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"title": "Hong Kong Archives - Asia Rugby",
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{
"id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=9254",
"url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2023/01/27/world-rugby-u20-tournaments/",
"title": "World Rugby U20 tournaments return in 2023",
"content_html": "
\n
World Rugby U20 tournaments return for the first time since 2019
\n
Pools and\u00a0match schedules\u00a0have been unveiled for both tournaments
\n
African continent to host two influential men\u2019s age-grade competitions
\n
The U20 Championship, featuring the best 12 U20 nations in the world, will take place in Cape Town and the Western Cape (South Africa) from 24 June-14 July
\n
South Africa will host the U20 Championship two years in a row (2023 and 2024)
\n
The U20 Trophy will be contested by eight teams in Nairobi (Kenya) from 15-30 July
\n
World Rugby continues its U20 investment to increase rugby\u2019s competitiveness globally
\n
\n
After three cancelled editions (2020-22) on the back of the pandemic, rugby\u2019s two biggest men’s U20 tournaments are returning in 2023 and will feature the world\u2019s best young talents in the sport\u2019s bicentenary year.
South Africa will host the World Rugby U20 Championship for the next two years (2023 and 2024). The 2023 edition will be the second time that South Africa welcomes the future stars of the game after 2012 when the Junior Springboks won on home soil. The age-grade tournament will be held from 24 June-14 July. Played over five match days in the Western Cape Wineland regions of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Wellington, the world\u2019s best 12 nations have been placed into three pools and will all hope to clinch the coveted title and succeed two-time defending champions France. The team finishing last will be relegated to the World Rugby U20 Trophy next year.
\n
The World Rugby U20 Championship 2023 participating teams are: Argentina, Australia, England, Fiji, France, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and Wales.
\n
Following the U20 Championship\u2019s conclusion, Kenya will host the\u00a0World Rugby U20 Trophy 2023 for the second time from 15-30 July, having previous staged the tournament in 2009. It will be the third time the tournament has been played in Africa with Zimbabwe having acted as hosts in 2016. Eight teams will battle over four match days at the Nyayo National Stadium with the eventual winner being promoted the U20 Championship in 2024.
\n
The World Rugby U20 Trophy 2023 participating teams are: Scotland (relegated from the U20 Championship in 2019), Kenya (hosts), Hong Kong (Asia), Samoa (Oceania), Spain (Europe), Uruguay (South America) and two teams still to qualify through regional competition from North America and Africa.
\n
The two age-grade tournaments are a key part of the international federation\u2019s investment in increasing the competitiveness of global rugby by providing a meaningful pathway to the elite level for talented young players. The showpiece tournaments, first held in 2008, have seen almost 1,500 players go on to make their test debut after playing on this stage, including 28 Rugby World Cup winners.
\n
World Rugby Chairman, Sir Bill Beaumont said: \u201cWe are thrilled to unveil our two exciting hosts for the World Rugby U20 Championship and U20 Trophy taking place later this year. South Africa and Kenya will provide the perfect stage for the return of our flagship U20 competitions that play such a crucial role in the development of young talents within our unions.
\n
\u201cThe U20 Championship and Trophy have been hugely popular since their inception 15 years ago and have proven successful with countless stars moving on to play test rugby and shine on the biggest stage and many of them will be on display when Rugby World Cup 2023 kicks off in September.
\n
\u201cAfrica is a significant growth region for rugby and I would like to thank our friends in Kenya and South Africa respectively for hosting in rugby\u2019s bicentenary year. We look forward to seeing the 20 teams inspiring the African continent with breath-taking action.\u201d
\n
SA Rugby President Mark Alexander added:\u00a0\u201cSouth Africa have a proud tradition and excellent track record of hosting world-class events and we are ready to welcome the next generations of rugby\u2019s future to our shores in July, and again next year.
\n
\u201cWe have the infrastructure and proven expertise to deliver excellent rugby events and, combined with fantastic backing from our passionate supporters, I have no doubt we will deliver two more very successful World Rugby U20 Championships.\u201d
\n\n
\nWORLD RUGBY U20 CHAMPIONSHIP 2023 \n24 June-14 July | Cape Town and Western Cape, South Africa
\n",
"content_text": "World Rugby U20 tournaments return for the first time since 2019\nPools and\u00a0match schedules\u00a0have been unveiled for both tournaments\nAfrican continent to host two influential men\u2019s age-grade competitions\nThe U20 Championship, featuring the best 12 U20 nations in the world, will take place in Cape Town and the Western Cape (South Africa) from 24 June-14 July\nSouth Africa will host the U20 Championship two years in a row (2023 and 2024)\nThe U20 Trophy will be contested by eight teams in Nairobi (Kenya) from 15-30 July\nWorld Rugby continues its U20 investment to increase rugby\u2019s competitiveness globally\n\nAfter three cancelled editions (2020-22) on the back of the pandemic, rugby\u2019s two biggest men’s U20 tournaments are returning in 2023 and will feature the world\u2019s best young talents in the sport\u2019s bicentenary year.\nhttps://www.asiarugby.com/results/asia-rugby-u19-championships/u19-mens-championship-2022/\nSouth Africa will host the World Rugby U20 Championship for the next two years (2023 and 2024). The 2023 edition will be the second time that South Africa welcomes the future stars of the game after 2012 when the Junior Springboks won on home soil. The age-grade tournament will be held from 24 June-14 July. Played over five match days in the Western Cape Wineland regions of Stellenbosch, Paarl and Wellington, the world\u2019s best 12 nations have been placed into three pools and will all hope to clinch the coveted title and succeed two-time defending champions France. The team finishing last will be relegated to the World Rugby U20 Trophy next year.\nThe World Rugby U20 Championship 2023 participating teams are: Argentina, Australia, England, Fiji, France, Georgia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and Wales.\nFollowing the U20 Championship\u2019s conclusion, Kenya will host the\u00a0World Rugby U20 Trophy 2023 for the second time from 15-30 July, having previous staged the tournament in 2009. It will be the third time the tournament has been played in Africa with Zimbabwe having acted as hosts in 2016. Eight teams will battle over four match days at the Nyayo National Stadium with the eventual winner being promoted the U20 Championship in 2024.\nThe World Rugby U20 Trophy 2023 participating teams are: Scotland (relegated from the U20 Championship in 2019), Kenya (hosts), Hong Kong (Asia), Samoa (Oceania), Spain (Europe), Uruguay (South America) and two teams still to qualify through regional competition from North America and Africa.\nThe two age-grade tournaments are a key part of the international federation\u2019s investment in increasing the competitiveness of global rugby by providing a meaningful pathway to the elite level for talented young players. The showpiece tournaments, first held in 2008, have seen almost 1,500 players go on to make their test debut after playing on this stage, including 28 Rugby World Cup winners.\nWorld Rugby Chairman, Sir Bill Beaumont said: \u201cWe are thrilled to unveil our two exciting hosts for the World Rugby U20 Championship and U20 Trophy taking place later this year. South Africa and Kenya will provide the perfect stage for the return of our flagship U20 competitions that play such a crucial role in the development of young talents within our unions.\n\u201cThe U20 Championship and Trophy have been hugely popular since their inception 15 years ago and have proven successful with countless stars moving on to play test rugby and shine on the biggest stage and many of them will be on display when Rugby World Cup 2023 kicks off in September.\n\u201cAfrica is a significant growth region for rugby and I would like to thank our friends in Kenya and South Africa respectively for hosting in rugby\u2019s bicentenary year. We look forward to seeing the 20 teams inspiring the African continent with breath-taking action.\u201d\nSA Rugby President Mark Alexander added:\u00a0\u201cSouth Africa have a proud tradition and excellent track record of hosting world-class events and we are ready to welcome the next generations of rugby\u2019s future to our shores in July, and again next year.\n\u201cWe have the infrastructure and proven expertise to deliver excellent rugby events and, combined with fantastic backing from our passionate supporters, I have no doubt we will deliver two more very successful World Rugby U20 Championships.\u201d\n\n\nWORLD RUGBY U20 CHAMPIONSHIP 2023\n24 June-14 July | Cape Town and Western Cape, South Africa\n\n\n\nPOOL A\nPOOL B\nPOOL C\n\n\nFrance (1)\nAustralia (2)\nSouth Africa (3)\n\n\nWales (6)\nEngland (5)\nArgentina (4)\n\n\nNew Zealand (7)\nIreland (8)\nItaly (9)\n\n\nJapan (12)\nFiji (11)\nGeorgia (10)\n\n\n\n\nPool matches\n\nMatch day 1: Saturday 24 June\nMatch day 2: Thursday 29 June\nMatch day 3: Tuesday 4 July\n\n\nKnock-out matches\n\nMatch day 4: Sunday 9 July\nMatch day 5 (final): Friday 14 July\n\n\n\nFull match schedule here\nWorld Rugby U20 Championship: The story so far >>\n \nWORLD RUGBY U20 TROPHY 2023\n15-30 July | Nyayo National Stadium, Kenya\n\n\n\nPOOL A\nPOOL B\n\n\nScotland\nSpain\n\n\nUruguay\nSamoa\n\n\nCanada or USA\nKenya\n\n\nAfrica 2\nHong Kong\n\n\n\n\nPool matches\n\nMatch day 1: Saturday 15 July\nMatch day 2: Thursday 20 July\nMatch day 3: Tuesday 25 July\n\n\nFinal and ranking matches\n\nMatch day 4: Sunday 30 July\n\n\n\n \nFull match schedule here\nWorld Rugby U20 Trophy: the story so far >>\nThe post World Rugby U20 tournaments return in 2023 appeared first on Asia Rugby.",
"date_published": "2023-01-27T00:16:07+08:00",
"date_modified": "2023-01-27T00:16:07+08:00",
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"tags": [
"Hong Kong",
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},
{
"id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=9074",
"url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/11/04/meet-the-last-four-rugby-world-cup-2023-hopefuls/",
"title": "Meet the last four Rugby World Cup 2023 hopefuls",
"content_html": "
We give you the lowdown on the teams competing at the Final Qualification Tournament for the 20th and final ticket to France 2023, taking a look at how USA, Portugal, Hong Kong and Kenya got this far and their form on route to Dubai.
\n
Hong Kong, Kenya, Portugal and the USA have arrived in Dubai for a two-week trip they hope will prove to be a stop-over en route to\u00a0Rugby World Cup 2023.
\n
The four teams will take to The Sevens Stadium pitch on Sunday as the round-robin RWC 2023 Final Qualification Tournament, which will run until 18 November, gets underway.
\n
At the end of the three match days in the UAE, the team on top of the standings will claim the 20th and final ticket to France.
\n
But which teams head into the Final Qualification Tournament on form and who has the most Rugby World Cup pedigree? We give you the lowdown on each of the competing nations.
Hong Kong\u2019s attempts to make it to a Rugby World Cup date back to the 1995 tournament but so far they have been unsuccessful in getting over the line and booking their place at the game\u2019s showpiece event.
\n
More often than not it was Japan, the dominant team in Asia, who blocked their progress in the early years, although it was a defeat to Chinese Taipei that cost them dearly in the RWC 2003 qualifying campaign.
\n
For RWC 2015, Hong Kong\u2019s interest came to an end in the repechage when they lost to Uruguay, while in 2019, they fell short in what was by now a round-robin event, finishing second-from-last in the four-team tournament in Marseilles.
\n
KENYA
\n
Like Hong Kong, the first tournament Kenya attempted to qualify for was RWC 1995, however, defeats to Zimbabwe and Namibia ended their hopes before a win against the Arabian Gulf.
\n
The Simbas have entered qualifying for each Rugby World Cup since but are yet to progress to the showpiece tournament itself.
\n
Kenya came close to qualifying for RWC 2015, putting themselves in a good position by beating Namibia only for defeat to Zimbabwe to ensure they missed out on both a ticket to England and a place in the repechage on points difference.
\n
Four years later, defeat to Namibia in their final qualifier denied them direct qualification for RWC 2019. They had done enough to make the repechage but lost all three matches in Marseille, against Canada, Hong Kong and Germany.
\n
PORTUGAL
\n
Portugal\u2019s one and only Rugby World Cup appearance to date came in 2007 when the tournament was last held in France.
\n
Back then, Os Lobos left it until the last possible moment to qualify with a narrow aggregate victory over Uruguay.
\n
Os Lobos were beaten 18-12 by their South American hosts in the second leg of their repechage clash in Montevideo but thanks to their 12-5 victory over Los Teros in the first leg in Lisbon they claimed a 24-23 overall victory.
\n
The result avenged a heavy defeat the previous time Portugal met Uruguay in the Repechage back in 1999.
\n
As a reward, Portugal took their place in Pool C at the tournament proper with matches against New Zealand, Scotland, Italy and Romania.
\n
Cheered on by a large Portuguese contingent in St Etienne, Portugal began their campaign with a 56-10 defeat to Scotland, winger Pedro Cabral scoring their first-ever Rugby World Cup try.
\n
A 108-13 loss to New Zealand in their second fixture could have derailed a less spirited team, but Os Lobos finished the tournament strongly with a respectable 31-5 defeat to Italy and then in a close-run encounter against Romania, the Oaks took the game 14-10 but only after scoring two converted tries in the final quarter.
\n
Portugal finished their inaugural Rugby World Cup appearance beaten in every game but not bowed, achieving their target of scoring at least one try in every match.
\n
USA
\n
USA head into the Final Qualification Tournament with the most Rugby World Cup pedigree of any of the competing teams, having competed in every tournament bar RWC 1995.
\n
Their Rugby World Cup debut came on 24 May, 1987, at Ballymore in Brisbane, Australia, when they held off a late comeback to beat Japan 21-18.
\n
Defeats to Australia and England followed and they would have to wait 16 years to register their second tournament win.
\n
Following winless pool phase exits at RWC 1991 and RWC 1999, that victory arrived when the tournament returned to Australia in 2003. Japan again provided the opposition as the USA ran in five tries to win 39-26 at Central Coast Stadium.
\n
USA have only won one Rugby World Cup match since that night in Gosford, a 13-6 defeat of Russia at RWC 2011, again in the southern hemisphere, Mike Petri scoring the only try of the match.
\n
Qualification for the quarter-finals has so far proved elusive for the USA on the biggest stage but they did come close to securing a fourth tournament victory on their most recent Rugby World Cup outing.
\n
In their final Pool C match at RWC 2019, a brace of tries from Mike Te\u2019o gave the Eagles a 12-7 half-time lead against Tonga in Hanazono.
\n
However, Tonga outscored the USA three tries to one in the second half to secure a 31-19 victory and condemn their opponents to a fifth winless Rugby World Cup campaign.
\n
WORLD RANKINGS SINCE LAST RUGBY WORLD CUP
\n
HONG KONG
\n
Hong Kong have managed to climb two places in the World Rugby Men\u2019s Rankings powered by Capgemini despite only playing four tests since Japan 2019.
\n
Back in November 2019, Hong Kong were ranked in 24th place with 59.65 points, but they are now two places and 1.38 points better off in 22nd (61.03 points).
\n
A place in the world’s top 20 is within Hong Kong’s reach if they pull of a shock victory in their first encounter at the Final Qualification Tournament\u00a0 against Portugal
\n
KENYA
\n
Kenya have only played seven tests since the last Rugby World Cup, winning four, but have slipped one place in the rankings.
\n
The Simbas were ranked 32nd at the beginning of November 2019, with 52.55 points, and three years later find themselves 33rd with 52.06.
\n
This weekend, Kenya stand to gain as many as five places if they win their first meeting with USA.
\n
PORTUGAL
\n
In what is perceived as a period of success for Portugal, it comes as no surprise that the current Rugby World Cup cycle has brought gains for Os Lobos in the rankings.
\n
While a one-place rise to 20th does not sound much by way of momentum, the increase in rating score from 61.34 to 65.08 tells you all you need to know about the direction they are heading in.
\n
Looking to the weekend, Portugal will replace USA in 19th if they beat Hong Kong, irrespective of how the Eagles fare in their opening match against lower-ranked Kenya.
\n
USA
\n
The past three years have been a transitional period for the USA and that is highlighted in the rankings, in which the team has slipped slightly.
\n
At the end of RWC 2019, the Eagles were ranked 17th with 68.10 points and they have since fallen two places to 19th, losing almost three rating points to head into the Final Qualification Tournament with 65.17.
\n
USA could slip further in the rankings this weekend as they are unable to boost their score against Kenya due to the 13.11 points difference between the two nations.
\n
FORM GUIDE
\n
HONG KONG
\n
Hong Kong go into the Final Qualification Tournament with precious little test rugby behind them.
\n
Since the last Rugby World Cup finished, Hong Kong have only taken to the field four times, winning two and losing two of those matches.
\n
A European tour at the back end of 2019 gave Hong Kong some new experiences as they played Belgium and Spain away for the first time
\n
A 36-17 win in Brussels was followed by a 29-7 defeat to Los Leones but the team appeared to be heading in an upward trajectory until COVID-19 hit.
\n
Hong Kong\u2019s 15s test rugby was put on hold for two-and-a-half years due to travel restrictions and then reduced in status from full-time to part-time programme because of the financial repercussions of the global pandemic.
\n
But when Hong Kong returned, they returned in style, beating Korea 23-21 in Incheon with a last-minute penalty kick. That secured Hong Kong a place in the Asia-Pacific Qualifier and the chance of winning a direct ticket to France 2023.
\n
The game against Tonga was played on neutral ground in Australia and the \u2018Ikale Tahi prevailed, as most people expected them to, 44-22.
\n
However, for a side that had so little preparation time behind them under a new head coach, Hong Kong\u2019s performance, particularly in the latter stages of the match, gives them cause for confidence and something to work on heading into the Final Qualification Tournament.
\n
KENYA
\n
Kenya head into the Final Qualification Tournament in relatively good form, having only lost twice \u2013 both times to Namibia \u2013 in their last six matches.
\n
Due to the impact of the pandemic, the Simbas did not take to the pitch between September 2019 and July 2021.
\n
When they did return to the field, to begin their RWC 2023 qualifying campaign, Kenya suffered an agonising 20-19 defeat at the hands of Senegal, conceding the match-winning converted try in the final play.
\n
Kenya recovered to get their qualifying campaign back on track with a 45-8 win against Zambia and ended the year with a training camp in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
\n
While there, the Simbas took on both Namibia and Brazil, and led their African rivals 24-19 at half-time of their first match only to lose 60-24 as their opponents ran in seven tries after the break.
\n
Again, the Simbas recovered and six days later, ran in five tries to edge a 66-point thriller, beating Brazil 36-30 at Mark\u00f6tter Stadium.
\n
During July\u2019s Rugby Africa Cup 2022 in France, Kenya beat Uganda and Algeria to set up a winner takes all match against Namibia. However, the Simbas\u2019 hopes of securing direct qualification to RWC 2023 were ended by a 36-0 defeat in Aix-en-Provence.
\n
PORTUGAL
\n
Portugal made it to Dubai after finishing third in the combined 2021 and 202 Rugby Europe Championship tables.
\n
The second half of the qualification campaign began on a high with Os Lobos ending Georgia\u2019s 20-match winning streak in the competition thanks to a 25-25 draw in Tbilisi; however, results \u2013 if not performances \u2013 tailed off as the year went on.
\n
A crucial 37-27 defeat to Romania in Bucharest was a setback to their automatic qualification hopes but a meeting with the struggling Netherlands got them back on track, Os Lobos winning 59-3.
\n
Then came the run of four defeats leading into the Final Qualification Tournament, albeit three were by slender margins to higher-ranked teams.
\n
Spain ensured what had been a largely positive Rugby Europe Championship campaign ended on a low note for Portugal with a 33-28 victory in Madrid.
\n
Portugal then hosted an Italian side on a high from their Six Nations victory over Wales and again only just came out on the wrong side of the scoreline, losing 38-31.
\n
A 52-35 defeat to an Argentina XV followed but only after the South Americans overturned a half-time deficit.
\n
And in their last outing in Kutaisi in July, Portugal made their hosts Georgia work hard for a 23-14 win.
\n
USA
\n
Had it not been for Santiago Videla\u2019s late penalty in Glendale, the USA would already be through to RWC 2023 and preparing for matches against England, Japan, Argentina and Samoa in Pool D.
\n
They had seemingly done the hard work by winning a rain-soaked first leg of their Americas 2 play-off against Chile 22-21 in Santiago and led heading into the final 10 minutes of the second.
\n
But sport is a matter of fine margins and in truth the USA\u2019s form since RWC 2019 has been patchy at best.
\n
The team returned to action in July 2021 with heavy defeats to England and Ireland but kept their quest for a ticket to France on track with a 59-50 aggregate win against old rivals Canada.
\n
Victory set up a two-legged Americas 1 play-off against Uruguay, but despite winning 19-16 at home they were beaten 34-15 in Montevideo to lose the tie 50-34 on aggregate.
\n
A 104-14 defeat to the All Blacks in Washington followed before a 26-21 win against the French Barbarians in Houston provided Eagles fans with hope.
\n
That was extinguished with a swing of Videla\u2019s boot at Infinity Park and the USA now head to Dubai having won only three of their nine tests since Japan.
\n",
"content_text": "We give you the lowdown on the teams competing at the Final Qualification Tournament for the 20th and final ticket to France 2023, taking a look at how USA, Portugal, Hong Kong and Kenya got this far and their form on route to Dubai.\nHong Kong, Kenya, Portugal and the USA have arrived in Dubai for a two-week trip they hope will prove to be a stop-over en route to\u00a0Rugby World Cup 2023.\nThe four teams will take to The Sevens Stadium pitch on Sunday as the round-robin RWC 2023 Final Qualification Tournament, which will run until 18 November, gets underway.\nAt the end of the three match days in the UAE, the team on top of the standings will claim the 20th and final ticket to France.\nBut which teams head into the Final Qualification Tournament on form and who has the most Rugby World Cup pedigree? We give you the lowdown on each of the competing nations.\n\nRugby Sevens returns to Hong Kong as 2023 Series kicks-off\nAsia Rugby & Redstrike Ink Landmark Strategic Partnership Agreement\nHong Kong Men, China Women Clinch the Asia Rugby Sevens Series 2022 First Leg\n\nRUGBY WORLD CUP PEDIGREE\nHONG KONG\nHong Kong\u2019s attempts to make it to a Rugby World Cup date back to the 1995 tournament but so far they have been unsuccessful in getting over the line and booking their place at the game\u2019s showpiece event.\nMore often than not it was Japan, the dominant team in Asia, who blocked their progress in the early years, although it was a defeat to Chinese Taipei that cost them dearly in the RWC 2003 qualifying campaign.\nFor RWC 2015, Hong Kong\u2019s interest came to an end in the repechage when they lost to Uruguay, while in 2019, they fell short in what was by now a round-robin event, finishing second-from-last in the four-team tournament in Marseilles.\nKENYA\nLike Hong Kong, the first tournament Kenya attempted to qualify for was RWC 1995, however, defeats to Zimbabwe and Namibia ended their hopes before a win against the Arabian Gulf.\nThe Simbas have entered qualifying for each Rugby World Cup since but are yet to progress to the showpiece tournament itself.\nKenya came close to qualifying for RWC 2015, putting themselves in a good position by beating Namibia only for defeat to Zimbabwe to ensure they missed out on both a ticket to England and a place in the repechage on points difference.\nFour years later, defeat to Namibia in their final qualifier denied them direct qualification for RWC 2019. They had done enough to make the repechage but lost all three matches in Marseille, against Canada, Hong Kong and Germany.\nPORTUGAL\nPortugal\u2019s one and only Rugby World Cup appearance to date came in 2007 when the tournament was last held in France.\nBack then, Os Lobos left it until the last possible moment to qualify with a narrow aggregate victory over Uruguay.\nOs Lobos were beaten 18-12 by their South American hosts in the second leg of their repechage clash in Montevideo but thanks to their 12-5 victory over Los Teros in the first leg in Lisbon they claimed a 24-23 overall victory.\nThe result avenged a heavy defeat the previous time Portugal met Uruguay in the Repechage back in 1999.\nAs a reward, Portugal took their place in Pool C at the tournament proper with matches against New Zealand, Scotland, Italy and Romania.\nCheered on by a large Portuguese contingent in St Etienne, Portugal began their campaign with a 56-10 defeat to Scotland, winger Pedro Cabral scoring their first-ever Rugby World Cup try.\nA 108-13 loss to New Zealand in their second fixture could have derailed a less spirited team, but Os Lobos finished the tournament strongly with a respectable 31-5 defeat to Italy and then in a close-run encounter against Romania, the Oaks took the game 14-10 but only after scoring two converted tries in the final quarter.\nPortugal finished their inaugural Rugby World Cup appearance beaten in every game but not bowed, achieving their target of scoring at least one try in every match.\nUSA\nUSA head into the Final Qualification Tournament with the most Rugby World Cup pedigree of any of the competing teams, having competed in every tournament bar RWC 1995.\nTheir Rugby World Cup debut came on 24 May, 1987, at Ballymore in Brisbane, Australia, when they held off a late comeback to beat Japan 21-18.\nDefeats to Australia and England followed and they would have to wait 16 years to register their second tournament win.\nFollowing winless pool phase exits at RWC 1991 and RWC 1999, that victory arrived when the tournament returned to Australia in 2003. Japan again provided the opposition as the USA ran in five tries to win 39-26 at Central Coast Stadium.\nUSA have only won one Rugby World Cup match since that night in Gosford, a 13-6 defeat of Russia at RWC 2011, again in the southern hemisphere, Mike Petri scoring the only try of the match.\nQualification for the quarter-finals has so far proved elusive for the USA on the biggest stage but they did come close to securing a fourth tournament victory on their most recent Rugby World Cup outing.\nIn their final Pool C match at RWC 2019, a brace of tries from Mike Te\u2019o gave the Eagles a 12-7 half-time lead against Tonga in Hanazono.\nHowever, Tonga outscored the USA three tries to one in the second half to secure a 31-19 victory and condemn their opponents to a fifth winless Rugby World Cup campaign.\nWORLD RANKINGS SINCE LAST RUGBY WORLD CUP\nHONG KONG\nHong Kong have managed to climb two places in the World Rugby Men\u2019s Rankings powered by Capgemini despite only playing four tests since Japan 2019.\nBack in November 2019, Hong Kong were ranked in 24th place with 59.65 points, but they are now two places and 1.38 points better off in 22nd (61.03 points).\nA place in the world’s top 20 is within Hong Kong’s reach if they pull of a shock victory in their first encounter at the Final Qualification Tournament\u00a0 against Portugal\nKENYA\nKenya have only played seven tests since the last Rugby World Cup, winning four, but have slipped one place in the rankings.\nThe Simbas were ranked 32nd at the beginning of November 2019, with 52.55 points, and three years later find themselves 33rd with 52.06.\nThis weekend, Kenya stand to gain as many as five places if they win their first meeting with USA.\nPORTUGAL\nIn what is perceived as a period of success for Portugal, it comes as no surprise that the current Rugby World Cup cycle has brought gains for Os Lobos in the rankings.\nWhile a one-place rise to 20th does not sound much by way of momentum, the increase in rating score from 61.34 to 65.08 tells you all you need to know about the direction they are heading in.\nLooking to the weekend, Portugal will replace USA in 19th if they beat Hong Kong, irrespective of how the Eagles fare in their opening match against lower-ranked Kenya.\nUSA\nThe past three years have been a transitional period for the USA and that is highlighted in the rankings, in which the team has slipped slightly.\nAt the end of RWC 2019, the Eagles were ranked 17th with 68.10 points and they have since fallen two places to 19th, losing almost three rating points to head into the Final Qualification Tournament with 65.17.\nUSA could slip further in the rankings this weekend as they are unable to boost their score against Kenya due to the 13.11 points difference between the two nations.\nFORM GUIDE\nHONG KONG\nHong Kong go into the Final Qualification Tournament with precious little test rugby behind them.\nSince the last Rugby World Cup finished, Hong Kong have only taken to the field four times, winning two and losing two of those matches.\nA European tour at the back end of 2019 gave Hong Kong some new experiences as they played Belgium and Spain away for the first time\nA 36-17 win in Brussels was followed by a 29-7 defeat to Los Leones but the team appeared to be heading in an upward trajectory until COVID-19 hit.\nHong Kong\u2019s 15s test rugby was put on hold for two-and-a-half years due to travel restrictions and then reduced in status from full-time to part-time programme because of the financial repercussions of the global pandemic.\nBut when Hong Kong returned, they returned in style, beating Korea 23-21 in Incheon with a last-minute penalty kick. That secured Hong Kong a place in the Asia-Pacific Qualifier and the chance of winning a direct ticket to France 2023.\nThe game against Tonga was played on neutral ground in Australia and the \u2018Ikale Tahi prevailed, as most people expected them to, 44-22.\nHowever, for a side that had so little preparation time behind them under a new head coach, Hong Kong\u2019s performance, particularly in the latter stages of the match, gives them cause for confidence and something to work on heading into the Final Qualification Tournament.\nKENYA\nKenya head into the Final Qualification Tournament in relatively good form, having only lost twice \u2013 both times to Namibia \u2013 in their last six matches.\nDue to the impact of the pandemic, the Simbas did not take to the pitch between September 2019 and July 2021.\nWhen they did return to the field, to begin their RWC 2023 qualifying campaign, Kenya suffered an agonising 20-19 defeat at the hands of Senegal, conceding the match-winning converted try in the final play.\nKenya recovered to get their qualifying campaign back on track with a 45-8 win against Zambia and ended the year with a training camp in Stellenbosch, South Africa.\nWhile there, the Simbas took on both Namibia and Brazil, and led their African rivals 24-19 at half-time of their first match only to lose 60-24 as their opponents ran in seven tries after the break.\nAgain, the Simbas recovered and six days later, ran in five tries to edge a 66-point thriller, beating Brazil 36-30 at Mark\u00f6tter Stadium.\nDuring July\u2019s Rugby Africa Cup 2022 in France, Kenya beat Uganda and Algeria to set up a winner takes all match against Namibia. However, the Simbas\u2019 hopes of securing direct qualification to RWC 2023 were ended by a 36-0 defeat in Aix-en-Provence.\nPORTUGAL\nPortugal made it to Dubai after finishing third in the combined 2021 and 202 Rugby Europe Championship tables.\nThe second half of the qualification campaign began on a high with Os Lobos ending Georgia\u2019s 20-match winning streak in the competition thanks to a 25-25 draw in Tbilisi; however, results \u2013 if not performances \u2013 tailed off as the year went on.\nA crucial 37-27 defeat to Romania in Bucharest was a setback to their automatic qualification hopes but a meeting with the struggling Netherlands got them back on track, Os Lobos winning 59-3.\nThen came the run of four defeats leading into the Final Qualification Tournament, albeit three were by slender margins to higher-ranked teams.\nSpain ensured what had been a largely positive Rugby Europe Championship campaign ended on a low note for Portugal with a 33-28 victory in Madrid.\nPortugal then hosted an Italian side on a high from their Six Nations victory over Wales and again only just came out on the wrong side of the scoreline, losing 38-31.\nA 52-35 defeat to an Argentina XV followed but only after the South Americans overturned a half-time deficit.\nAnd in their last outing in Kutaisi in July, Portugal made their hosts Georgia work hard for a 23-14 win.\nUSA\nHad it not been for Santiago Videla\u2019s late penalty in Glendale, the USA would already be through to RWC 2023 and preparing for matches against England, Japan, Argentina and Samoa in Pool D.\nThey had seemingly done the hard work by winning a rain-soaked first leg of their Americas 2 play-off against Chile 22-21 in Santiago and led heading into the final 10 minutes of the second.\nBut sport is a matter of fine margins and in truth the USA\u2019s form since RWC 2019 has been patchy at best.\nThe team returned to action in July 2021 with heavy defeats to England and Ireland but kept their quest for a ticket to France on track with a 59-50 aggregate win against old rivals Canada.\nVictory set up a two-legged Americas 1 play-off against Uruguay, but despite winning 19-16 at home they were beaten 34-15 in Montevideo to lose the tie 50-34 on aggregate.\nA 104-14 defeat to the All Blacks in Washington followed before a 26-21 win against the French Barbarians in Houston provided Eagles fans with hope.\nThat was extinguished with a swing of Videla\u2019s boot at Infinity Park and the USA now head to Dubai having won only three of their nine tests since Japan.\nThe post Meet the last four Rugby World Cup 2023 hopefuls appeared first on Asia Rugby.",
"date_published": "2022-11-04T20:00:48+08:00",
"date_modified": "2022-11-04T20:00:48+08:00",
"authors": [
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{
"id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=9020",
"url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/10/12/hong-kong-rallies-ahead-of-rwc2023-final-qualification-tournament/",
"title": "Hong Kong Rallies Ahead Of #RWC2023 Final Qualification Tournament",
"content_html": "
It\u2019s been three months since Hong Kong\u2019s victory over Korea and subsequent gutsy performance against Tonga, and now the Hong Kong Men\u2019s XV are back, recharged and ready for the next stop in their Rugby World Cup 2023 journey – the Final Qualification Tournament in Dubai next month.
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Held from 6-18 November 2022, four teams from around the world will square off in a round robin format, with the team who secures the most points booking that coveted final spot to France 2023, joining Wales, Australia, Fiji and Georgia in Pool C.
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Whilst the Hong Kong coaching team have had a succession of logistical challenges off the back of the pandemic, they are quietly confident that the squad heading to Dubai has the depth to cause a few surprises. There\u2019s a mix of fresh faces and grizzled veterans at the ready – experienced players Josh Hrstich, James Cunningham, Bryn Phillips, and Alex Post will offer a steady hand and some exciting infrastructure for Head Coach Lewis Evans to work with, while a crop of up-and-comers will be looking to make their mark, having enjoyed a full pre-season and some good game time with their respective clubs.
\n
After a well-publicised shift from a full-time to part-time XVs programme as a result of the financial impact of the pandemic, General Manager of Performance Rugby Jo Hull knows that now is the time to recalibrate and set fresh goals: \u201cWe are still a high performing Union across all areas of the game, with plenty of opportunities to compete at the highest levels.\u201d
\n
\u201cThe young coaching and playing talent we have in Hong Kong is excellent – the focus now is to create a sustainable pathway for Hong Kong performance rugby and the success of the ARC over the summer, as well as the upcoming tournament in Dubai gives us a good platform from which to evaluate and plan for the future\u201d.
\n
Evans has also signalled a positive outlook to the preparations, and the squad has taken a lot of heart from their last international game: \u201cWe had a lot to be proud of looking back on the footage from our game against Tonga. The attitude and the energy remained consistent, and we will be looking to take that through to the tournament next month.\u201d
\n
\u201cWe know we\u2019ve got it in our armoury to succeed.\u201d
\n
Full details of the Rugby World Cup 2023 qualification pathway can be found\u00a0here,\u00a0while ticket news and the full list of fixtures are available on the official\u00a0Rugby World Cup website.
\n
Hong Kong Men\u2019s XV Travelling Squad:\u00a0Ashton HYDE, Alexander POST, Ben HIGGINS, Bryn PHILLIPS, Charles HIGSON-SMITH, Callum McFeat SMITH, Faizal SOLOMONA PENESA, Glyn HUGHES, Gregor McNEISH Gregor RAMAGE, Guy SPANTON, Ian ETHERIDGE, Jack COMBES, Jack NEVILLE, James CUNNINGHAM, James SAWYER, Jamie LAUDER, Jamie PINCOTT, John McCORMICK-HOUSTON, Joshua HRSTICH, Lam Jak Shing, Luke VAN DER SMIT, Matthew WORLEY, Mark PRIOR, Nathan DE THIERRY, Nikolas CUMMING, Patrick JENKINSON, Sean TAYLOR, Tom HILL, Zacceus CINNAMOND
\n",
"content_text": "It\u2019s been three months since Hong Kong\u2019s victory over Korea and subsequent gutsy performance against Tonga, and now the Hong Kong Men\u2019s XV are back, recharged and ready for the next stop in their Rugby World Cup 2023 journey – the Final Qualification Tournament in Dubai next month.\nHeld from 6-18 November 2022, four teams from around the world will square off in a round robin format, with the team who secures the most points booking that coveted final spot to France 2023, joining Wales, Australia, Fiji and Georgia in Pool C.\nWhilst the Hong Kong coaching team have had a succession of logistical challenges off the back of the pandemic, they are quietly confident that the squad heading to Dubai has the depth to cause a few surprises. There\u2019s a mix of fresh faces and grizzled veterans at the ready – experienced players Josh Hrstich, James Cunningham, Bryn Phillips, and Alex Post will offer a steady hand and some exciting infrastructure for Head Coach Lewis Evans to work with, while a crop of up-and-comers will be looking to make their mark, having enjoyed a full pre-season and some good game time with their respective clubs.\nAfter a well-publicised shift from a full-time to part-time XVs programme as a result of the financial impact of the pandemic, General Manager of Performance Rugby Jo Hull knows that now is the time to recalibrate and set fresh goals: \u201cWe are still a high performing Union across all areas of the game, with plenty of opportunities to compete at the highest levels.\u201d\n\u201cThe young coaching and playing talent we have in Hong Kong is excellent – the focus now is to create a sustainable pathway for Hong Kong performance rugby and the success of the ARC over the summer, as well as the upcoming tournament in Dubai gives us a good platform from which to evaluate and plan for the future\u201d.\nEvans has also signalled a positive outlook to the preparations, and the squad has taken a lot of heart from their last international game: \u201cWe had a lot to be proud of looking back on the footage from our game against Tonga. The attitude and the energy remained consistent, and we will be looking to take that through to the tournament next month.\u201d\n\u201cWe know we\u2019ve got it in our armoury to succeed.\u201d\nFull details of the Rugby World Cup 2023 qualification pathway can be found\u00a0here,\u00a0while ticket news and the full list of fixtures are available on the official\u00a0Rugby World Cup website.\nHong Kong Men\u2019s XV Travelling Squad:\u00a0Ashton HYDE, Alexander POST, Ben HIGGINS, Bryn PHILLIPS, Charles HIGSON-SMITH, Callum McFeat SMITH, Faizal SOLOMONA PENESA, Glyn HUGHES, Gregor McNEISH Gregor RAMAGE, Guy SPANTON, Ian ETHERIDGE, Jack COMBES, Jack NEVILLE, James CUNNINGHAM, James SAWYER, Jamie LAUDER, Jamie PINCOTT, John McCORMICK-HOUSTON, Joshua HRSTICH, Lam Jak Shing, Luke VAN DER SMIT, Matthew WORLEY, Mark PRIOR, Nathan DE THIERRY, Nikolas CUMMING, Patrick JENKINSON, Sean TAYLOR, Tom HILL, Zacceus CINNAMOND\nThe post Hong Kong Rallies Ahead Of #RWC2023 Final Qualification Tournament appeared first on Asia Rugby.",
"date_published": "2022-10-12T01:23:10+08:00",
"date_modified": "2022-10-12T09:11:09+08:00",
"authors": [
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"tags": [
"#RWC2023",
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{
"id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8941",
"url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/09/08/rugby-world-cup-sevens-2022-3/",
"title": "Cape Town set for landmark Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022",
"content_html": "
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Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 takes place from 9-11 September in iconic Cape Town
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Unique \u2018knock-out\u2019 competition format means every match counts with 40 teams – 24 men\u2019s and 16 women\u2019s \u2013 from all six World Rugby regions competing
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New Zealand are reigning men\u2019s and women\u2019s world champions, while Australia women and South Africa men are top seeds
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A record breaking 150,000 fans expected in Cape Town Stadium over the three day event
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The action kicks off at 08:45 (GMT+2) on Friday, find out where to watch\u00a0here
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All 40 international team captains lined up in front of majestic Table Mountain in Cape Town on Wednesday as excitement reaches fever pitch ahead of the highly anticipated Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022, which takes place from 9-11 September at Cape Town Stadium.
With an anticipated record-breaking crowd of more than 150,000 fans set to create an unforgettable atmosphere in an iconic venue, Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 aims to set new standards in innovation, fan-engagement and sporting excitement to reinforce rugby sevens as one of the fastest growing Olympic sports and continue to attract new fans from an increasing global audience.
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The unique \u2018winner takes all\u2019 knock-out competition format first introduced at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in San Francisco means every match counts as teams will need to win every time they enter the pitch in order to become world champions.
The 24-team men\u2019s competition kicks off the action on day one with a qualification round involving teams seeded from nine to 24. The winners of the qualification round will progress to the round of 16 where they will take on the top eight seeded teams, while the losers will go into the Bowl competition which will decide positions 17 to 24.
There will be some hard fought matches in the qualification round as ninth-seeds Ireland, who have been in outstanding form on the World Series this year, play Portugal, who overcame core Series team Spain in the European qualifier to claim their place in Cape Town.
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Germany and Chile who have both impressed as invitational teams on the World Series come face-to-face in the qualification round where fireworks can be expected with survival at stake.
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Hosts South Africa are top seeds in men\u2019s tournament following a remarkable 36-match winning streak which saw them win six rounds of the World Series in a row across 2021-2022. However they will face stiff competition with Australia seeded second and double Olympic champions Fiji seeded third. New Zealand are the reigning men\u2019s champions and are seeded fifth coming in to the event.
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The 16-team women\u2019s tournament also begins on Friday with the round of 16 knock out matches based on seedings on the first day of competition, meaning fans will be kept on the edge of their seats from the very first kick to the last.
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Women\u2019s Olympic champions and reigning RWC Sevens winners New Zealand play Colombia, top seeds Australia take on debutants Madagascar, and hosts South Africa face Olympic silver medallists France.
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Women\u2019s teams qualified either via finishing in the top four at the last RWC Sevens in 2018, and through regional qualification tournaments. Men\u2019s teams qualified by finishing in the top eight at the last RWC Sevens in 2018, and via regional qualification tournaments. Madagascar and Poland women are making their Rugby World Cup Sevens debuts.
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The seedings for both men\u2019s and women\u2019s competitions were based on points accrued during the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in 2020 and 2022, while teams who do not participate on the Series were seeded using their rankings gained at World Rugby Sevens events and regional ranking positions ending in July 2022.
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The eighth men\u2019s and fourth women\u2019s edition of Rugby World Cup Sevens represents the first Rugby World Cup of any kind since the famous 1995 Rugby World Cup when South Africa were victorious on home soil as President Nelson Mandela handed the Webb Ellis Cup to Francois Pienaar to inspire the Rainbow Nation.
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Siviwe Soyizwapi, captain of South Africa men said: \u201cFor us as a team we\u2019re just chasing perfection.\u00a0This is a standalone tournament, a massive tournament in front of our home crowd and we\u2019re really excited for that.
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\u201cThe fact that it is a knockout tournament doesn\u2019t change the mindset for us.\u00a0 We are focused on getting the perfect game and we focus on ourselves as a team and the standards that we uphold.\u00a0 We are chasing that perfect game from game one.
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\u201cTo be double would champions [alongside South Africa Men XV] would be massive.\u00a0 It would be great for the nation. We all know what rugby can do for our country.\u00a0This our first home sevens rugby since 2019 here in Cape Town so as players and a team, the whole system is excited to run out there this weekend and represent our country.\u00a0 We know how the crowd can get behind us and the fans will really make this tournament. As a team we are really excited.\u201d
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Sarah Hirini, captain of New Zealand women said: \u201cI\u2019m really excited as it is my first time here in Cape Town and for a Rugby World Cup too, it is a pretty cool place to play.\u00a0 I know there are a lot of kiwi supporters in Cape Town so we\u2019re looking forward to the fans coming out and cheering us on.
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\u201cCompeting in Rugby World Cup Sevens means a lot.\u00a0 Watching it and you see how this tournament is the pinnacle for so many rugby players and you can see that in the way the game will be played at the weekend.\u00a0 I\u2019m really looking forward to how special this is going to be this weekend
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\u201cWith the knock out competition it can be hard to look beyond the next game but we hope we\u2019ll do well.\u00a0 When you come to a pinnacle event you want to go all the way, we\u2019ve done that a few times and it was pretty special for New Zealand.\u201d
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Australia\u2019s men arrive in Cape Town full of confidence having claimed the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 title in Los Angeles last month, captain Nick Malouf said: \u201cCape Town is a magical city and this is one of the pinnacles of our game, the Rugby World Cup with so much history. It\u2019s going to be a super exciting weekend.
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\u201cIt will be a fantastic competition for the spectators, there are so many good teams here. Plus it\u2019s a really interesting and exciting knockout format. You can\u2019t really keep anything in the locker, you\u2019ve got to fire all your shots from the start. I\u2019m expecting lots of good games of rugby.
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\u201cThere is no more expectation here than what we put on ourselves as a team. After the success of the World Series we really don\u2019t want to let ourselves down with a poor performance here. We take all the confidence from doing well throughout the World Series and now it\u2019s up to us to make sure that we go out there and get a good result.\u201d
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Sam Dickson, reigning champions New Zealand captain said: \u201cIt is great to be back in Cape Town and we have a lot of good memories from here over the years.
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\u201cWe\u2019ve won Rugby World Cup Sevens a few times over the last few years so we\u2019ll be expecting to do exactly the same but we take it game by game.\u00a0 With the format of straight knock out it can be pretty ruthless so we\u2019ve got to be on our game from the first kick off.
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\u201cIt is always an honour to play in Rugby World Cup and always special to represent New Zealand in any format of rugby and wear the black jersey.\u201d
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The action kicks off at 08:45 (GMT+2) local time on Friday when Ireland and Portugal take to the pitch in the men\u2019s competition. The women\u2019s tournament gets under way when Australia face Madagascar at 12:11 on Friday.
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Australia\u2019s women are the top ranked team after dominating the 2022 Series and captain Demi Hayes said: \u201cIt is really cool to be in Cape Town.\u00a0 We\u2019ve been here before and we know how big the crowd here is.\u00a0 It is really exciting to be here and we\u2019ll make the most of the next few days leading into the competition on Friday.
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\u201cOff the back of the World Series and the Commonwealth Games, we definitely want to do well again and stay consistent. We\u2019ve spoken about consistency the entire season and this would top off our whole season.\u00a0 Our group has trained so hard since the Commonwealth Games and we\u2019re really excited to get going.
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World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: \u201cRugby World Cup in South Africa created one of the most iconic images the game has ever known.\u00a0 Now for the first time since that unforgettable day in 1995, we are delighted to be staging another Rugby World Cup back in the rainbow nation as rugby sevens comes to Cape Town with 40 teams from all corners of the world in action.
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\u201cFans can expect to see the best men\u2019s and women\u2019s players, playing exciting, highly skilled, fast paced rugby sevens with all the jeopardy of the knockout format, where every game counts.\u00a0 This weekend players and supporters will create memories that once again shape our sport for years to come.
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\u201cSince gaining Olympic status rugby sevens continues to grow and entertain new fans around the globe. Played in a full, iconic stadium with a festive atmosphere, Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 will be the perfect showcase for everything this vibrant sport has to offer.\u201d
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A world class entertainment programme and Fan Village will entertain spectators during the three day feast of rugby sevens. Rugby sevens fans around the world can watch the action via live stream on\u00a0www.rwcsevens.com\u00a0in countries where there is no national broadcaster covering the event.
\n",
"content_text": "Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 takes place from 9-11 September in iconic Cape Town\nUnique \u2018knock-out\u2019 competition format means every match counts with 40 teams – 24 men\u2019s and 16 women\u2019s \u2013 from all six World Rugby regions competing\nNew Zealand are reigning men\u2019s and women\u2019s world champions, while Australia women and South Africa men are top seeds\nA record breaking 150,000 fans expected in Cape Town Stadium over the three day event\nThe action kicks off at 08:45 (GMT+2) on Friday, find out where to watch\u00a0here\n\nAll 40 international team captains lined up in front of majestic Table Mountain in Cape Town on Wednesday as excitement reaches fever pitch ahead of the highly anticipated Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022, which takes place from 9-11 September at Cape Town Stadium.\nRelated Article :\u00a0Four Asian teams book their berths at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 in Cape Town\nWith an anticipated record-breaking crowd of more than 150,000 fans set to create an unforgettable atmosphere in an iconic venue, Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 aims to set new standards in innovation, fan-engagement and sporting excitement to reinforce rugby sevens as one of the fastest growing Olympic sports and continue to attract new fans from an increasing global audience.\nThe unique \u2018winner takes all\u2019 knock-out competition format first introduced at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in San Francisco means every match counts as teams will need to win every time they enter the pitch in order to become world champions.\nVIEW COMPETITION FORMAT VIDEO >>\nThe 24-team men\u2019s competition kicks off the action on day one with a qualification round involving teams seeded from nine to 24. The winners of the qualification round will progress to the round of 16 where they will take on the top eight seeded teams, while the losers will go into the Bowl competition which will decide positions 17 to 24.\nVIEW MATCH SCHEDULE >>\nThere will be some hard fought matches in the qualification round as ninth-seeds Ireland, who have been in outstanding form on the World Series this year, play Portugal, who overcame core Series team Spain in the European qualifier to claim their place in Cape Town.\nGermany and Chile who have both impressed as invitational teams on the World Series come face-to-face in the qualification round where fireworks can be expected with survival at stake.\nHosts South Africa are top seeds in men\u2019s tournament following a remarkable 36-match winning streak which saw them win six rounds of the World Series in a row across 2021-2022. However they will face stiff competition with Australia seeded second and double Olympic champions Fiji seeded third. New Zealand are the reigning men\u2019s champions and are seeded fifth coming in to the event.\nThe 16-team women\u2019s tournament also begins on Friday with the round of 16 knock out matches based on seedings on the first day of competition, meaning fans will be kept on the edge of their seats from the very first kick to the last.\nWomen\u2019s Olympic champions and reigning RWC Sevens winners New Zealand play Colombia, top seeds Australia take on debutants Madagascar, and hosts South Africa face Olympic silver medallists France.\nWomen\u2019s teams qualified either via finishing in the top four at the last RWC Sevens in 2018, and through regional qualification tournaments. Men\u2019s teams qualified by finishing in the top eight at the last RWC Sevens in 2018, and via regional qualification tournaments. Madagascar and Poland women are making their Rugby World Cup Sevens debuts.\nThe seedings for both men\u2019s and women\u2019s competitions were based on points accrued during the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series in 2020 and 2022, while teams who do not participate on the Series were seeded using their rankings gained at World Rugby Sevens events and regional ranking positions ending in July 2022.\nThe eighth men\u2019s and fourth women\u2019s edition of Rugby World Cup Sevens represents the first Rugby World Cup of any kind since the famous 1995 Rugby World Cup when South Africa were victorious on home soil as President Nelson Mandela handed the Webb Ellis Cup to Francois Pienaar to inspire the Rainbow Nation.\nSiviwe Soyizwapi, captain of South Africa men said: \u201cFor us as a team we\u2019re just chasing perfection.\u00a0This is a standalone tournament, a massive tournament in front of our home crowd and we\u2019re really excited for that.\n\u201cThe fact that it is a knockout tournament doesn\u2019t change the mindset for us.\u00a0 We are focused on getting the perfect game and we focus on ourselves as a team and the standards that we uphold.\u00a0 We are chasing that perfect game from game one.\n\u201cTo be double would champions [alongside South Africa Men XV] would be massive.\u00a0 It would be great for the nation. We all know what rugby can do for our country.\u00a0This our first home sevens rugby since 2019 here in Cape Town so as players and a team, the whole system is excited to run out there this weekend and represent our country.\u00a0 We know how the crowd can get behind us and the fans will really make this tournament. As a team we are really excited.\u201d\nSarah Hirini, captain of New Zealand women said: \u201cI\u2019m really excited as it is my first time here in Cape Town and for a Rugby World Cup too, it is a pretty cool place to play.\u00a0 I know there are a lot of kiwi supporters in Cape Town so we\u2019re looking forward to the fans coming out and cheering us on.\n\u201cCompeting in Rugby World Cup Sevens means a lot.\u00a0 Watching it and you see how this tournament is the pinnacle for so many rugby players and you can see that in the way the game will be played at the weekend.\u00a0 I\u2019m really looking forward to how special this is going to be this weekend\n\u201cWith the knock out competition it can be hard to look beyond the next game but we hope we\u2019ll do well.\u00a0 When you come to a pinnacle event you want to go all the way, we\u2019ve done that a few times and it was pretty special for New Zealand.\u201d\nAustralia\u2019s men arrive in Cape Town full of confidence having claimed the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2022 title in Los Angeles last month, captain Nick Malouf said: \u201cCape Town is a magical city and this is one of the pinnacles of our game, the Rugby World Cup with so much history. It\u2019s going to be a super exciting weekend.\n\u201cIt will be a fantastic competition for the spectators, there are so many good teams here. Plus it\u2019s a really interesting and exciting knockout format. You can\u2019t really keep anything in the locker, you\u2019ve got to fire all your shots from the start. I\u2019m expecting lots of good games of rugby.\n\u201cThere is no more expectation here than what we put on ourselves as a team. After the success of the World Series we really don\u2019t want to let ourselves down with a poor performance here. We take all the confidence from doing well throughout the World Series and now it\u2019s up to us to make sure that we go out there and get a good result.\u201d\nSam Dickson, reigning champions New Zealand captain said: \u201cIt is great to be back in Cape Town and we have a lot of good memories from here over the years.\n\u201cWe\u2019ve won Rugby World Cup Sevens a few times over the last few years so we\u2019ll be expecting to do exactly the same but we take it game by game.\u00a0 With the format of straight knock out it can be pretty ruthless so we\u2019ve got to be on our game from the first kick off.\n\u201cIt is always an honour to play in Rugby World Cup and always special to represent New Zealand in any format of rugby and wear the black jersey.\u201d\nThe action kicks off at 08:45 (GMT+2) local time on Friday when Ireland and Portugal take to the pitch in the men\u2019s competition. The women\u2019s tournament gets under way when Australia face Madagascar at 12:11 on Friday.\nAustralia\u2019s women are the top ranked team after dominating the 2022 Series and captain Demi Hayes said: \u201cIt is really cool to be in Cape Town.\u00a0 We\u2019ve been here before and we know how big the crowd here is.\u00a0 It is really exciting to be here and we\u2019ll make the most of the next few days leading into the competition on Friday.\n\u201cOff the back of the World Series and the Commonwealth Games, we definitely want to do well again and stay consistent. We\u2019ve spoken about consistency the entire season and this would top off our whole season.\u00a0 Our group has trained so hard since the Commonwealth Games and we\u2019re really excited to get going.\nWorld Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: \u201cRugby World Cup in South Africa created one of the most iconic images the game has ever known.\u00a0 Now for the first time since that unforgettable day in 1995, we are delighted to be staging another Rugby World Cup back in the rainbow nation as rugby sevens comes to Cape Town with 40 teams from all corners of the world in action.\n\u201cFans can expect to see the best men\u2019s and women\u2019s players, playing exciting, highly skilled, fast paced rugby sevens with all the jeopardy of the knockout format, where every game counts.\u00a0 This weekend players and supporters will create memories that once again shape our sport for years to come.\n\u201cSince gaining Olympic status rugby sevens continues to grow and entertain new fans around the globe. Played in a full, iconic stadium with a festive atmosphere, Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 will be the perfect showcase for everything this vibrant sport has to offer.\u201d\nA world class entertainment programme and Fan Village will entertain spectators during the three day feast of rugby sevens. Rugby sevens fans around the world can watch the action via live stream on\u00a0www.rwcsevens.com\u00a0in countries where there is no national broadcaster covering the event.\nWHERE TO WATCH >>\nThe last few remaining tickets are available from\u00a0https://www.ticketmaster.co.za/feature/RWCSevens/\nThe post Cape Town set for landmark Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 appeared first on Asia Rugby.",
"date_published": "2022-09-08T08:39:53+08:00",
"date_modified": "2022-09-08T08:39:53+08:00",
"authors": [
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"id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8912",
"url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/08/14/challenger-series-2022-semi-final-line-ups/",
"title": "World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2022: Semi-final line-ups confirmed",
"content_html": "
Eight teams remain in the hunt for glory at the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2022 following an action-packed second day in Santiago, Chile.
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The winners of the men\u2019s and women\u2019s tournaments at Estadio Santa Laura will book their place as a core team on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 and the contenders in each were whittled down to the final four on Saturday.
\n\u00a0Photo credit: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby\n
Poland, China, Kenya and Japan will compete the women\u2019s semi-finals on Sunday, with the winner of those two ties playing for core status.
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In the men\u2019s tournament, meanwhile, Georgia will take on hosts Chile for a place in the final, before Germany meet Uruguay for the chance to face them in the showpiece match.
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The first of those semi-finals will get underway at 11:23 local time (GMT -4) when China play Rugby Europe Women\u2019s Sevens Championship 2022 winners Poland in Santiago.
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WOMEN\u2019S RECAP
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Colombia kicked off day two in style, running in four converted tries to beat Mexico 28-7, a result that ultimately secured their passage to the quarter-finals. Japan also crossed the whitewash four times in a 26-5 defeat of Kazakhstan that ensured they finished top of Pool F.
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In Pool E, Argentina made sure of second place with a 34-7 defeat of Papua New Guinea before Poland rubber-stamped top spot in both the pool and seeding for the quarter-finals with a 36-12 win against Belgium. Despite defeat, the Belgians would advance to the last eight.
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Kenya continued their fine from day one against hosts Chile, meanwhile, Janet Okello scoring twice in a 15-5 win for the Lionesses. In the final match of the pool stage, South Africa needed to beat China to advance to the quarter-finals but came up short despite taking a 7-5 lead in the second half, going on to lose 17-7.
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China maintained that form in their quarter-final against Kazakhstan, tries from Chen Keyi, Xu Xiaoyan and Wang Xiao securing a 21-7 win and their place in the last four.
They will play Poland for a place in the final after the European side emerged comfortable winners, 36-0, against Colombia in the final women\u2019s quarter-final. Anna Klichowska and Katarzyna Paszczyk each scored two of their side\u2019s six tries.
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The second women\u2019s semi-final, which is scheduled to kick-off at 11:58 local time (GMT -4) on Sunday, will pit Japan against Kenya.
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Christabel Lindo scored two of the Lionesses four tries to help Kenya past Argentina in the quarter-finals, while Japan impressed as they crossed the whitewash five times during their 31-0 win against Belgium.
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The winners of those two semi-finals will go on to contest the women\u2019s final, which will kick-off at 18:47 local time on Sunday. Whoever triumphs in that tie will become a core Series team.
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MEN\u2019S RECAP
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Day two of the men\u2019s tournament started with a bang as Uganda ran in four tries to beat Lithuania 26-19 before Pool C rivals Germany edged Uruguay 17-14, thanks to a late Tim Lichtenberg try and even later Niklas Koch penalty. Despite the agonising defeat, Uruguay still took their place in the last eight.
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Zimbabwe joined Uruguay in the quarter-finals as the other best third-placed finisher, following their 36-5 defeat of Pool B rivals Jamaica. That result edged Papua New Guinea, who lost their final Pool A match 31-19 to Georgia, out of the quarter-final picture.
\n\u00a0Photo credit: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby\n
Second-half tries from John Tapueluelu and Amanaki Veamatahau then gave Tonga a 12-5 win against Hong Kong, and with it top spot in Pool B. Benjamin De Vidts was the hero for Chile in the final pool match of day two, meanwhile, scoring a hat-trick as the hosts beat Korea 43-0 to finish their Pool A campaign with three wins from three.
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The men\u2019s quarter-finals did not disappoint as Georgia edged into the last four with a 19-14 win against Hong Kong, which was secured via Teimuraz Kokhodze\u2019s second try of the match early in the second half.
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Georgia will play Chile for a place in the final after Los Condores wowed the home crowd with a 24-0 win against Zimbabwe in the quarter-finals. The impressive Julio Blanc, Joaquin Huici, Cristobal Game and Clemente Armstrong scored the hosts\u2019 tries.
\n
For the second time in the men\u2019s tournament in Santiago Germany edged Uganda 17-14, to book their place in the last four. Uganda had built a 14-0 lead at half-time but their European opponents stormed back in the second half and secured a slender win with tries from Lichtenberg, Niklas Koch and Carlos Soteras Merz.
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Germany will now play Uruguay in the semi-finals on Sunday, the match scheduled to kick-off at 12:48 local time (GMT -4). Uruguay beat Tonga in dramatic fashion in the quarter-finals, Marcos Pastore\u2019s last-minute try securing a 17-12 victory.
\n
The winners of the two men\u2019s semi-finals will meet in the final at 19:20 local time. Whoever comes out on top in the showpiece match will earn core status for the 2023 Series.
\n",
"content_text": "Eight teams remain in the hunt for glory at the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2022 following an action-packed second day in Santiago, Chile.\nThe winners of the men\u2019s and women\u2019s tournaments at Estadio Santa Laura will book their place as a core team on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 and the contenders in each were whittled down to the final four on Saturday.\n\u00a0Photo credit: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby\nPoland, China, Kenya and Japan will compete the women\u2019s semi-finals on Sunday, with the winner of those two ties playing for core status.\nIn the men\u2019s tournament, meanwhile, Georgia will take on hosts Chile for a place in the final, before Germany meet Uruguay for the chance to face them in the showpiece match.\nThe first of those semi-finals will get underway at 11:23 local time (GMT -4) when China play Rugby Europe Women\u2019s Sevens Championship 2022 winners Poland in Santiago.\nWOMEN\u2019S RECAP\nColombia kicked off day two in style, running in four converted tries to beat Mexico 28-7, a result that ultimately secured their passage to the quarter-finals. Japan also crossed the whitewash four times in a 26-5 defeat of Kazakhstan that ensured they finished top of Pool F.\nIn Pool E, Argentina made sure of second place with a 34-7 defeat of Papua New Guinea before Poland rubber-stamped top spot in both the pool and seeding for the quarter-finals with a 36-12 win against Belgium. Despite defeat, the Belgians would advance to the last eight.\nKenya continued their fine from day one against hosts Chile, meanwhile, Janet Okello scoring twice in a 15-5 win for the Lionesses. In the final match of the pool stage, South Africa needed to beat China to advance to the quarter-finals but came up short despite taking a 7-5 lead in the second half, going on to lose 17-7.\nChina maintained that form in their quarter-final against Kazakhstan, tries from Chen Keyi, Xu Xiaoyan and Wang Xiao securing a 21-7 win and their place in the last four.\n5 Teams from Asia chase promotion at World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series\nThey will play Poland for a place in the final after the European side emerged comfortable winners, 36-0, against Colombia in the final women\u2019s quarter-final. Anna Klichowska and Katarzyna Paszczyk each scored two of their side\u2019s six tries.\nThe second women\u2019s semi-final, which is scheduled to kick-off at 11:58 local time (GMT -4) on Sunday, will pit Japan against Kenya.\nChristabel Lindo scored two of the Lionesses four tries to help Kenya past Argentina in the quarter-finals, while Japan impressed as they crossed the whitewash five times during their 31-0 win against Belgium.\nThe winners of those two semi-finals will go on to contest the women\u2019s final, which will kick-off at 18:47 local time on Sunday. Whoever triumphs in that tie will become a core Series team.\nMEN\u2019S RECAP\nDay two of the men\u2019s tournament started with a bang as Uganda ran in four tries to beat Lithuania 26-19 before Pool C rivals Germany edged Uruguay 17-14, thanks to a late Tim Lichtenberg try and even later Niklas Koch penalty. Despite the agonising defeat, Uruguay still took their place in the last eight.\nZimbabwe joined Uruguay in the quarter-finals as the other best third-placed finisher, following their 36-5 defeat of Pool B rivals Jamaica. That result edged Papua New Guinea, who lost their final Pool A match 31-19 to Georgia, out of the quarter-final picture.\n\u00a0Photo credit: Mike Lee – KLC fotos for World Rugby\nSecond-half tries from John Tapueluelu and Amanaki Veamatahau then gave Tonga a 12-5 win against Hong Kong, and with it top spot in Pool B. Benjamin De Vidts was the hero for Chile in the final pool match of day two, meanwhile, scoring a hat-trick as the hosts beat Korea 43-0 to finish their Pool A campaign with three wins from three.\nThe men\u2019s quarter-finals did not disappoint as Georgia edged into the last four with a 19-14 win against Hong Kong, which was secured via Teimuraz Kokhodze\u2019s second try of the match early in the second half.\nGeorgia will play Chile for a place in the final after Los Condores wowed the home crowd with a 24-0 win against Zimbabwe in the quarter-finals. The impressive Julio Blanc, Joaquin Huici, Cristobal Game and Clemente Armstrong scored the hosts\u2019 tries.\nFor the second time in the men\u2019s tournament in Santiago Germany edged Uganda 17-14, to book their place in the last four. Uganda had built a 14-0 lead at half-time but their European opponents stormed back in the second half and secured a slender win with tries from Lichtenberg, Niklas Koch and Carlos Soteras Merz.\nGermany will now play Uruguay in the semi-finals on Sunday, the match scheduled to kick-off at 12:48 local time (GMT -4). Uruguay beat Tonga in dramatic fashion in the quarter-finals, Marcos Pastore\u2019s last-minute try securing a 17-12 victory.\nThe winners of the two men\u2019s semi-finals will meet in the final at 19:20 local time. Whoever comes out on top in the showpiece match will earn core status for the 2023 Series.\nThe post World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2022: Semi-final line-ups confirmed appeared first on Asia Rugby.",
"date_published": "2022-08-14T10:36:13+08:00",
"date_modified": "2022-08-14T10:36:13+08:00",
"authors": [
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"id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8910",
"url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/08/13/world-rugby-sevens-challenger-series-2/",
"title": "Thrilling opening day of World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series",
"content_html": "
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Thrilling first day at World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in Santiago, Chile
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Tournament winners will gain promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023
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Kazakhstan, Kenya, Japan and Poland claim perfect win records in women\u2019s competition ahead of the quarter-finals on Saturday
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Hosts Chile, along with Germany, Hong Kong and Tonga win both opening matches in men\u2019s tournament
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Day two action begins at 09:30 (GMT-4) on Saturday 13 August, with the finals on Sunday 14 August
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There was no shortage of drama, determination and scintillating skill on day one of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2022 in Santiago, Chile.
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With the prize of promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 at stake, the 24 competing teams played with passion and commitment on the opening day of the three day competition at Estadio Santa Laura in view of the majestic Andes mountain range.
In the women\u2019s tournament Kenya, Japan, Poland and Kazakhstan secured a pair of victories and will be looking ahead to Saturday\u2019s quarter-finals.
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Kazakhstan were impressive throughout, convincingly beating Colombia 22-5, and Mexico 24-5. Japan, who are looking to return to the World Series as a core team, beat Mexico 44-5 and Colombia 21-12.
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Poland were the day\u2019s top scorers with a 71-0 thrashing of Papua New Guinea in Pool E, which followed their earlier 36-5 victory over Argentina, who bounced back to beat Belgium 15-10 to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.
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Kenya took charge of Pool D with a hard fought 17-15 win over China, followed by a 31-5 defeat of South Africa. China \u00a0and will face South Africa in a crucial final pool match on Saturday morning.
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The men\u2019s competition saw Tonga and Hong Kong secure their progress to Saturday\u2019s quarter-finals by winning both of their matches against Jamaica and Zimbabwe in Pool B.
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Germany are in pole position in Pool C with a perfect win record after beating Lithuania and overcoming Uganda 17-14 in a pulsating encounter thanks to a hattrick of tries from Jack Hunt.
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Hosts Chile were cheered to a 24-7 victory over Papua New Guinea in the last match of the day to build upon their earlier 19-14 win over Georgia as they look sure to progress to the quarter-finals.
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Chile men\u2019s captain Joaquin Huici said: \u201cThe first game was a tough one against Georgia and it was the same against Papua New Guinea, although we managed to control the game. Tomorrow we face Korea in our last pool match, we will get some rest and focus on them.\u201d
Play begins on Saturday 13 August at 09:28 local time (GMT-4) when Colombia and Mexico take to the pitch to kick-off an action-packed day of international rugby sevens, with the quarter-finals set to take place from 17:00 to 20:58. The all-important finals will take place on Sunday with the women at 18:47, followed by the men at 19:20.
The Challenger Series was introduced in 2020 to boost rugby sevens\u2019 development across the globe and provide a pathway for promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
\n
The global event sees teams from all six World Rugby regions represented in a competition format that replicates the Olympic Games with three pools of four teams.
\n
The top two from each pool along with the two best third-placed teams will qualify for the quarter-finals, before the semi-finals and final will decide the tournament winners on Sunday.
\n
There is plenty of top class experience in the line-up as nine men\u2019s teams have appeared on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series previously as invitational teams. Meanwhile China and Japan have both been core teams on the women\u2019s Series, while another eight women\u2019s teams have played at least once in the Series.
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Five of the women\u2019s teams and nine men\u2019s teams competing in Chile have also qualified for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 where they will play in front of an anticipated crowd of 165,000 fans across three days in Cape Town on 9-11 September.
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Fans around the world can watch every match of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series live on\u00a0www.world.rugby, while in South America the action will be live streamed on ESPN\u2019s Star+ platform.
\n",
"content_text": "Thrilling first day at World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in Santiago, Chile\nTournament winners will gain promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023\nKazakhstan, Kenya, Japan and Poland claim perfect win records in women\u2019s competition ahead of the quarter-finals on Saturday\nHosts Chile, along with Germany, Hong Kong and Tonga win both opening matches in men\u2019s tournament\nDay two action begins at 09:30 (GMT-4) on Saturday 13 August, with the finals on Sunday 14 August\n\nThere was no shortage of drama, determination and scintillating skill on day one of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series 2022 in Santiago, Chile.\nWith the prize of promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 at stake, the 24 competing teams played with passion and commitment on the opening day of the three day competition at Estadio Santa Laura in view of the majestic Andes mountain range.\nKAZAKHSTAN V COLOMBIA \u2013 Rugby World Cup Qualifier\nIn the women\u2019s tournament Kenya, Japan, Poland and Kazakhstan secured a pair of victories and will be looking ahead to Saturday\u2019s quarter-finals.\nKazakhstan were impressive throughout, convincingly beating Colombia 22-5, and Mexico 24-5. Japan, who are looking to return to the World Series as a core team, beat Mexico 44-5 and Colombia 21-12.\nPoland were the day\u2019s top scorers with a 71-0 thrashing of Papua New Guinea in Pool E, which followed their earlier 36-5 victory over Argentina, who bounced back to beat Belgium 15-10 to keep their quarter-final hopes alive.\nKenya took charge of Pool D with a hard fought 17-15 win over China, followed by a 31-5 defeat of South Africa. China \u00a0and will face South Africa in a crucial final pool match on Saturday morning.\n\nThe men\u2019s competition saw Tonga and Hong Kong secure their progress to Saturday\u2019s quarter-finals by winning both of their matches against Jamaica and Zimbabwe in Pool B.\nGermany are in pole position in Pool C with a perfect win record after beating Lithuania and overcoming Uganda 17-14 in a pulsating encounter thanks to a hattrick of tries from Jack Hunt.\nHosts Chile were cheered to a 24-7 victory over Papua New Guinea in the last match of the day to build upon their earlier 19-14 win over Georgia as they look sure to progress to the quarter-finals.\nChile men\u2019s captain Joaquin Huici said: \u201cThe first game was a tough one against Georgia and it was the same against Papua New Guinea, although we managed to control the game. Tomorrow we face Korea in our last pool match, we will get some rest and focus on them.\u201d\nVIEW FULL DAY ONE REPORT >>\nPlay begins on Saturday 13 August at 09:28 local time (GMT-4) when Colombia and Mexico take to the pitch to kick-off an action-packed day of international rugby sevens, with the quarter-finals set to take place from 17:00 to 20:58. The all-important finals will take place on Sunday with the women at 18:47, followed by the men at 19:20.\nVIEW RESULTS AND FIXTURES >>\nThe Challenger Series was introduced in 2020 to boost rugby sevens\u2019 development across the globe and provide a pathway for promotion to the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.\nThe global event sees teams from all six World Rugby regions represented in a competition format that replicates the Olympic Games with three pools of four teams.\nThe top two from each pool along with the two best third-placed teams will qualify for the quarter-finals, before the semi-finals and final will decide the tournament winners on Sunday.\nThere is plenty of top class experience in the line-up as nine men\u2019s teams have appeared on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series previously as invitational teams. Meanwhile China and Japan have both been core teams on the women\u2019s Series, while another eight women\u2019s teams have played at least once in the Series.\nFive of the women\u2019s teams and nine men\u2019s teams competing in Chile have also qualified for Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 where they will play in front of an anticipated crowd of 165,000 fans across three days in Cape Town on 9-11 September.\nFans around the world can watch every match of the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series live on\u00a0www.world.rugby, while in South America the action will be live streamed on ESPN\u2019s Star+ platform.\nThe post Thrilling opening day of World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series appeared first on Asia Rugby.",
"date_published": "2022-08-13T14:54:54+08:00",
"date_modified": "2022-08-13T14:54:54+08:00",
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{
"id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8877",
"url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/07/25/final-qualification-tournament/",
"title": "Dubai to host decisive Final Qualification Tournament for Rugby World Cup 2023",
"content_html": "
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RWC 2023 Final Qualification Tournament to be hosted in Dubai from 6-18 November, 2022
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Four teams to compete for the final place at France 2023: Hong Kong, Kenya, Portugal and USA
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Decisive tournament to be played in a round-robin format over three match days (6, 12 and 18 November) at The Sevens Stadium
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Team with the most competition points after three rounds will qualify for RWC 2023, joining\u00a0 Wales, Australia, Fiji and Georgia \u00a0in Pool C
\n
\n
World Rugby today confirmed that the Final Qualification Tournament for Rugby World Cup 2023 will take place at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai from 6-18 November, 2022.
Dubai will welcome Hong Kong (Asia/Pacific 2), Kenya (Africa 2), Portugal (Europe 3) and USA (Americas 3) for the tournament that will determine the 20th and final qualifier for Rugby World Cup 2023 in France.
\n
Played over three match days from 6-18 November, the four teams will face each other in a round-robin format with the team accruing the most competition points securing the last place at France 2023. They will take their place in Pool C alongside Wales, Australia, Fiji and Georgia.
\n
RWC 2023 FINAL QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT
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Sunday, 6 November, 2022 \u2013 Match-day 1
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Saturday, 12 November, 2022 \u2013 Match-day 2
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Friday, 18 November, 2022 \u2013 Match-day 3
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FOUR PARTICIPATING UNIONS FROM FOUR CONTINENTS
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Portugal were the first to book their place in the Final Qualification Tournament by securing third place in in the Rugby Europe Championship 2021 and 2022 combined standings. \u00a0They were joined by Kenya on 10 July after the Simbas finished as runners-up to Namibia in the Rugby Africa Cup 2022 in France. Kenya also reached this stage in RWC 2019 qualification and are hoping to reach a first Rugby World Cup.
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USA, after narrowly losing to 52-51 on aggregate to Chile in the Americas 2 play-off, will want to win the Final Qualification Tournament to maintain their record of having qualified for every Rugby World Cup since their only absence in 1995. Asia Rugby Championship 2022 winners Hong Kong will try to bounce back from their 22-44 defeat against Tonga on Saturday, 23 July to qualify for the first time and complete the RWC 2023 line-up.
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World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: \u201cThere is only one remaining ticket for Rugby World Cup 2023, and it will all comes down to a fantastic Final Qualification Tournament hosted in Dubai this November. The four participating teams have proven their worth during a challenging qualifying process that started in March 2021 and they will give their absolute best to join the France 2023 adventure. Rugby fans worldwide can expect an outstanding and hard-fought tournament.
\n
\u201cWe are also delighted to partner with Dubai for this important milestone. Dubai and its Sevens Stadium are an iconic rugby stronghold and represent an ideal and neutral location for teams coming from the four corners of the globe, with world-class infrastructures for teams to perform.\u201d
\n
The Final Qualification Tournament match schedule and match officials will be announced in due course.
\n",
"content_text": "RWC 2023 Final Qualification Tournament to be hosted in Dubai from 6-18 November, 2022\nFour teams to compete for the final place at France 2023: Hong Kong, Kenya, Portugal and USA\nDecisive tournament to be played in a round-robin format over three match days (6, 12 and 18 November) at The Sevens Stadium\nTeam with the most competition points after three rounds will qualify for RWC 2023, joining\u00a0 Wales, Australia, Fiji and Georgia \u00a0in Pool C\n\nWorld Rugby today confirmed that the Final Qualification Tournament for Rugby World Cup 2023 will take place at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai from 6-18 November, 2022.\n\nRead More :\u00a0Tonga qualify for Rugby World Cup 2023 after winning the Asia / Pacific play-off\nDubai will welcome Hong Kong (Asia/Pacific 2), Kenya (Africa 2), Portugal (Europe 3) and USA (Americas 3) for the tournament that will determine the 20th and final qualifier for Rugby World Cup 2023 in France.\nPlayed over three match days from 6-18 November, the four teams will face each other in a round-robin format with the team accruing the most competition points securing the last place at France 2023. They will take their place in Pool C alongside Wales, Australia, Fiji and Georgia.\nRWC 2023 FINAL QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT\n\nSunday, 6 November, 2022 \u2013 Match-day 1\nSaturday, 12 November, 2022 \u2013 Match-day 2\nFriday, 18 November, 2022 \u2013 Match-day 3\n\nFOUR PARTICIPATING UNIONS FROM FOUR CONTINENTS\nPortugal were the first to book their place in the Final Qualification Tournament by securing third place in in the Rugby Europe Championship 2021 and 2022 combined standings. \u00a0They were joined by Kenya on 10 July after the Simbas finished as runners-up to Namibia in the Rugby Africa Cup 2022 in France. Kenya also reached this stage in RWC 2019 qualification and are hoping to reach a first Rugby World Cup.\nUSA, after narrowly losing to 52-51 on aggregate to Chile in the Americas 2 play-off, will want to win the Final Qualification Tournament to maintain their record of having qualified for every Rugby World Cup since their only absence in 1995. Asia Rugby Championship 2022 winners Hong Kong will try to bounce back from their 22-44 defeat against Tonga on Saturday, 23 July to qualify for the first time and complete the RWC 2023 line-up.\nWorld Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: \u201cThere is only one remaining ticket for Rugby World Cup 2023, and it will all comes down to a fantastic Final Qualification Tournament hosted in Dubai this November. The four participating teams have proven their worth during a challenging qualifying process that started in March 2021 and they will give their absolute best to join the France 2023 adventure. Rugby fans worldwide can expect an outstanding and hard-fought tournament.\n\u201cWe are also delighted to partner with Dubai for this important milestone. Dubai and its Sevens Stadium are an iconic rugby stronghold and represent an ideal and neutral location for teams coming from the four corners of the globe, with world-class infrastructures for teams to perform.\u201d\nThe Final Qualification Tournament match schedule and match officials will be announced in due course.\nThe post Dubai to host decisive Final Qualification Tournament for Rugby World Cup 2023 appeared first on Asia Rugby.",
"date_published": "2022-07-25T17:09:57+08:00",
"date_modified": "2022-07-25T17:09:57+08:00",
"authors": [
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"name": "Asia Rugby",
"url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/",
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"image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/RWC-2023-FQT-16x9-1.webp",
"tags": [
"Hong Kong",
"#RWC2023",
"Rugby World Cup",
"Featured"
]
},
{
"id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8869",
"url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/07/23/where-to-watch-hong-kong-v-tonga/",
"title": "Where to watch Hong Kong V Tonga\u00a0 Rugby World Cup 2023 Asia/Pacific Play-off",
"content_html": "
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Where to watch Hong Kong V Tonga
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Sunshine Coast Stadium to host Rugby World Cup 2023 Asia/Pacific Play-off
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First time Tonga have played in Australia in almost 40 years
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Winner will join Pool B of Rugby World Cup 2023 alongside Ireland, Scotland, South Africa and Romania
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Loser will progress to Final Qualification Tournament in November 2022
\n
\n
\u2018Ikale Tahi Captain, Halaleva Fifita and Hong Kong Captain Josh Hrsitch met today at the Sunshine Coast Stadium ahead of this Saturday\u2019s Asia/Pacific Play-off, the decisive match for Rugby World Cup 2023 qualification.
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This match sees both teams continuing in their campaign to secure a place at France 2023. The winner of this match will join South Africa, Scotland, Ireland, and Romania in Pool B whilst the loser will head into the Final Qualification tournament in November 2022.
\n
Both teams arrived on the Sunshine Coast earlier this week and have enjoyed the iconic Mooloolaba Beach and have been enjoying the coastal hospitality of Brothers Rugby Club and Noosa Dolphins.
\n
Tonga come into the match on the back of the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup with Fiji, Samoa and Australia A in Fiji, whilst Hong Kong beat Korea earlier this month claiming the Asia Rugby Championship title.
A strong crowd is anticipated at the game on Saturday afternoon with the Queensland Tongan community coming together to bring the Kingdom to the Sunshine Coast.
\n
Tickets are on available on starting at double passes for $20.
\n
Gates open at 3pm with a North v South Sunshine Secondary Schools girls match will be played prior to the main game commencing at 5:30pm
\n
Fans from across the world will be able to watch the game live on \nTonga Broadcast Corp (Tonga) \nDigicel on paid platforms (Tonga and Pacific Islands), \nStan (Australia)
\n
Hong Kong V Tonga \nCluch.tv has acquired the rights to broadcast in all remaining markets.
\u2018Ikale Tahi Captain, Halaleva Fifita a man of few words, knows it is all on the line this Saturday. \n\u201cIt has all come down to this, as a team will need to work hard and do what we have been doing in training out on the field\u201d Fifita said.
\n
Hong Kong Captain, Josh Hrsitch has enjoyed the experience and preparation support on the Sunshine Coast leading \u00a0\u00a0into Saturday\u2019s game. \n\u201cWe were hosted by the Noosa Rugby Club this week and it has been good getting to know the local community\u201d.
\n
\u201cOur team consist of 11 different nationalities, and we have become a very tight group. The different cultures have brought different styles of play to our team, and we have been lucky enough to play as a team for a while now.\u201d
\n
\u201cWe look forward to showcasing our uniqueness\u201d
\n",
"content_text": "Where to watch Hong Kong V Tonga\nSunshine Coast Stadium to host Rugby World Cup 2023 Asia/Pacific Play-off\nFirst time Tonga have played in Australia in almost 40 years\nWinner will join Pool B of Rugby World Cup 2023 alongside Ireland, Scotland, South Africa and Romania\nLoser will progress to Final Qualification Tournament in November 2022\n\n\u2018Ikale Tahi Captain, Halaleva Fifita and Hong Kong Captain Josh Hrsitch met today at the Sunshine Coast Stadium ahead of this Saturday\u2019s Asia/Pacific Play-off, the decisive match for Rugby World Cup 2023 qualification.\nThis match sees both teams continuing in their campaign to secure a place at France 2023. The winner of this match will join South Africa, Scotland, Ireland, and Romania in Pool B whilst the loser will head into the Final Qualification tournament in November 2022.\nBoth teams arrived on the Sunshine Coast earlier this week and have enjoyed the iconic Mooloolaba Beach and have been enjoying the coastal hospitality of Brothers Rugby Club and Noosa Dolphins.\nTonga come into the match on the back of the World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup with Fiji, Samoa and Australia A in Fiji, whilst Hong Kong beat Korea earlier this month claiming the Asia Rugby Championship title.\n\n \nRelated Article: Hong Kong beat South Korea 23-21 to retain the Asia Rugby Men’s Championship in Incheon\nA strong crowd is anticipated at the game on Saturday afternoon with the Queensland Tongan community coming together to bring the Kingdom to the Sunshine Coast.\nTickets are on available on starting at double passes for $20.\nGates open at 3pm with a North v South Sunshine Secondary Schools girls match will be played prior to the main game commencing at 5:30pm\nFans from across the world will be able to watch the game live on\nTonga Broadcast Corp (Tonga)\nDigicel on paid platforms (Tonga and Pacific Islands),\nStan (Australia)\nHong Kong V Tonga\nCluch.tv has acquired the rights to broadcast in all remaining markets.\nSimply go to the App Store and search Clutch TV. Alternatively, visit Cluch.tv on the web or click on the World Cup Qualifier link below to register.\nhttps://cluch.tv/rugbyunion/rugby-world-cup-2023-qualifying/\n\u2018Ikale Tahi Captain, Halaleva Fifita a man of few words, knows it is all on the line this Saturday.\n\u201cIt has all come down to this, as a team will need to work hard and do what we have been doing in training out on the field\u201d Fifita said.\nHong Kong Captain, Josh Hrsitch has enjoyed the experience and preparation support on the Sunshine Coast leading \u00a0\u00a0into Saturday\u2019s game.\n\u201cWe were hosted by the Noosa Rugby Club this week and it has been good getting to know the local community\u201d.\n\u201cOur team consist of 11 different nationalities, and we have become a very tight group. The different cultures have brought different styles of play to our team, and we have been lucky enough to play as a team for a while now.\u201d\n\u201cWe look forward to showcasing our uniqueness\u201d\nRugby World Cup 2023 Asia/Pacific Play Off\nSaturday 23 July 2022\nTonga v Hong Kong\n \nThe post Where to watch Hong Kong V Tonga\u00a0 Rugby World Cup 2023 Asia/Pacific Play-off appeared first on Asia Rugby.",
"date_published": "2022-07-23T12:36:33+08:00",
"date_modified": "2022-08-01T05:20:10+08:00",
"authors": [
{
"name": "Asia Rugby",
"url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/",
"avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g"
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"tags": [
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{
"id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8644",
"url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/04/29/rugby-world-cup-2023/",
"title": "Asia Rugby Keeps the Dream Alive for the World Cup 2023",
"content_html": "
Asia Rugby announced a new structure and dates for the Asia Rugby Championship to give all three countries the opportunity to pursue their Rugby World Cup 2023 dream.
\u201cFor us, it was and will always be paramount to protect the integrity of our fifteens tournaments, the Asia Rugby Championship that acts as the pinnacle of the Regional Association calendar, especially in a year that offers a pathway to the Rugby World Cup 2023,” explained\u00a0Asia Rugby President Qais Al Dhalai.
\n
\n
The original tournament was supposed to be played in 2021, however, had been pushed back multiple times to allow ample time for teams to participate safely owing COVID-19, thus and despite Hong Kong announcing their withdrawal from the event, Asia Rugby insists to ensure a full pledge of 3-team is maintained.
\n
\u201cI would like to thank Asia Rugby’s Competitions Committee, especially the Chairperson Mr Asanga Seneviratne and his members as after intensive meetings and persistence, we have managed to come up with a framework that will allow all\u00a0three countries to take part while keeping in mind the critical factor, the athletes welfare ” added the Asia Rugby President.
\n
\n
The tournament will now kick off\u00a0on the 4th of June\u00a0with South Korea hosting Malaysia at home In Incheon.\u00a0The winner of this game will host Hong Kong in the final.\u00a0If Korea wins they will host Hong Kong\u00a0on the 8th of July\u00a0in Incheon whilst if Malaysia wins they will host\u00a0Hong Kong\u00a0on the 9th of July\u00a0in Kuala Lumpur.
\n
The winner of the Asia Rugby Men\u2019s Championship 2022 will play Tonga in Nuku\u2019alofa\u00a0on 23rd July\u00a0to directly qualify to the Rugby World Cup 2023 in France with the loser joins the final qualification event scheduled to take place in\u00a0November 2022 and will feature four teams playing in a round-robin format with the winner qualifying for Rugby World Cup.
\n",
"content_text": "Asia Rugby announced a new structure and dates for the Asia Rugby Championship to give all three countries the opportunity to pursue their Rugby World Cup 2023 dream.\nLink >>>https://www.rugbyworldcup.com/\u00a0\n\u201cFor us, it was and will always be paramount to protect the integrity of our fifteens tournaments, the Asia Rugby Championship that acts as the pinnacle of the Regional Association calendar, especially in a year that offers a pathway to the Rugby World Cup 2023,” explained\u00a0Asia Rugby President Qais Al Dhalai.\n\nThe original tournament was supposed to be played in 2021, however, had been pushed back multiple times to allow ample time for teams to participate safely owing COVID-19, thus and despite Hong Kong announcing their withdrawal from the event, Asia Rugby insists to ensure a full pledge of 3-team is maintained.\n\u201cI would like to thank Asia Rugby’s Competitions Committee, especially the Chairperson Mr Asanga Seneviratne and his members as after intensive meetings and persistence, we have managed to come up with a framework that will allow all\u00a0three countries to take part while keeping in mind the critical factor, the athletes welfare ” added the Asia Rugby President.\n\nThe tournament will now kick off\u00a0on the 4th of June\u00a0with South Korea hosting Malaysia at home In Incheon.\u00a0The winner of this game will host Hong Kong in the final.\u00a0If Korea wins they will host Hong Kong\u00a0on the 8th of July\u00a0in Incheon whilst if Malaysia wins they will host\u00a0Hong Kong\u00a0on the 9th of July\u00a0in Kuala Lumpur.\nThe winner of the Asia Rugby Men\u2019s Championship 2022 will play Tonga in Nuku\u2019alofa\u00a0on 23rd July\u00a0to directly qualify to the Rugby World Cup 2023 in France with the loser joins the final qualification event scheduled to take place in\u00a0November 2022 and will feature four teams playing in a round-robin format with the winner qualifying for Rugby World Cup.\nThe post Asia Rugby Keeps the Dream Alive for the World Cup 2023 appeared first on Asia Rugby.",
"date_published": "2022-04-29T17:59:43+08:00",
"date_modified": "2022-05-22T09:12:34+08:00",
"authors": [
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"url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/",
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"image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/ARC2022.jpg",
"tags": [
"Hong Kong",
"Korea",
"Malaysia",
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},
{
"id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8407",
"url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2022/01/07/rugby-world-cup-2021-qualification/",
"title": "Rugby World Cup 2021 Final Qualification Tournament",
"content_html": "
In line with the United Arab Emirates adopting a 4.5 day work week and weekends now consisting of Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday, World Rugby can today confirm that it has amended the dates of the Rugby World Cup 2021 Final Qualification Tournament to 19th\u00a0and 25th February 2022.
\n
Taking place at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai, the tournament will shift forward by one day from its original dates that were announced earlier this month.
\n
Teams from Scotland, Samoa, Colombia and the winner of the Hong Kong v Kazakhstan play-off \u2013 which has now been confirmed for the 13th February at the Asia Rugby Women\u2019s Championship \u2013 will compete for the last remaining place at Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand, taking place between 8 October \u2013 12 November 2022.
\n
The Final Qualification Tournament will operate in a semi-final, final format over two match days. Teams have been seeded as per World Rugby\u2019s Rankings powered by Capgemini as of 20 December 2021, with Scotland (seed 1) v Colombia (seed 4) and Samoa (seed 2) v Hong Kong/Kazakhstan (seed 3) meeting in the semi-finals.
\n
Taking into consideration the heat and humidity in Dubai in February the games will be played during late afternoon/evening under the following schedule (all times local time):
\n
\n
19 February, 2022: 16:30 \u2013 Semi-Final 1, Scotland v Colombia
\n
19 February, 2022: 19:00 \u2013 Semi-Final 2, Samoa v Hong Kong/Kazakhstan
\n
25 February, 2022: 16:30 \u2013 3rd\u00a0v 4th\u00a0play-off, runner-up of SF2
\n
25 February, 2022: 19:00 \u2013 Final, winner of SF1 v winner of SF2
\n
\n
Rugby World Cup 2021 Tournament Director, Alison Hughes, commented: \u201cAs our plans continue to progress in earnest for the Rugby World Cup 2021 Final Qualification Tournament, it is great to be able to confirm the revised dates that are more in-line with our local hosts as well as the fixtures for the two-day event. This is the final piece of the jigsaw for the qualification process for Rugby World Cup 2021; there is a lot on the line for these teams and we know they\u2019ll come out firing to claim the last spot for New Zealand next year.\u201d
\n
This is the first time the women\u2019s edition of the Rugby World Cup has featured a Final Qualification Tournament offering teams a second pathway to qualify with the winner booking their place in Pool A alongside hosts New Zealand, Australia and Wales next year.
Eleven teams have already booked their place at Rugby World Cup 2021, including New Zealand, England, France, Canada, USA, Australia and Wales, who qualified through their final ranking at Ireland 2017, and South Africa, Fiji, Italy and Japan who qualified through their regions.
\n",
"content_text": "In line with the United Arab Emirates adopting a 4.5 day work week and weekends now consisting of Friday afternoon, Saturday and Sunday, World Rugby can today confirm that it has amended the dates of the Rugby World Cup 2021 Final Qualification Tournament to 19th\u00a0and 25th February 2022.\nTaking place at The Sevens Stadium in Dubai, the tournament will shift forward by one day from its original dates that were announced earlier this month.\nTeams from Scotland, Samoa, Colombia and the winner of the Hong Kong v Kazakhstan play-off \u2013 which has now been confirmed for the 13th February at the Asia Rugby Women\u2019s Championship \u2013 will compete for the last remaining place at Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand, taking place between 8 October \u2013 12 November 2022.\nThe Final Qualification Tournament will operate in a semi-final, final format over two match days. Teams have been seeded as per World Rugby\u2019s Rankings powered by Capgemini as of 20 December 2021, with Scotland (seed 1) v Colombia (seed 4) and Samoa (seed 2) v Hong Kong/Kazakhstan (seed 3) meeting in the semi-finals.\nTaking into consideration the heat and humidity in Dubai in February the games will be played during late afternoon/evening under the following schedule (all times local time):\n\n19 February, 2022: 16:30 \u2013 Semi-Final 1, Scotland v Colombia\n19 February, 2022: 19:00 \u2013 Semi-Final 2, Samoa v Hong Kong/Kazakhstan\n25 February, 2022: 16:30 \u2013 3rd\u00a0v 4th\u00a0play-off, runner-up of SF2\n25 February, 2022: 19:00 \u2013 Final, winner of SF1 v winner of SF2\n\nRugby World Cup 2021 Tournament Director, Alison Hughes, commented: \u201cAs our plans continue to progress in earnest for the Rugby World Cup 2021 Final Qualification Tournament, it is great to be able to confirm the revised dates that are more in-line with our local hosts as well as the fixtures for the two-day event. This is the final piece of the jigsaw for the qualification process for Rugby World Cup 2021; there is a lot on the line for these teams and we know they\u2019ll come out firing to claim the last spot for New Zealand next year.\u201d\nThis is the first time the women\u2019s edition of the Rugby World Cup has featured a Final Qualification Tournament offering teams a second pathway to qualify with the winner booking their place in Pool A alongside hosts New Zealand, Australia and Wales next year.\nSECURE YOUR TICKET TO BE A PART OF THE ACTION >>\nEleven teams have already booked their place at Rugby World Cup 2021, including New Zealand, England, France, Canada, USA, Australia and Wales, who qualified through their final ranking at Ireland 2017, and South Africa, Fiji, Italy and Japan who qualified through their regions.\nSEE WHO HAS QUALIFIED FOR RWC 2021 >>\nThe post Rugby World Cup 2021 Final Qualification Tournament appeared first on Asia Rugby.",
"date_published": "2022-01-07T11:27:47+08:00",
"date_modified": "2022-01-07T11:27:47+08:00",
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"author": {
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"tags": [
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"Kazakhstan",
"RWC2021",
"Featured",
"Rugby World Cup 2021",
"Womens Rugby",
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Whilst the Hong Kong coaching team have had a succession of logistical challenges off the back of the pandemic, they are quietly confident that the squad heading to Dubai has the depth to cause a few surprises. There\u2019s a mix of fresh faces and grizzled veterans at the ready – experienced players Josh Hrstich, James Cunningham, Bryn Phillips, and Alex Post will offer a steady hand and some exciting infrastructure for Head Coach Lewis Evans to work with, while a crop of up-and-comers will be looking to make their mark, having enjoyed a full pre-season and some good game time with their respective clubs.![\"\"](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/20220812_070-e1660442862529.jpg\")
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![\"Where](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/DSC_6887-600x401.jpg\")
![\"Rugby](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/-AV5I4575-e1527841487235.jpg\")
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