugby World Cup 2019 will first see them play Malaysia and South Korea in the Asia Rugby Championship.

The winners then take on Tahiti home-and-away with the victors of that then heading into a four-team global repechage for the final spot in Japan.

"I'm smiling because with the women we had to play two qualifying games and got to Dublin (for the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup) and the boys have to play 10 and in essence win 10," Rees said.

With Japan qualifying as both host and by virtue of their performance at RWC 2015, Rees said he was really disappointed World Rugby have taken away Asia's automatic spot at the tournament.

"I understand it, because Asia is somewhat behind in terms of performance development but we had hoped when Japan qualified by right the winner of the Asian series would be at the World Cup."

Olympic qualification, however, is somewhat easier with Asia getting a spot alongside Japan's automatic place as hosts via a one-off qualifying tournament.

"To be fair to World Rugby, they were supportive (on this issue). It's been confirmed and great news for Asian rugby," Rees said, adding that China, Sri Lanka and South Korea would be formidable opponents, particularly the former in the women's tournament.

Rees heads up the full-time program Hong Kong have set up for their top rugby players.

But as he admits, with a limited playing base many of the territory's top male players have to double up in both sevens and 15s.

"Five years ago we couldn't have done it. But the full-time program means we can push certain players into a particular program and then pull them back into their second program."

Making life even harder is the strict passport rules in Hong Kong, a necessity for playing in the Olympics, but not international 15s.

"Even players who born in Hong Kong can't get a passport unless they have lived here for seven years," explained Rees.

With so many off-field issues, Hong Kong's cause has not been helped with Japan, the No. 1 rugby nation in Asia, seemingly reluctant to help out.

"The women's 15s game in Asia is falling apart," the former Wales sevens coach said. "Japan (and much of the rest of Asia) have really focused on sevens and if we play one 15-a-side game against Japan this year we will be lucky. And that's disappointing as I believe the bedrock of the women's game is 15s."

That lack of help is also evident outside the international game.

"We have approached Japan (about having a Hong Kong team) in the Top League but because of the World Cup and the Olympics the door seems very much firmly closed."

With Japan refusing to include the territory even in a series of friendly games with Top League sides, Rees said Hong Kong were looking at other options including the Indo-Pacific project that is looking to be established out of Perth, Australia.

"We are also looking at training and playing with club sides in the UK and have just signed a three-year deal with (New Zealand Super Rugby side) the Chiefs."

"We are having to be creative as we cannot get entry into our local and best league."