As August continues with an action-packed rugby month across Asia, we review some of the top tournament results, including national action in 15s and 7s, national championships in Iran, the Global Rapid Rugby introduction of the Malaysian Valke and the final of the Japan Top League Cup. This is our wrap of the Asia rugby results from the 9-11th August 2019.

Pacific Nations Cup 2019

Japan national 15s men’s team made it a clean sweep in the Pacific Nations Cup against the USA and lifted the title on Saturday.

Japan won 34-20 at the ANZ Stadium in Fiji against the USA, who were also unbeaten going into the final game. The Brave Blossoms had last won the tournament in 2011 and shared the title with Samoa in 2014.

Japan coach Jamie Joseph said: “Our first goal was to win the PNC. The next goal is to go to the World Cup, play our Japan brand of rugby and make the top eight.”

You can read a full match report here.

Fiji beat out Samoa in a low scoring game while Tonga beat Canada.

• Japan 34-20 USA
• Fiji 10-3 Samoa
• Tonga 33-23 Canada

As a side note, the Japan rugby team will play the newly crowned Rugby Championship winners, South Africa in Japan for their final Rugby World Cup game on September 6th at Kumagaya. The game will be the first since their epic 2015 RWC win for Japan in Brighton, England.

Asia 7s Trophy Rugby 2019

The Asia Rugby 7s Trophy took place in Jakarta over the weekend to determine the men’s and women’s champions for 2019 and promotion to the main Asia Rugby 7s Series in 2020.

The Philippines ladies beat Indonesia in the women’s final to claim the Women’s Trophy Cup. The Philippines were too physical and beat hosts Indonesia 26-7. The Cup winners went through the whole weekend unbeaten.

In the Men’s final, Malaysia and Singapore fought a closely contested Cup final, and although Singapore lead at the break, Malaysia turned the game around in the second half to win 17-14 and claim the Men’s Trophy Cup,

A number of firsts took place at the rugby tournament.

• Bayarnyam Purevnyam from Mongolia, scored his countries first try at Mongolia’s 1st Asia Rugby 7s Trophy Tournament appearance.
• Bangladesh Rugby Federation Union women also appeared in their first-ever Asia Rugby Sevens tournament.

Results:

• Men’s Cup Winners: Malaysia
• Women’s Cup Winners: Philippines

The SEA Games takes place in December and the Philippines will look to claim a medal at home in the men’s and women’s divisions.

Japan Top League Cup Final

Kobe Kobelco Steelers beat the Kubota Spears 43-7 to lift the Top League Cup over the weekend. The full results, schedules and standing can be seen here Japanese Top League Cup. 

• Kobe Kobelco Steelers 43-7 Kubota Spears

Global Rapid Rugby: Western Force vs Malaysia Valke

Western Force completed an unbeaten 2019 in Global Rapid Rugby as they put South African-backed Malaysia Valke to the sword in Perth on Friday night. The Force wrapped up, what should be the final GRR game of 2019, 74-10. The Western Force were leading 30-0 at the break and scored 1o tries in total.

The Malaysia Valke had two Malaysian players in the squad on Friday. Samuel Meran took the pitch as a replacement for the Valke, to become the first Malaysian rugby player to compete in Rapid Rugby.

You can read a full match report on the Global Rapid website.

In addition, hours before the game, Global Rapid Rugby Founder Andrew Forrest AO, reaffirmed his commitment to the rugby union league. In 2020 the GRR will see a home-and-away competition with Asia Pacific teams competing for AU$1 million in prize money. You can see read more on the GRR website.

• Western Force 74-10 Malaysia Valke

Iran u18 Girls National Championship

The Iran u18 national girls rugby tournament took place with 6 teams involved. Datis Rugby was crowned national champions of the Iran u18 girls 7s tournament.

You can see more rugby being played across Asia this August here.