PUBLISHED ON 09 DEC 2024
The Asia Rugby U19 Men's Championship 2024 will take place from 18-22 December in Chinese Taipei, with Hong Kong China, Japan, South Korea, and the hosts all involved in this edition. Hong Kong China will confirm a 26-player squad for the tournament later this week, with the squad travelling to Chinese Taipei at the weekend.
Fans will be able to watch all games via the Asia Rugby YouTube channel.
Schedule
Wednesday 18 December 2024 – Taipei Municipal Stadium
- Match 1: Hong Kong China vs Korea (14:00 local / 14:00 HKT)
- Match 2: Chinese Taipei vs Japan (16:00 local / 16:00 HKT)
Sunday 22 December 2024 – Taipei Municipal Stadium
- 3rd Place Play Off: Loser Match 1 vs Loser Match 2 (14:00 local / 14:00 HKT)
- Final: Winner Match 1 vs Winner Match 2 (16:00 local / 16:00 HKT
Confirmed Squad
- Jonathan ADAMS (East CoastBays)
- Yat Fu Davy CHIU (HKU Sandy Bay)
- Man Hin Thomas CHUNG (Valley RFC)
- Oliver CLARKE (Kowloon)
- Mitchell CRAWFORD (HKU Sandy Bay)
- Andrew DURANT (Valley Fort)
- Will GRAY (Hong Kong Scottish)
- Dominic HEDLEY (HKU Sandy Bay)
- Hugo HEALY (Valley Fort)
- Matthew HENDERSON (Valley Fort)
- Gabriel HORBERRY (Harrogate)
- James KEE (Kowloon)
- Theodore MAG (HKU Sandy Bay)
- David MCMURTRAY (Valley Fort)
- Craig MCSHEAFFREY (Hong Kong Football Club)
- Lukas MOLYNEUX (Hong Kong Football Club)
- Augustine MULCAHY (Hong Kong Football Club)
- Sam NICOLLE (Eastern SuburbsRugby Club)
- Matthew RICKARD (HKU Sandy Bay)
- Oliver SINCLAIR (Valley Fort)
- Andrew STRATTON (Valley Fort)
- John WARREN (Valley Fort)
- Cooper WNEK (Kowloon)
- Ka Yiu WONG (HKU Sandy Bay)
- Yat Kan Ian WONG (USRC Tigers)
- Kai Yin Leo CHAK (Hong Kong Scottish)
Team Management
- Joe BARKER (Head Coach)
- Sian MOORE (Assistant Coach)
- Augustine LEGER (Assistant Coach)
- Lewis WILSON (Assistant Coach)
- Sophie RAINE (Lead Physiotherapist)
- Jonathan MOSES (Physiotherapist)
- Ian BONNET (S&C)
- Lane PROCTER (S&C)
- Andy YUEN (Analysis)
- Montana HESLOP (Team Manager)
Tournament Preview
Following World Rugby's announcement that there will be no World Rugby U20 Championship or Trophy tournaments played in 2025, the regional tournament has no qualification benefits but remains hugely important for our player pathway development.
In 2023, Hong Kong China beat Chinese Taipei 22-7 and Korea 62-7 in the Asia Rugby Men's U19 Championship, which was held in Hong Kong. As champions, the team qualified for the 2024 World Rugby U20 Trophy in Scotland.
Siân Moore, Hong Kong China Rugby’s Head of Performance Pathways, said in advance of the tournament, “They have removed the qualification status of the tournament itself this year, but the Asia Rugby U19s Men's Championship is a huge part of our player pathway in terms of developing players to that exposure to a high-performance environment. We are having a two-week build-up with the squad before we play our first game.”
Hong Kong China Rugby Player Pathway Has Taken On Extra Significance
The pathway aspect has taken on extra significance over the next 12-36 months. Moore said, “The news that we could qualify for a senior men's Rugby World Cup in 2027 is an integral part of the pathway for transitioning these athletes.
"It's important to take these players away and get them feeling a little bit uncomfortable and conduct themselves and organise themselves off-field and have peak recovery and nutrition. All of that off-field preparation is hugely important when they transition to the senior setup, and these things will be expected of them, so if they are already practiced and well-versed in pressure situations on and off the field, it will make for a smoother transition to the senior setting.”
On how Hong Kong China views the best possible preparation for the age-grade players, she explained, “We want to best prepare these rugby players to succeed in the senior setting and not throw them in when they are not well-rounded.
"For us, it's a holistic approach. Yes, for the on-field performance, we care about our results, but we mostly care about their development, their skill acquisition and development. We care about how they deal in a social setting and that competitive environment as well as how they prepare and look after themselves rather than be reliant on off-field staff. We best prepare them to be successful in the senior setup.”
What The Players Said
Matthew Rickard, who was part on the Senior Men’s squad that went to Japan in October, said “It is always a privilege and an honour to play for Hong Kong China. We want to try and win it but there will be tough competition. We have had a good camp and we are definitely prepared, although it's tough being the defending champions and having to play the quality of those teams and handling the pressure of trying to win again".
Rickard said he feels he has developed as a player over time and expressed his desire to step up to the senior team, “Having been in the Senior Men’s training squad and learning from experienced players has helped a lot in preparing me for this camp. Eyes are always watching us from Andrew Douglas (Men’s XV Head Coach), getting tabs from our Head Coach Joe Barker, and getting feedback from the other coaches on how we are doing. They are always looking to develop us and help us get into that Men’s squad.”
Oliver Clarke captained the Hong Kong China U19 side to victory last year and explained “It means a lot to be selected as this is my third U19 tournament and it is no less special. We want to bring a strong team to Chinese Taipei and play good running rugby. The squad has progressed well and the mix of boys from overseas and local Hong Kong-based players has been exciting. I am excited to lace up the boots against the likes of Japan, South Korea, and Chinese Taipei.”
On the challenge that faces the side, Clarke said, “The addition of Japan is massive. Even though we won last year defending the title. The inclusion of Japan means they are probably the team to beat this year.”
