HKFC Rugby Announces Hannah Edwards as Head of Women’s Rugby

Hong Kong Football Club (HKFC) Rugby Section has confirmed that Hannah Edwards, who has been involved in the England Rugby setup for several years, will be joining the club as Head of Women’s Rugby.

Hannah Edwards’ will arrive in Hong Kong in August 2024, and will be responsible for the whole women’s & girl’s pathway at HKFC.

Edwards worked with England Rugby for over a decade in various capacities, most recently with the National Coach Development team, writing and developing coaching content across England Rugby, while as a player, she had 175 caps for Wasps in the English Premiership, and scored over 200 points during her 14-year tenure. She represented England at the U20s level.

She said, “I am delighted to take on the opportunity to work with HKFC in such an exciting stage for the women’s game in Hong Kong. The investment, growth, and global interest is evident from the diverse makeup of the league, which provides a competitive pathway for the National game. HKFC provides an opportunity to learn as a coach and programme lead and transfer some of my experiences into HKFC’s rugby community.”

Stephen Dowse, Director of Rugby, added “We are delighted to announce Hannah Edwards as Head of Women’s Rugby at Hong Kong Football Club. Her appointment demonstrates how important women’s and girl’s rugby is to our overall strategy at HKFC.”

The Hong Kong club has lost the grand championship finals in recent seasons in the domestic Hong Kong Women’s Premiership and the HKCR said that Edwards’s experience as part of the England Rugby pathway and working with the England U18 girls’ team will be beneficial for the club. As Head Coach of HKFC Natixis Ice, she will look to build on their back-to-back Premiership League wins and Grand Championship final appearances.

HKFC also organised the HKFC Tens which has seen the the inclusion of a women’s section for the past two events with the club participating.

Paul Skurr, HKFC Rugby Section Chairman, commented: “Hannah’s appointment as a full-time rugby coach is a significant step for the HKFC Rugby Section. Her international coaching experience will be invaluable, aiding both our senior ladies and our junior girls in their rugby journeys. We are so excited to have her on the ground in Hong Kong and ready for the new season.”

Growth Of Women’s Rugby –  Hong Kong China

Hong Kong China Rugby released its ten-year strategy in 2024 and HKCR General Manager of Performance Rugby, Jo Hull, said in June 2024 “The announcement of the seven full-time coaching officer positions is one of the most significant steps in women’s rugby we have seen in Hong Kong in my opinion.”

She added, “We want the best women’s domestic XVs league in Asia, and I am not shy from saying that; it means our representative teams can better perform on the world stage. We need to grow the strength and depth of the women’s pathway for the Rugby World Cup qualifications and manage players to ensure we are doing right by them and the program.”

• The HKCR women’s XV were runners-up in the 2024 ARWC and qualified for WXV3 2024 – they still have a chance to qualify for the Rugby World Cup 2025.
• The Hong Kong China Women’s 7s team will be competing in the ARSS 2024 to try and reach the World Rugby Sevens Challenger again (they won bronze at the Asian Games), and competed in the Olympic Repechage tournament most recently.
• HKCR is recruiting for a number of club development roles to grow the game and pathways.

Asian Rugby News 2024

• 2024 World Rugby U20 Trophy – Teams & Fixtures Guide.
• Unions Cup 2024.
• WXV 2024 Details Confirmed – WXV 3 Heads Back To Dubai.
• Sakura Fifteen Will Host USA in Two-Test Series