It is with much disappointment that the HKRU has confirmed the withdrawal of our Women’s fifteen-a-side representative team from the upcoming Rugby World Cup 2021 qualification competitions in Dubai, scheduled for mid-February.  

The team withdrawal comes as a result of travel and training complications presented by the coronavirus pandemic and the Omicron variant, particularly the closure of local sports grounds since 07 January. Since then, the team has been unable to train for the competition, which was first scheduled for May 2020 before being rescheduled numerous times with the final dates set for February 2022.  

Given current social distancing restrictions in place in Hong Kong, the team would not have been able to train until 4 February at the earliest, leaving it just days to ready for the competition, hampering preparations and creating a potential risk to player safety.

Given these challenges, the HKRU made the difficult decision to withdraw and halt its bid to qualify for Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand.

“This is incredibly disappointing news for Hong Kong’s vibrant women’s rugby scene, especially the committed group of players and coaches who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to pursue Hong Kong’s Rugby World Cup dream, and to follow in the footsteps of their peers at the 2017 tournament,” said Patrick Donovan, Chairman of the HKRU.

The HKRU would like to thank the members of the squad and management team for their dedication and concerted efforts to represent Hong Kong on the global stage in this challenging moment, and we now look forward to starting a new journey towards Rugby World Cup 2025.