HONG KONG CHINA MEN’S VXs SET FOR BUSY SUMMER

Hong Kong China Men’s XVs will be taking part in the Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship 2026 (ARMC) in late May and early June, as well as the team’s first three matches in World Rugby’s new Nations Cup which takes place in South America in July. A tour to Japan will also set off next week and serve as preparation for the Nations Cup.

Coaching Staff

The overall men’s high-performance programme is being led by Andrew Douglas as Head of Technical Rugby, with Logan Asplin as Head Coach for the Japan Tour and into the Nations Cup (and onto the Men’s World Cup in 2027). USRC Tigers Club Coaching Officer Nigel Hotham has stepped into the role as Head Coach of the development group playing in the ARMC campaign.

Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship 2026

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) withdrew from the Asia Rugby Men’s Championship (ARMC) earlier this month, due to significant logistical and operational challenges caused by the ongoing regional conflict. All scheduled UAE fixtures are recorded as 0-0 draws, allowing them to retain their current ranking points. 

The revised ARMC schedule is a three-team round-robin tournament, with each team playing one home match and one away match. Head Coach Nigel Hotham’s squad will be bolstered by a number of players from HKCR’s Men’s 15s full-time performance programme, who will move across to the ARMC squad ahead of the opening match in Sri Lanka.

Match 1

Sri Lanka vs Hong Kong China (24 May, Racecourse Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka)

Match 2

Hong Kong China vs Korea (7 June, Hong Kong Football Club, Hong Kong)

Tickets go on sale on Monday 18 May

Match 3

Korea vs Sri Lanka (13 June, Namdong Asiad Rugby Stadium, Incheon, Korea)

The travelling squad for the opening match in Sri Lanka will be confirmed next week, with broadcast details to follow.

Japan Tour and Nations Cup

30 players from HKCR’s Men’s 15s full-time performance programme will tour Japan, setting off on Wednesday and facing a Japan XV team across two matches:

Match 1

Japan XV vs Hong Kong China Men (Fri 22 May, Oita Sports Park Krasas Rugby Field, Oita)

Match 2

Japan XV vs Hong Kong China Men (Fri 29 May, Japan Base, Fukuoka)

The travelling squad for the Japan Tour will be confirmed next week, with broadcast details to follow.

The first three matches in the Nations Cup were confirmed last month by World Rugby, with Hong Kong China heading on tour to South America to play against Samoa in Santiago, Chile (5 July), against Chile in Santiago, Chile (12 July) and against Uruguay in Montevideo, Uruguay (18 July) – read more.