HONG KONG CHINA TEAMS BEGIN ASIA RUGBY EMIRATES CHAMPIONSHIP PREPARATIONS

[25 April 2025] Both Hong Kong China Men’s and Women’s XVs squads have begun preparations for their respective Asia Rugby Emirates Championship campaigns, with games spanning late May – early July. 

Fixtures

Women: The women's tournament – featuring Japan, Kazakhstan and Hong Kong China in a three team round-robin – will take place first. All games will be played in Fukuoka, Japan with confirmed fixtures below: 

• Thursday 15 May: Japan vs Kazakhstan (Japan) 
• Tuesday 20 May: Kazakhstan vs Hong Kong China (Japan) 
• Sunday 25 May: Japan vs Hong Kong China (Japan) 

Players are set to head to an intensive training camp in Hong Kong next weekend where the coaching team will test 38 athletes before identifying a smaller final squad to travel to Japan for the tournament. The squad is currently being led by Lewis Wilson, who looked after the forwards throughout last year’s WXV campaign, while HKCR works to appoint a new Head of Women’s Technical Rugby / Women’s XVs Head Coach.

Men: Following a play-off between Malaysia and Sri Lanka last weekend – which saw Sri Lanka join the UAE, Korea and Hong Kong China in the four team round robin – the Hong Kong China Men’s fixtures are confirmed as: 

• Friday 13 June: United Arab Emirates vs Hong Kong China (Dubai) 
• Sunday 22 June: Hong Kong China vs Sri Lanka (Hong Kong) 
• Saturday 5 July: Korea vs Hong Kong China (Korea) 

Coaches have named a 32-man touring squad to travel to Canberra this weekend to participate in a training camp and hit-out against a Brumbies A side, further strengthening the relationship between Hong Kong China Rugby and the ACT Brumbies, and giving the men some quality opposition as they prepare to mount a fifth consecutive trophy defence. 

Tournament Permutations 

Women: World Rugby's WXV tournament is on hiatus for 2025 due to the Women’s Rugby World Cup which takes place in August in England. This means, unlike in 2024, there is no qualification route to WXV from the Asia Rugby Women’s Championship this year. 

Men: The winner of the 2025 Asia Rugby Men’s Championship will qualify directly for Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027, while the runner up will head to a play-off against an undetermined African nation to secure a spot in a November repechage. 

Squads 

Women: The squad for the Asia Rugby Women's Championship will be confirmed in due course. 

Men: A 32-player touring squad has been confirmed as below, and the group will head to Canberra this weekend. The final squad for the Asia Rugby Men's Championship will be confirmed in due course. 

Team Management: Andrew DOUGLAS (Head Coach) Lewis EVANS (Coach) Logan ASPLIN (Coach) Marno MEYER (Coach) Pete NUGENT (S&C Coach) Lane PROCTOR (S&C Coach) Andy YUEN (Analyst) Henry ELLIOTT (Physiotherapist) Jonny MOSES (Physiotherapist) Charles CHEUNG (Team Manager) 

Players: Zacceus CINNAMOND, Faizal SOLOMONA PENESA, Keelan CHAPMAN, Sunia FAMEITAU, Rory CINNAMOND, James HOLMES, Ben SHELDON, Harry BARON, Patrick JENKINSON, Kyle SULLIVAN, Mark PRIOR, Jamie PINCOTT, Pierce MACKINLAY-WEST, James SAWYER, Tyler McNUTT, Joshua HRSTICH, Luke VAN DER SMIT, Jack BARTLETT, Alessandro NARDONI, James CHRISTIE, Jack COMBES, Gregor McNEISH, Julien BOURRON, Thomas HILL, Ben AXTEN-BURRETT, Jack ABBOTT, Murray BRECHIN, Max DENMARK, Harry SAYERS, Joe BARKER, Matteo AVITABILE, Matthew RICKARD