Hong Kong national 15s rugby teams tour Europe

The Hong Kong Rugby Union has sent both its women’s and men’s fifteens national rugby teams on tour to Europe to play international test matches this November.

The Hong Kong Men’s team missed out on qualification for the RWC 2019 in Japan at the last hurdle, as Canada won the final repechage tournament. The HK Women’s team did qualify for the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2017 and are aiming to qualify for the tournament in New Zealand in 2021.

Hong Kong Men’s 15s Europe 2019 tour

The Hong Kong men will play Belgium and Spain on their 2019 rugby tour. In a press statement from the HKRU, they said that “Coach Andy Hall will bring a group of 30, with nearly a third (nine) in line for debuts as Hong Kong kicks off the next three-year cycle in preparation for qualification for Rugby World Cup 2023.”

Among the squad players are some who came through the HKRU’s development partnership with Super Rugby’s Waikato Chiefs from New Zealand, who are all set to earn first caps for HK. The also played for the FWD South China Tigers in the 2019 Global Rapid Rugby Series.

Coach Hall added “We are looking for players that can cope with the rugby we encountered at the last repechage.
Ultimately, if we get there again, we are going to have to knock over teams like this and we have to
know now that we can do that.”

The tour group has a split of 17 forwards and 13 backs. The HK side is captained by Liam Slatem with co-captains Hong Kong captains James Cunningham and Jamie Tsang also in the rugby squad.

You can read the full HKRU press release here.

HK 2019 Men’s Fixtures

• 16th November: Belgium vs Hong Kong (Nelson Mandela Stadium, Brussels)
• 23rd November: Spain vs Hong Kong (Estadiu Central Universidad Complutense de Madrid)

World Rugby rankings

These rankings were based on World Rugby official rankings and correct at the time of publishing.

• Spain (16th)
• Hong Kong (24th)
• Belgium (27th)

Hong Kong Women’s 15s Europe 2019 tour

A full press release for the HK Rugby Union women’s tour has not yet been released but the ladies will play a two-test series against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on 26th and 30th November 2019. The HK ladies 15s team is using the tour to prepare for the Rugby World Cup Qualifying campaign in 2020, with the RWC taking place in NZ in 2021.

HK 2019 Women’s Fixtures

• 26th November: Netherlands vs Hong Kong (Amsterdam, Holland)
• 30th November: Netherlands vs Hong Kong (Amsterdam, Holland)

Other reads on rugby in Asia

• The best rugby tournaments in Asia this November and the best touch rugby!
• The HKRU pushes ahead with the HSBC HK 7s 2020.
• The Singapore Life Festival of Nations 2019 is this November with age-grade rugby.
• Join New Years Day tournament in HK is a youth rugby tournament.