HKCR SECURE SEVENTH STRAIGHT ASIA RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE

 Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR) beat South Korea 45-9 at the Hong Kong Football Club to win their seventh straight Asia Rugby Championship (ARC) crown. HKCR successfully defended the title with the seven try romp over Korea coming after a narrow last-second escape against Sri Lanka in Colombo, 15-14. 

 The successful title defence comes despite Hong Kong China fielding 18 new caps across the two-game ARC campaign: 16 in Sri Lanka and two today with hooker Luke Dewar and scrumhalf Emanuel Lai making their debuts. 

South Korea wilted under a combination of the oppressively humid conditions in Hong Kong  and the pressure of a 33-point second half onslaught from the hosts, who led just 12-9 at the break and didn’t concede a point down the stretch.

Hong Kong were dominant in territory, and in the penalty count,in the opening half but did not have much to show for it at the break as they led just 12-9. 

Korea conceded twice the number of penalties of Hong Kong in the opening half, but while fullback Dylan McCann struggled with the boot to start the game, Korea slotted all three of their first half chances, with the  first coming 90 seconds in as they took an early 3-0 lead. 

After a Korean penalty for off-sides, Hong Kong nudged the ball deep into the visitors end for their first attacking lineout opportunity - one of their preferred scoring moves. The driving maul did not come off, but the forwards went to work over a dozen phases to bring the play to the opposite side of the pitch before prop Sunia Fameitau drove over the line for the try. McCann missed the conversion but the hosts retook the lead, 5-3. 

A second Korean penalty saw the lead change at 5-6 in the 23rd minute, but Charles Higson-Smith put Hong Kong ahead in dramatic fashion a minute later with an intercept try in Korea’s 22-metres to push ahead 12-6 after McCann’s successful conversion.

Korea notched their third and final penalty of the day on 30 minutes with the game slowing down in tough conditions before the break.

After halftime, scrumhalf Brendon Nell put a dagger in the visitors hearts with a brilliant chip and chase try to rouse the crowd and grow Hong Kong’s margin to 19-9 after McCann’s second conversion.

The lineout play clicked  in the second half with Hong Kong mounting three successful attacks from deep kicks to touch along the Paddock end of the Hong Kong Football Club. 

No.8 Jack Bartlett finished two attacking plays in the same zone with tries in quick succession, capping off a driving maul for the first and coming in as a first receiver for the second minutes later as the home side blew the lead out to 31-9 points after 50 minutes.

Two of the players who have been shuttling between the Rugby World Cup and Asian championship squads figured again today with Higson-Smith scoring, and reserve flanker Dean Roussow also collecting a try (from the same corner as Bartlett’s double) to push the lead to 40-9.  Both were playing in their third matches in three countries in three weeks.

The half and game closed with another spectacular tally after McCann, whose boot was now well and truly on target, served up a perfect kick pass for Murray Brechin on the wing. The towering winger dragged a defender over the line to push the score to 45-9 as  Brechin continued his perfect strike rate with five tries in five matches for Hong Kong China.

“We had to work really hard in the first half to wear them down,” said a pleased Nigel Hotham, head coach of Hong Kong’s squad for the Asia Rugby Championship. 

“We had territory, but we had little errors that let them kick goals that kept them in the game. The whole point of working hard like that is so you get some reward in the second half and I think we got that once the game opened up a little bit. Our lineout  operated realy well,  forwards got some dominance, and once Brendan scored that try, that kind of took the wind out of their sails a little bit.” 

With the task done and done well, the Asia Rugby Championship squad’s non Rugby World Cup members will be keen for their next chance - and their coach is keen for them to get one as well.

“In the team talk this morning I said:  everyone's got a reason to bring their A game today. You know, some of these guys, it's just to say hey,  look at me I'm a club player, but I've stood up to a test match; other guys are looking to see if they can get a seat maybe on a plane to the Rugby World Cup in  Australia. So they've all got their reasons to play really well.

“ The hope is that those club players go back and lift the level of their club and help lift the depth and level of Hong Kong rugby. I really cross my fingers that next year some club player will be motivated to make that ARC team, like ‘ I mightn't be on a plane to Australia, but I want to make that ARC team’ and he works harder than he's ever worked to get there. That will help Hong Kong rugby,” added Hotham.

Hong Kong China Rugby vs Korea

Asia Rugby Championships (7 Jun 2026, Hong Kong Football Club)

1. James HOLMES 2. Luke DEWAR 3. Sunia FAMEITAU 4. Glenn HUI 5. Kyle SULLIVAN, 6. Dana FOURIE, 7. Joseph KNIGHT 8. Jack BARTLETT 9. Brendon NELL 10. Oliver PYLE 11. Murray BRECHIN 12. Barnaby HORBERRY 13. Dean SQUIRE (C) 14. Charles HIGSON-SMITH 15. Dylan McCANN 16. NG Siu Lung, Billy 17. Thomas CONCU 18. Callum McFEAT-SMITH  19. Connor O’BYRNE 20. Dean ROUSSOW 21. Emanuel LAI 22. Jack ABBOTT 23. Dylan WHITE