Asia Rugby Sevens Series 2024 – Leg 1 Korea 7s

The first leg of the Asia Rugby Sevens Series 2024 (ARSS) gets underway at the Korea 7s from 7-8 September at the Namdong Incheon Asiad Rugby Stadium in Incheon.

Updated 5 September 2024

With the ARSS returning to a three-leg format this season, and there being no other major 7s events such as the Olympics or Asian Games, this will be the main prize for the top Women’s and Men’s participating nations.

The format includes the top 8 men’s and women’s Asian national teams and the end of the season has a promotion and relegation system. The bottom team from each is relegated to the Trophy Series and the winners of that comp (to be played in Nepal) will earn promotion to ARSS 2025 – this is all still to be confirmed by Asia Rugby.

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New Season, New Coaches

Every season seems to bring coaching changes to the Asian Sevens sides and 2024 is no different. The new coach changes we know of are:

• Japan Women’s Head Coach – Yuka Kanematsu
• Japan Men’s Head Coach – Phil Greening
• Thailand Women’s Head Coach- Yohei Shinomiya
• HKCR Coach – Robbie Fergusson
• Singapore – TBC (The previous SRU HEad Coach Suhaimi Amran stepped down in mid-August 2024 but we have seen no confirmation of who has taken over).

We are unsure if the same Chinese women’s coaching talent is staying on this season after they helped the women to a historic year.

Asia Rugby Sevens Series 2024 – Leg 1 Korea 7s Teams & Pools

Photo Credit: HKCR Melrose Claymores Tournament 2024 – China Women Champions

The ARSS 2024 features Asia’s top eight Men’s and Women’s 7s teams with the UAE Women’s and Thailand Men’s sides having earned promotion from 2023 by winning the Trophy Series.

More information will need to be confirmed on how many teams from the ARSS qualify for the Challenger Series 2025. Both the Japanese and Chinese women qualified for the core SVNS Series but in recent years, the top two men’s and top 3 women’s sides (excluding SVNS-qualified nations) have qualified for the HSBC Challenger.

Women’s ARSS 2024 Teams

The order below is how the teams finished the ARSS 2023 and the pools are determined by last year’s final standings.

1. Japan (defending champions)*
2. China*
3. Hong Kong China
4. Thailand
5. Kazakhstan
6. Singapore
7. Malaysia
8. UAE (Newly promoted)

*Already qualified for HSBC SVNS Series 2024-2025

Women’s Pools Korea 7s 2024

Photo Credit: HKCR -Wakaba Hara Japan Sakura 7s – Hong Kong Stadium – Saturday 6th April 2024

We have seen some of the teams busily prepare in the pre-season, with both Singapore and Thailand having camps in Japan. The Thai women also hosted players from Japan and Australia in a home camp.

The UAE has not taken the step up to the ARSS lightly and has been putting in the work over recent trips, as have Kazakhstan and will want to see improvements as one of the few full-time pro programs on the ARSS.

HKCR and China have had a weekend camp together in China to prepare. It’s not clear if the Chinese will field a full first-choice squad or play the development squad after a long season and with the SVNS to come.

That seems to have been the Japanese approach as it doesn’t seem as if any of the Olympians from the Sakura 7s have been selected for Korea 7s and they have selected 9 debutants this weekend.

Hong Kong China have about half a dozen players selected for the first who will not be available for the second leg due to XV commitments in the WXV2. This weekend the veteran and often game-breaker Natasha-Olson Thorne captains the side again while there is one debutant in the squad – Grace Hood.

As mentioned above, Singapore, Thailand, Japan and possibly China all have new head coaches.

The full fixture list for the women in Korea can be seen here.

Pool C

• Japan
• Thailand
• Kazakhstan
• UAE

Pool D

• China
• Hong Kong China
• Singapore
• Malaysia

Men ARSS 2024 Teams – Korea 7s

Photo credit: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby Max Denmark was on fine form last season for HKCR men

The order below is how they finished the ARSS 2023.

1. Japan (defending champions)
2. Hong Kong China
3. UAE
4. China
5. Malaysia
6. South Korea
7. Singapore
8. Thailand (Newly promoted)

Men’s Pools Korea 7s 2024

Japan and Singapore will have new head coaches in charge, while HKCR has bolstered their coaching ranks with the addition of Fergusson.

The HKCR team has lost the services of some veterans and announced a new captain in James Christie, but they also have one debutante. Matteo Avitabile, who also earned his first senior XVs cap this season, will potentially earn his first international 7s cap for Hong Kong China.

Japan, has a very new squad with 9 players making their debut in Korea!

The full fixture list for the men in Korea can be seen here.

Pool A

• Japan
• China
• Malaysia
• Thailand

Pool B

• Hong Kong China
• UAE
• South Korea
• Singapore

ARSS 2024 – Korea 7s Team Announcements

We will update this as more teams confirm their squads – so keep checking back!

Singapore Men and Women Squads Korea 7s 2024

UAE Men and Women Squads Korea 7s 2024

Thailand Men and Women Squads Korea 7s 2024

HKCR Men and Women Squads Korea 7s 2024

Malaysia Men and Women Squads Korea 7s 2024

Japan Men and Women Squads Korea 7s 2024

The Sakura 7s women’s squad was announced by the JRFU.

Korean Men’s Squad Korea 7s 2024

Match Officials – Asia Rugby Sevens Series 2024 – Leg 1 Korea 7s

The Korea 7s 2024 leg is hosted by Asia Rugby and Korea Rugby Union. Asia Rugby confirmed the lineup of referees and match officials in August 2024.

ARSS 2024 Venues

Asia Rugby also already announced that South Korea and Thailand will host ARSS legs again in 2025.