HONG KONG CHINA MEN’S 7s POOLED ALONGSIDE COLOMBIA, SAMOA AND TONGA IN HSBC SVNS DIVISION 3

World Rugby have announced the Pool Draw for the HSBC SVNS Division 3, taking place at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai on 17-18 January 2026.

Hong Kong China Men qualified as winners of the Asia Rugby Sevens Series, with the women narrowly missing out on a space after a defeat to Thailand in a golden point extra time in the final match of the Series.

In Dubai, the men’s and women’s SVNS Division 3 competitions will take place side by side, with eight qualified teams taking part in each competition. The pools will be played on the Saturday, with knockouts played on Sunday. 

The two teams that make the Cup Final in Dubai will qualify for SVNS Division 2, joining the teams that finished in 9th-12th place in last year’s SVNS Series. This will take place in February and March 2026, with events hosted in Nairobi, Montevideo and Sao Paulo.

SVNS Division 2 will provide a route for four of the six teams to the new-look HSBC SVNS World Championship Round – three 12-team tournaments that kick-off with the 50th Anniversary edition of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens from 17-19 April. 

Men’s Pools

Pool A: Colombia, Hong Kong China, Samoa, Tonga

Pool B: Belgium, Canada, Italy, Madagascar

Women’s Pools

Pool A: Czechia, Mexico, South Africa, Thailand

Pool B: Argentina, Colombia, Poland, Samoa
 

Hong Kong China Men’s Fixtures

Saturday 17 January

• Tonga vs Hong Kong China (12:12 local / 16:12 HKT)
• Samoa vs Hong Kong China (15:50 local / 19:50 HKT)
• Hong Kong China vs Colombia (18:44 local / 22:44 HKT)

Sunday 18 January

• Knockout matches (TBD)

How to Watch

Fans around the world will be able to watch every match live on RugbyPass TV.

New Era for HSBC SVNS (from World Rugby)

These fixtures form part of World Rugby’s newly evolved HSBC SVNS competition model, designed to deliver long-term financial sustainability and accelerate the global growth of rugby sevens in the lead-up to the LA 2028 Olympic Games.

The model provides a clearer and faster pathway from regional competition to the SVNS World Championship within a single season, supported by an expanded 13-tournament calendar from 2026.

World Rugby Sevens General Manager Sam Pinder said: “With one month to go, HSBC SVNS 3 represents an important milestone in the evolution of our global sevens pathway. 

“Bringing this standalone Challenger event to Dubai provides teams with a clear, competitive route towards the SVNS World Championship, while reinforcing our commitment to growing the game sustainably and globally.”