HONG KONG CHINA RUGBY WOMEN’S XV BATTLE FOR 2ND AT ASIA RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIPS

 The Hong Kong China Rugby Women’s XVs representative team is preparing to take on hosts Kazakhstan in the final round of the Asia Rugby Emirates Women’s Rugby Championships (AREWC) on Sunday 10 May in Kazakhstan.

A new look team featuring eight players on debut lost 71-12 to eventual champions Japan mid-week and will now face off against Kazakhstan in a battle for second place.  The HKCR Women’s XV finished as runners-up to Japan in last year’s competition.

Kazakhstan lost to Japan in the opening match of the championships, 64-12.  That leaves HKCR in third place on points differential (Hong Kong’s -59 points to Kazakhstan’s -52).  Hong Kong will need a win by a margin greater than seven to defend their second place perch in the region.

Bella Milo, HKCR lead coach for the Asian championships campaign, is confident they can do that, saying:  “There were lots of positives in that performance [against Japan], and a lot of work-ons. There is a lot to work on but also some really strong performances around the field from individuals. Our set piece was great and in patches we played some good rugby, particularly in the second half.

“We need to work on doing that for 80 minutes, but it was a positive experience for the girls that will help us set our platform for Kazakhstan, we just need some minor tweaks now in the way we want to play against Kazakhstan.”

Milo was especially encouraged by the largely seamless performance from the large number of debutant players against Japan.

“I was very proud of some of those performances; they really stepped up and made it look like it wasn’t their first cap. I’m really excited about these players and the future for them. We are starting to produce some new leaders and that is rewarding to see. We are excited to see their growth from when we left Hong Kong even to now.”

With a blend of savvy campaigners and young players fully grasping their first taste of international rugby, Milo is confident of a further improved performance in the final match.

“We have some work to do at the breakdown, driving through contact and we were still falling off too many tackles for our liking but I want us to be brave and take those opportunities to attack Kazakhstan.”

Milo identified some of the keys to a successful performance: “Kazakhstan are a physical side and we have to deny them access inside our 22-metre line. If they get in there they can get the ball rolling through their big ball carriers. We want to minimize our penalties and not give them too much territory. We need to be very sound defensively.”

While expecting a better performance on Saturday, Milo notes that the bigger goals will come later in the year when Hong Kong hosts the World Rugby global competition, the WXV Global Series Challenger in September.  

The AREWC campaign is the perfect build-up for what will be the biggest moment for women’s fifteens rugby in Hong Kong since winning the qualification event for the 2017 Rugby World Cup at home in 2015.

“I’m really excited about this group of players, and the future for them in Hong Kong. We are starting to produce new leaders and that’s great to see. Most importantly, there is a group of keen players who have now had a six-week training period post premiership; a camp in Tin Shui Wai; a game against an invitational side and one test match under our belt vs Japan, where we have taken on a lot of learning and a lot of positives. If we can get a good performance and execute our core roles, that will set us up really well for WXV later this year. 

We have 9 debutants with us, building our depth, and really a good 5-10 girls back in Hong Kong watching from the wings. This campaign is setting important foundations. The big piece now is where do we go next and what does the next part of our preparation campaign look like,” Milo added. 

Hong Kong China Rugby Women’s XV vs Kazakhstan (10 May) Emirates Women’s Rugby Championship 2026 

1. Kirstie STEVENSON 
2. Fion GOT 
3. Kea HEREWINI (co-captain)
4. Sabrina CHUNG 5
Roshini TURNER
6. CHOW Mei Nam
7. Grace HOOD
8. Isobel LITTLEHAILES
9. LI Sze Ting 
10. Lara SCHATS 
11. Zoe SMITH 
12. Lauren KNOWLER 
13. Abigail CHAN (co-captain) 
14. HO Tsz Wun, Sunday 
15. Haruka UEMATSU 
16. Tanya DHAR 
17. CHAN Ching Man Vivian* 
18. LEE Ka Shun 
19. Jenna POTGEITER 
20. HO Hau Yan 
21. WAN Tsz Yau 
22. LO Wing Yin 
23. CHIN Ka Yue 

Also in Touring Squad: FU Hiu San, Tiffany, Sabay LYNAM, ZA Xiao Hui

*HKCR debut