Hong Kong China has become just the second Asian side, after Japan, to qualify for the men’s Rugby World Cup, following a decisive 70-22 thrashing of South Korea in Incheon on July 5, which also saw them win the Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship Trophy for a sixth consecutive time.
Having now automatically qualified to compete in the 2027 World Cup in Australia, the men’s team follows in the footsteps of Hong Kong China Women’s 15s, who took part in the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 in Ireland.
Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR) Chairman, Chris Brooke said: “Our sport has thrived in Hong Kong in recent years, thanks to the continued global success of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, the tireless efforts of our senior, community, youth and mini clubs, as well as the continued expansion of school and summer programmes, touch rugby leagues and our Official Charity Rugby For Good. Qualifying for a Men’s World Cup is a historic moment that will act as a further catalyst for growth at all levels of the game.”
For historical reasons, much of the present first 15 is still comprised of members of Hong Kong’s expatriate community from established rugby playing nations. However, 49 caps winner Yiu Kam Shing now leads several key HKCR programmes that identify, recruit and develop local talent into rugby. He spoke of the significance that a World Cup appearance can have on the next generation of players:
“Having our men’s team at a Rugby World Cup will grow the profile of the sport in Hong Kong even further. In the tournament, Hong Kong China will be playing against the world’s best-known teams and biggest superstars, and I believe that boys and girls across Hong Kong will watch these matches and be inspired to play the game.”
One person key to Hong Kong China’s growing rugby success is Lewis Evans, former captain of Dragons RFC (Clwb Rygbi Dreigiau) in Newport, south Wales, who has been working with the side since 2021 and was on the management team for the sixth successive Asia Rugby Championship triumph. He told the BBC:
“We aren’t going to win the World Cup, but look at what Portugal did last time, we want to be the darlings of the tournament… Facing South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand, England would be very tough, but if you can’t build yourself up for that… Expansion of the World Cup is important to give emerging nations the chance to be on that big stage trying to compete.”
Highlighting the strong Welsh contribution to the development of Hong Kong rugby, the article noted:
“Evans is following in the footsteps of the likes of Leigh Jones, Dai Rees and Will Thomas in Hong Kong and is part of a sizeable Welsh contingent featuring former Cardiff coach Paul John, ex-Dragons forward Jevon Groves, former Dragons and Ospreys back Tom Isaacs and ex-Newport RFC favourite Adam Frampton.”
The following article was originally published on the official website of Hong Kong China Rugby.
Hong Kong China Men’s 15s overcame Korea 70-22 in Incheon this afternoon, and in doing so lifted the Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship Trophy for a sixth consecutive time.
More importantly for this year, the Asia Rugby title has rewarded Hong Kong China with automatic qualification to the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia, as World Rugby’s flagship tournament expands to 24 teams for the 2027 edition and beyond.
In 2027, history will be made as a Hong Kong China Men’s 15s team – currently 23rd in World Rugby’s rankings – plays for the first time on the world’s biggest rugby stage. The team follows in the footsteps of Hong Kong China Women’s 15s, who appeared at the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 in Ireland.
Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR) Chairman, Chris Brooke, shared his delight at the team’s achievements:
“I would like to congratulate the team upon this wonderful achievement. We have always said that potential Rugby World Cup qualification marked a huge opportunity for the four teams competing in this tournament, and indeed for rugby in Asia as a whole – and we are very proud to be joining Japan as a second Asian team at a Men’s Rugby World Cup.
“Our sport has thrived in Hong Kong in recent years, thanks to the continued global success of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, the tireless efforts of our senior, community, youth and mini clubs, as well as the continued expansion of school and summer programmes, touch rugby leagues and our Official Charity Rugby For Good. Qualifying for a Men’s World Cup is a historic moment that will act as a further catalyst for growth at all levels of the game.”
HKCR CEO, James Farndon, highlighted the squad’s efforts in preparing for this year’s Asia Rugby Championship:
“I would acknowledge the commitment of Andrew Douglas and his coaching and support staff, as well as Joshua Hrstich as captain, along with a wider training squad of over 40 players who have been involved in this campaign.
“This is a tremendously exciting time for our entire organisation, and the wider rugby community in Hong Kong. It’s important to recognise the contribution made by our domestic clubs, notably those in the Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Men’s Premiership, who play a huge role in the development of many players in the current squad.”
Salom Yiu Kam Shing – who has 49 caps for Hong Kong China 15s, including in the repechage for the Rugby World Cup 2019 (as well as being a double Asian Games Gold Medallist for the 7s representative team) – now leads several key HKCR programmes that identify, recruit and develop local talent into rugby. He spoke of the significance that a World Cup appearance can have on the next generation of players:
“Having our men’s team at a Rugby World Cup will grow the profile of the sport in Hong Kong even further. In the tournament, Hong Kong China will be playing against the world’s best-known teams and biggest superstars, and I believe that boys and girls across Hong Kong will watch these matches and be inspired to play the game.”
Victory over Korea means that Hong Kong China finished the Asia Rugby Championship on 15 points, beating all three opponents along the way, scoring 28 tries and ending with a points differential of +152. Head Coach, Andrew Douglas, reflected on the success of the overall campaign:
“There has been an enormous commitment from the team over the last 12 months to best prepare. The team travelled to Chile, Paraguay and Brazil last summer, hosted Brazil twice in November, completed a full domestic rugby season, then held pre-tournament camps in Australia and Japan.
“As a coaching group, we asked the squad to adopt a one-game-at-a-time mentality. We are delighted with the improvements they made match by match and in the way they adapted to take on the different styles of each of our opponents.
“I’m particularly pleased with how the players stayed together as a group and how they held their nerve under pressure to come through a tough qualification decider away from home.”
The majority of the current men’s 15s squad play rugby on a part-time basis, juggling club and representative commitments alongside full-time work and their family lives (several of the squad have young children). Captain, Joshua Hrstich, was thrilled at the opportunity his team has earned to play at a World Cup:
“I have always said that reaching a Rugby World Cup would be a dream come true for me, and for all the boys involved.
“Going into this tournament, we knew that the prize was the opportunity of a lifetime to experience the pinnacle of the game. Pressure is always a privilege, and we felt that we were better prepared than ever to deal with the pressure – and I think that showed on the field.
“We want to say a massive thanks to all the fans back in Hong Kong for their tremendous support against Sri Lanka, and to those who made the trips to the UAE and Korea.”
The Men’s Rugby World Cup in Australia starts in October 2027, giving the team just over two years to prepare. Recently appointed HKCR Executive Director of Performance and Representative Rugby, Simon Amor, outlined the next steps for the squad:
“Qualifying for a Men’s Rugby World Cup gives us an enormous opportunity to help achieve one of our key strategic objectives, which is to create famous HKCR role models who inspire people to engage in rugby.
“Our planning for the World Cup obviously does not just start today. Andrew Douglas and his team have spent a number of months exploring several options that can put us in the strongest possible position to make an impact at the tournament.
“Over the coming weeks we will be looking to establish a programme for the next two years that is the best fit for the uniqueness of Hong Kong and that can take our team to the next level. This will include our coaching and performance staff team structure and confirming the majority of our playing squad.
“Finally, a critical part of our ongoing work for the next two years will be ensuring we have an appropriate fixture list that enables the team to continue on its upward performance trajectory at this incredibly exciting moment in our history.”
