5 Best Men’s Rugby Teams from Asia In 2022

Rugby is a growing sport in Asia. It is governed by Asia Rugby, formerly Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU), and Apart from the fun and excitement that comes with watching Asian rugby games, they are some of the sporting events people bet on to make some quick money.

In fact, when you visit an Irish betting site or most of the similar sites in Europe and North America, you will discover gambling markets that allow you to wager on the outcomes of Asian rugby games. The sport is becoming super popular in that part of the world.

Naturally, in everything, there is always the best. As a lover of Asian rugby, you may want to know the best teams to watch out for and probably include in your bet slips; luck has shined on you because this article will highlight the five best men’s teams from Asia in 2022.

1. Japan

You can’t talk about the best rugby teams in Asia without mentioning the Japanese national team. This squad has been and is the strongest and most successful XVs team in Asia, winning 25 out of 30 Asia Rugby Championship titles since 1969. They are also known as the Cherry Blossoms, and The Brave Blossoms.

On the global scene, Japan has participated in every Rugby World Cup since 1987, when the tournament began. However, despite participating in the tournament for decades, they have not recorded much success, until recently. One notable feat this side achieved was in the 2015 RWC when they famously beat the Springboks (which was a huge upset).

At their home at the Japan Rugby World Cup 2019, they recorded wins over Ireland and Scotland in their group to reach the quarterfinals for the first time. They became the first Asian team to top their group at a World Cup and became the first Asian team to progress to the knockout stage. Unfortunately, they only went as far as the quarter-finals before being knocked out by South Africa.

They have qualified for Rugby World Cup 2023 in France.

2. South Korea

Another great team worth mentioning from Asia is the five times ARC winner – the South Korea national team. Although simply recognised as “Korea” by World Rugby, their emblem is “The Rose of Sharon.” However, the national team are yet to appear at the XVs Rugby World Cup.

In the 1980s, when Korea was performing at its peak, they won 3 consecutive ARCs, defeating the mighty Japanese squads. Furthermore, they even went ahead to play the Australian Wallabies in a friendly match.

However, Korea has not been successful in going beyond the playoff rounds of qualification for the Rugby World Cups. Tonga eliminated them in the 1999, 2003, and 2007 editions. In 2022, they lost out to Hong Kong at home. They have been unlucky not to qualify for an RWC.

3. Hong Kong

Aside from Japan, the national men’s team that has been one of the best rugby sides in Asia is the Hong Kong national XV team. They are also popularly known as the Dragons.

This side competes in the ARC every year and has successfully won it three times. They are currently the title holders, having won it for the second consecutive time in 2022 beating Korea away from home.

On the global scene, the HK side have also been consistently making it to the playoff rounds of the World Cup qualifiers. In recent times, the Dragons have been displaying fine form although just falling short for RWC 2019, and there is no doubt they are one of the consistent stars in the sport from Asia.

They can still qualify for RWC 2023 by playing in the final qualification tournament in Dubai in November 2022 and need to beat Kenya, USA, and Portugal.

4. Kazakhstan

The Kazakhstan national Rugby team, popularly known as “the nomads,” is another great team in the Asian region. They have been participating in international competitions since they gained independence from the USSR in 1994.

The Nomads were not always as competitive in the sport until 2007 when fortune smiled on them. That year, they improved significantly to win all five matches and rose by 14 places in the World Rugby rankings to 32nd position. This rise, to this day, still stands as the most any international team has risen in a year.

Now, the Nomads are still one of the best men’s XV squads in Asia, having finished second in the 2009 and 2010 continent’s Five Nations tournament (which precedes the ARC).

Although they were able to advance to the four-team playoff for a place at the 2011 World Cup, they have not been fortunate enough to qualify for a Rugby World Cup Finals.

The national side is rebuilding and in 2022, they won the Asia Rugby Championship 2022 Men’s Division 3 Central and have their sights on returning to top-tier rugby in the region.

5. Thailand

The last team which makes this list of the five best men’s rugby teams in Asia is the Thailand national team. Since the 1999 World Cup in Wales, Thailand has consistently played in international qualifying competitions but the national team has yet to make an appearance at the Men’s XVs Rugby World Cup.

As of the October 2022 ranking, the team is ranked 78th globally. They are aspiring to make a World Cup appearance, and while that is not possible yet, expectations are that they could achieve that with time with ongoing investment and development and the possible expansion of the RWC in the future.

In 2022, Thailand lost the Asia Rugby Men’s Division 2 to Pakistan away from home.

Conclusion

The sport of rugby has been around in the Asia continent for many decades now. Some countries have been playing the game earlier than others (some have among the richest and longest Rigby history on the globe).

However, something is certain, the Asian rugby betting scene has never provided more options to bettors at any other point than now.

This is an invited post not written by Rugby Asia 247.