Hong Kong China Rugby Men’s XV Embark On Australian Tour – April 2024

The Hong Kong China Rugby Men’s XV squad has been announced for a tour to Canberra, Australia where they will be based at the AIS (Australian Institute of Sport) before taking part in a Super Rugby warm-up match against ACT Brumbies A on Saturday 27 April.

The 29-man squad will be preparing for the upcoming Asia Rugby Championship 2024 which runs from 1 -22 June and will be followed by a South America tour scheduled to take place in July.

South America Tour Preparations – HKCR

HKCR Men’s Head Coach Andrew Douglas, who took over reigns in late 2023, said: “We’re taking a mixed squad, made up of young and old, with some unproven players and some that will be newly qualified over the next 12 months. It gives us a chance to experience a good week at a great facility to build into our ARC preparation and into our South American tour.”

Photo Credit – HKCR – Men’s XVs Head Coach Andrew Douglas

Although the latest PR from HKCR didn’t provide any more details on the proposed South American tour, we reported earlier in 2024 that the Hong Kong China Men XV could be facing Chile and one more opponent TBC. Americas Rugby News reports that the second HKCR match will be against Brazil on July 20th with a venue to be announced.

In April 2024, Belgium was the latest team to confirm it would also tour South America as part of the 2024 July Internationals, with their men’s XV playing Brazil, Chile and Paraguay.

Canberra Tour 2024 – HKCR Men’s XV

This tour follows the HKCR Women’s XVs Brumbies Tour in January 2024 – the men will be based in Australia from 22-28 April to be in a professional environment as a group which comprises mostly players who were involved in the domestic Nan Fung Group | SEWIT Men’s Hong Kong Premiership season which concluded in March.

New Zealander Douglas added via HKCR, “It’s a chance to see where these players are at, how they respond to an intense week with double days and a game plan situation – and how quickly they adapt to it. This is another level which comes with more pressure. Skill execution is under more pressure, your ability to make decisions is under more pressure and the game is generally a little bit faster with fatigue a bit quicker. So what we want to see is those players who can cope with that.”

The tour will conclude with a curtain raiser for the Super Rugby clash between ACT Brumbies and New Zealand’s Hurricanes at GIO Stadium Canberra on April 27th, 2024.

Douglas explained, “This is why we train, we train to play games. And having a game in a stadium of 40,000 capacity, and with a big game following us, means there should be a good crowd. A few of our boys have their family there, which is exciting for them because their families don’t get to see them play that often.”

Guide To The Asia Rugby 2024 International Tournaments

Photo Credit – HKCR

Confirmed Tour Group – HKCR Men’s XV – Canberra, Australia April 2024

Team Management:

1. Andrew DOUGLAS Head Coach

2. Charles CHEUNG Team Manager

3. Lewis EVANS Assistant Coach

4. Logan ASPLIN Assistant Coach

5. Marno MEYER Assistant Coach

6. Alex ALLAN Assistant Coach

7. Peter NUGENT S&C Coach

8. Henry ELLIOTT Physiotherapist

9. Simon WONG Physiotherapist

10. YUEN Kin Ho Analyst

Players (Club):

1 James HOLMES (Kowloon)

2 Faizal SOLOMONA PENESA (Valley)

3 Zacceus CINNAMOND (HKU Sandy Bay)

4 Rory CINNAMOND (HKU Sandy Bay)

5 Sunia FAMEITAU (HKU Sandy Bay)

6 John McCORMICK-HOUSTON (Hong Kong Football Club)

7 Jude HARDING (The University of Sydney)

8 LAM Jak Shing (HKU Sandy Bay)

9 Jonathan KENNY (Kowloon)

10 Jamie PINCOTT (HK Scottish)

11 Dana FOURIE (HKU Sandy Bay)

12 Hugh McCORMICK-HOUSTON (Hong Kong Football Club)

13 Tyler McNUTT (Hong Kong Football Club)

14 Dean ROSSOUW (HKU Sandy Bay)

15 Joshua HRSTICH (Hong Kong Football Club)

16 Luke VAN DER SMIT (Valley)

17 Matteo AVITABILE (Hong Kong Football Club)

18 Nathan DE THIERRY (Newcastle Aus)

19 Thomas HILL (Hong Kong Football Club)

20 Ben AXTEN-BURRETT (Hong Kong Football Club)

21 Jack ABBOTT (Hong Kong Football Club)

22 Jack MORRIS (HK Scottish)

23 Murray BRECHIN (Hong Kong Football Club)

24 Will PANDAY (HKU Sandy Bay)

25 Dylan McCANN (University Aus)

26 Shiven DUKHANDE (USRC Tigers)

27 Dylan WHITE (Kowloon)

28 Anthony COEBERGH (Net)

29 Pat Joe LAIDLER (Harry) (HKU Sandy Bay)

Asian XV Rugby Tournament News 2024

• WXV 2024 Details Confirmed.
• What will the men’s international rugby calendar look like in 2024?
• Pacific Nations Cup 2024 Explained.
• JRFU Fixtures 2024 – Brave Blossoms, Japan XV, Sakura XV