HONG KONG CHINA RUGBY APPOINTS NEW CHAIRMAN

Hong Kong, 30 September 2026: Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR) today confirmed the election of Rod Lai as its new Chairman, following a vote of Member Clubs at the organisation’s 70th Annual General Meeting. Lai takes up the role for a two-year term with immediate effect. He joins interim Chief Executive Officer Sarah Hooper, new Chief Commercial Officer James Irvine and a refreshed Board as HKCR enters the most significant year in its 75-year history, headlined by the Hong Kong China Men’s XVs’ first appearance at the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027.

HKCR is delighted to welcome Lai as its new Chairman. Hong Kong rugby has never had a bigger stage than the one ahead, and the Board and leadership team look forward to working together to build on the momentum already under way and unlock the next phase of its growth, making the next 12 months the most successful in HKCR’s history.

Lai leads a Board strengthened by three Independent Directors. Angad Banga and Susheela Rivers were confirmed as new Independent Directors earlier this month, and Andrew Huang was reappointed for a further one-year term. Together they bring additional commercial, financial and governance expertise to the Board.

“City RFC has been part of my life for over 20 years, and I have spent six of those years on the HKCR Board,” said Lai. “I am excited to work closely with Sarah and the Board from day one to generate revenue, empower our clubs and grow the game across the Greater Bay Area, building a sustainable rugby ecosystem for Hong Kong.”

HKCR’s Men’s XVs made history last year by qualifying for the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 for the first time. They will open their campaign against hosts Australia in Perth on 1 October 2027. The team also won a seventh consecutive Asia Rugby Men’s Championship title and, earlier this year, beat Uruguay, who were then ranked 17th in the world. Since qualification, HKCR has put in place full-time coaching and performance staff and a full-time playing squad, and has upgraded its training facilities.

HKCR also recently hosted the inaugural WXV Global Series Challenger. This gives the city a second major international tournament with “M” Mark status and a platform to grow the women’s game alongside Rugby World Cup preparations.

Hong Kong China’s full-time sevens programme continues to shine on the big stage. The men won gold at the 15th National Games in 2025, and both teams are in action at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, this week. The men will defend their gold medal and the women will look to build on their bronze.

Hong Kong China’s referee programme is also thriving, with several referees making their international debuts. A highlight was Morgan White taking charge of a men’s Test match between Japan and Canada earlier this year.

Beyond representative rugby, HKCR continues to grow the game. The number of registered players passed 10,000 for the first time last season, and female registration has grown 24 per cent since 2020/21. Rugby For Good, HKCR’s official charity, reached more than 31,000 beneficiaries this year through 54 community events and 127 partner schools.

Meanwhile, the 2026 Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens celebrated a record-breaking 50th anniversary year. Plans are already in place to surprise and delight fans at the 2027 edition on 9-11 April.

The new Board also paid tribute to departing Chairman Chris Brooke for his four years of dedicated service, and to outgoing directors Brett Free, Kim Boreham and Gill Meller, thanking them for their leadership, commitment and contribution to Hong Kong China Rugby. Further details on HKCR’s plans for the year ahead will be shared with Member Clubs, players, partners and the wider rugby community in the coming weeks.