![\"Women's](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/ENG_Sevens_Womens_POOL-C-1x1-1-1024x1024.png\")
who helped China win the bronze medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014.Asia Rugby’s Women’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020, The return of rugby sevens to the\u00a0Olympic stage will put the women\u2019s game under the spotlight once again with some of the world\u2019s top players set to shine at this year\u2019s global gathering.
\nAsia two Women’s teams China and Japan are both in pool C along with Australia and the USA.
\nChina Women’s Sevens Squad
\nNew head coach Euan Mackintosh has included three of the players \u2013 Yan Meiling, Yang Feifei and Liu Xiaoqian \u2013 who helped China win the bronze medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014.
Meiling captained the side at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 but, on this occasion, it is Yan Min who gets the armband. Min, 26, made her World Series debut for China in Atlanta in 2014. Yu Xiaoming and Yu Liping pre-date her in that regard, having first appeared on the World Series in Dubai a couple of years before.
\nChen Keyi, meanwhile, is a veteran of two Rugby World Cup Sevens campaigns and has proven to be a top performer for the team over a number of years.
\nSquad: Tang Minglin, Ruan Hongting, Wu Juan, Wang Wanyu, Liu Xiaoqian, Yan Meiling, Xu Xiaoyan, Yu Xiaoming, Yu Liping, Yang Min (captain), Chen Keyi, Yang Feifei, Gu Yaoyao
\n\n
Co-captains Mayu Shimizu and Bativakalolo Raichelmiyo will lead Japan at this year\u2019s home Games as the Sakura Sevens look to make a bigger impact than they did during their Olympics debut at Rio 2016.
\nAs the women\u2019s game continues to make ground in Japan, they will be hoping to show steady improvements, having finished bottom of their group following defeats to Canada, Great Britain and Brazil five years ago, before going on to lose to the hosts Brazil again in the ninth-place final.
\nAyaka Suzuki and Mio Yamanaka, who formed part of Japan\u2019s playing squad in Rio de Janeiro, are also selected among four reserves for this year\u2019s Olympics.
\nSquad: Mei Ohtani, Marin Kajiki, Mifuyu Koide, Mayu Shimizu (co-captain), Miyu Shirako, Honoka Tsutsumi, Hana Nagata, Bativakalolo Raichelmiyo (co-captain), Wakaba Hara, Yume Hirano, Haruka Hirotsu, Rinka Matsuda
\n\n\nThe post Women’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020 from Asia appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Asia Rugby’s Women’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020, The return of rugby sevens to the\u00a0Olympic stage will put the women\u2019s game under the spotlight once again with some of the world\u2019s top players set to shine at this year\u2019s global gathering.\nAsia two Women’s teams China and Japan are both in pool C along with Australia and the USA.\nChina Women’s Sevens Squad\nNew head coach Euan Mackintosh has included three of the players \u2013 Yan Meiling, Yang Feifei and Liu Xiaoqian \u2013 who helped China win the bronze medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing in 2014.\nMeiling captained the side at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 but, on this occasion, it is Yan Min who gets the armband. Min, 26, made her World Series debut for China in Atlanta in 2014. Yu Xiaoming and Yu Liping pre-date her in that regard, having first appeared on the World Series in Dubai a couple of years before.\nChen Keyi, meanwhile, is a veteran of two Rugby World Cup Sevens campaigns and has proven to be a top performer for the team over a number of years.\nSquad: Tang Minglin, Ruan Hongting, Wu Juan, Wang Wanyu, Liu Xiaoqian, Yan Meiling, Xu Xiaoyan, Yu Xiaoming, Yu Liping, Yang Min (captain), Chen Keyi, Yang Feifei, Gu Yaoyao\n \nJapan Women’s Sevens Squad\nCo-captains Mayu Shimizu and Bativakalolo Raichelmiyo will lead Japan at this year\u2019s home Games as the Sakura Sevens look to make a bigger impact than they did during their Olympics debut at Rio 2016.\nAs the women\u2019s game continues to make ground in Japan, they will be hoping to show steady improvements, having finished bottom of their group following defeats to Canada, Great Britain and Brazil five years ago, before going on to lose to the hosts Brazil again in the ninth-place final.\nAyaka Suzuki and Mio Yamanaka, who formed part of Japan\u2019s playing squad in Rio de Janeiro, are also selected among four reserves for this year\u2019s Olympics.\nSquad: Mei Ohtani, Marin Kajiki, Mifuyu Koide, Mayu Shimizu (co-captain), Miyu Shirako, Honoka Tsutsumi, Hana Nagata, Bativakalolo Raichelmiyo (co-captain), Wakaba Hara, Yume Hirano, Haruka Hirotsu, Rinka Matsuda\n\nMen’s Sevens Squad\nThe post Women’s Sevens Squads for Tokyo 2020 from Asia appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-07-15T18:28:09+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-07-15T18:28:09+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" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/cHINA-wOMEN.jpg", "tags": [ "Japan", "China", "Olympics", "Featured", "Tokyo 2020", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=8059", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/06/08/kazakhstan-womens-rugby-sevens/", "title": "Yakovleva Names Kazakhstan Women\u2019s 7s Squad for Olympic Repechage", "content_html": "Kazakhstan Rugby Federation announced the Kazakhstan Women\u2019s Rugby sevens squad that will contest the Tokyo Olympics repechage.
\nWith 21 of 24 teams already having qualified for the Olympic rugby sevens competition, the remaining two women\u2019s and one men\u2019s teams to participate in Tokyo will be determined at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on 19th and 20th June 2021.
\nVeteran Balzhan Koishybayeva will captain the side, with the national team coached by Asia Rugby Unstoppable Ambassador \u00a0Anna Yakovleva. Nurlan Balbarakov, the Union\u2019s Head of International Relations will be the team manager.
\nRelated Article: Olympic excitement builds ahead of World Rugby Sevens Repechage draw
\nKazakhstan will face Papua New Guinea, Jamaica and Tunisia in Pool B. The other Asian team, Hong Kong, is in Pool C with France, Colombia and Madagascar. Russia, Argentina, Mexico and Samoa are in Pool A.
\nHead Coach Anna Yakovleva expressed satisfaction with the squad’s preparation for the tournament\u00a0\u201cWe prepared for this tournament with two major training camps in the mountains in the south of Kazakhstan and were able to improve the team’s overall physical conditioning and technique\u201d.
\nShe added, \u201cWe were also able to hold a camp in Poland at the Olympic Center of Poland, which allowed us to play test matches against the Poland national team, giving us the much-needed match experience that we were lacking.\u201d
\n![\"Kazakhstan](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Kazak-2-e1623137079822.jpg\")
\u201cI expect the team to give it their best. It\u2019s a tough competition with some very good teams but I hope we will compete for one of the two spots for a ticket to the Olympics\u201d she concluded.
\nTeam Manager Nurlan Balbarakov confirmed that the team will be travelling to Monaco on the 13th of June.\u200e\u00a0\u201cDue to Covid pandemic restrictions, we will be in isolation at the hotel till 14th June. After receiving the results of PCR tests we will be allowed to proceed with training sessions.\u201d
\nHe commented \u201cwe have run some fruitful training camps so we will try to do our best. We are looking forward to a good performance by our ladies in Monaco insha’Allah.\u201d
\nKazakhstan Women’s 7s team schedule:
\n19th June
\n11:15 Kazakhstan v Jamaica
\n17:00 Kazakhstan v Tunisia
\n20th June
\n11:47\u00a0 Papua New Guinea v Kazakhstan
Hong Kong Women\u2019s 7s team schedule:
\n19th June
\n14:30 Hong Kong v Columbia
\n19:31 Hong Kong v Madagascar
20th June
\n12:31 France v Hong Kong
The top two teams in each pool, plus the two third-placed teams with the highest point totals, will qualify for the knockout stages of the competition.
\nAs there are two Olympic qualification slots available for women, the repechage will feature two rounds of knockout games with the final round featuring four teams competing in two matches wherein both winners will gain Olympic qualification.
\n![\"\"](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/WhatsApp-Image-2021-06-04-at-10.20.00.jpeg\")
The new Kazakhstan Rugby President, Aigul Jartybayeva, is a legendary former national team player and was named among the Asia Rugby top 80 Unstoppables. Jartybayeva played at the 1998 Rugby World Cup in Amsterdam, where the team finished ninth. She was also a member of the Kazakh squad that finished 11th in Barcelona in 2002.
\nShe was part of the team that won the Asia Rugby Women\u2019s 7s Series in Hong Kong in 2000 and defended the title in 2001, earning the honour of being named player of the latter tournament.
\nJartybayeva said \u201cthe whole of Kazakhstan supports our team in the upcoming rugby event in Monaco. We wish them the best of luck. No matter what, we are proud of them for their hard work.\u201d
\nKazakhstan Women’s 7s squad\u200e:
\nDiana ABISHEVA, Alina ASKEROVA, Mariya GRISHINA, Daiana KAZIBEKOVA, Balzhan KOISHYBAYEVA, Galina KRASSAVINA, Nigora NURMATOVA, Vlada ODNOLETOK, Veronika STEPANYUGA, Darya TKACHYOVA, Lyudmila SHERER, Kundyzay BAKTYBAYEVA (C)
The post Yakovleva Names Kazakhstan Women\u2019s 7s Squad for Olympic Repechage appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Kazakhstan Rugby Federation announced the Kazakhstan Women\u2019s Rugby sevens squad that will contest the Tokyo Olympics repechage.\nWith 21 of 24 teams already having qualified for the Olympic rugby sevens competition, the remaining two women\u2019s and one men\u2019s teams to participate in Tokyo will be determined at the Stade Louis II in Monaco on 19th and 20th June 2021.\nVeteran Balzhan Koishybayeva will captain the side, with the national team coached by Asia Rugby Unstoppable Ambassador \u00a0Anna Yakovleva. Nurlan Balbarakov, the Union\u2019s Head of International Relations will be the team manager.\nRelated Article: Olympic excitement builds ahead of World Rugby Sevens Repechage draw\nKazakhstan will face Papua New Guinea, Jamaica and Tunisia in Pool B. The other Asian team, Hong Kong, is in Pool C with France, Colombia and Madagascar. Russia, Argentina, Mexico and Samoa are in Pool A.\nHead Coach Anna Yakovleva expressed satisfaction with the squad’s preparation for the tournament\u00a0\u201cWe prepared for this tournament with two major training camps in the mountains in the south of Kazakhstan and were able to improve the team’s overall physical conditioning and technique\u201d.\nShe added, \u201cWe were also able to hold a camp in Poland at the Olympic Center of Poland, which allowed us to play test matches against the Poland national team, giving us the much-needed match experience that we were lacking.\u201d\n\n\u201cI expect the team to give it their best. It\u2019s a tough competition with some very good teams but I hope we will compete for one of the two spots for a ticket to the Olympics\u201d she concluded.\nTeam Manager Nurlan Balbarakov confirmed that the team will be travelling to Monaco on the 13th of June.\u200e\u00a0\u201cDue to Covid pandemic restrictions, we will be in isolation at the hotel till 14th June. After receiving the results of PCR tests we will be allowed to proceed with training sessions.\u201d\nHe commented \u201cwe have run some fruitful training camps so we will try to do our best. We are looking forward to a good performance by our ladies in Monaco insha’Allah.\u201d\nKazakhstan Women’s 7s team schedule:\n19th June\n11:15 Kazakhstan v Jamaica\n17:00 Kazakhstan v Tunisia\n20th June\n11:47\u00a0 Papua New Guinea v Kazakhstan\nHong Kong Women\u2019s 7s team schedule:\n19th June\n14:30 Hong Kong v Columbia\n19:31 Hong Kong v Madagascar\n20th June\n12:31 France v Hong Kong\nThe top two teams in each pool, plus the two third-placed teams with the highest point totals, will qualify for the knockout stages of the competition.\nAs there are two Olympic qualification slots available for women, the repechage will feature two rounds of knockout games with the final round featuring four teams competing in two matches wherein both winners will gain Olympic qualification.\n\nThe new Kazakhstan Rugby President, Aigul Jartybayeva, is a legendary former national team player and was named among the Asia Rugby top 80 Unstoppables. Jartybayeva played at the 1998 Rugby World Cup in Amsterdam, where the team finished ninth. She was also a member of the Kazakh squad that finished 11th in Barcelona in 2002.\nShe was part of the team that won the Asia Rugby Women\u2019s 7s Series in Hong Kong in 2000 and defended the title in 2001, earning the honour of being named player of the latter tournament.\nJartybayeva said \u201cthe whole of Kazakhstan supports our team in the upcoming rugby event in Monaco. We wish them the best of luck. No matter what, we are proud of them for their hard work.\u201d\nKazakhstan Women’s 7s squad\u200e:\nDiana ABISHEVA, Alina ASKEROVA, Mariya GRISHINA, Daiana KAZIBEKOVA, Balzhan KOISHYBAYEVA, Galina KRASSAVINA, Nigora NURMATOVA, Vlada ODNOLETOK, Veronika STEPANYUGA, Darya TKACHYOVA, Lyudmila SHERER, Kundyzay BAKTYBAYEVA (C)\nThe post Yakovleva Names Kazakhstan Women\u2019s 7s Squad for Olympic Repechage appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-06-08T20:00:17+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-06-08T20:00:17+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" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/kazakh-women-7s.jpg", "tags": [ "Kazakhstan", "Olympics", "Featured", "Tokyo 2020", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=7953", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2021/04/16/rugby-sevens-match-officials-unveiled-for-tokyo-olympics/", "title": "Rugby sevens match officials unveiled for Tokyo Olympics with 100 days to go", "content_html": "Squad of 22 match officials announced for the women\u2019s and men\u2019s rugby sevens competitions at the delayed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020
\nThe squad of 22 match officials that will take charge of the women\u2019s and men\u2019s rugby sevens competitions at the delayed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 has today been announced by World Rugby to mark the 100 days to go milestone until the action kicks off in Tokyo Stadium on 26 July, 2021.
\nThe match officials’ squad contains representatives from 12 countries spread across four continents and includes eight female referees. The group includes a blend of highly experience referees and exciting young talent making their debuts on the Olympic stage.
\nBoth Sara Cox and Amy Perrett were involved in the Olympic Games Rio 2016, with Perrett having refereed the first ever Olympic rugby sevens match and also the women\u2019s bronze medal match. In a clear demonstration of progress, six of the selected match officials gained invaluable experience at the Youth Olympic Games 2018 in Buenos Aires, including Portugal\u2019s Paulo Duarte who took charge of the men\u2019s final.
\nRelated Link :Match Officials
\nThe individuals were selected by the World Rugby\u2019s Match Official Selection Committee following a comprehensive review of performances and fitness. All selected referees have proven themselves on the annual HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and many also featured at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in San Francisco and the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
\nThe group also includes five internationals who have swapped the playing shirt for the whistle. Selica Winiata is a current Black Ferns player who has been capped 40 times and is aiming to compete at the Rugby World Cup on home soil next year. She was a Rugby World Cup winner in 2017, scoring two tries in the final at her second Rugby World Cup. She is also a former Black Ferns Sevens player, becoming Rugby World Cup Sevens champion in 2013, and runner-up in 2009. She has since refereed at four events on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and impressed when refereeing at the Oceania Rugby Women’s Sevens Championship in November 2019.
\n![\"Matt](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/a_0000_Layer-2-150x150.jpg\")
Also making the conversion from player to referee is Julianne Zussman who scored 18 tries in 44 tests for Canada and played in three Rugby World Cups, claiming a runners-up medal in 2014. Madeleine Putz played for Australia, including twice at Rugby World Cup 2014. On the men\u2019s side Richard Haughton played for England at Rugby World Cup Sevens in 2005 and at the Commonwealth Games in 2006, while Damon Murphy represented Australia at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 and at the Commonwealth Games in 2006.
\nThe full match official squad for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 rugby sevens is:
\nMen\u2019s tournament:
\nJames Doleman (New Zealand)
\nCraig Evans (Wales, Great Britain)
\nFrancisco Gonzalez (Uruguay)** and ****
\nSam Grove-White (Scotland, Great Britain)***
\nNoriaki Hashimoto (Japan)
\nRichard Haughton (England)***
\nDamon Murphy (Australia)***
\nNehuen Rivero (Argentina)** and ****
\nMatt Rodden (Hong Kong)
\nDamian Schneider (Argentina)** and ****
\nJordan Way (Australia)***
Women\u2019s
\nSara Cox (England, Great Britain)* and ***
\nAmy Perrett (Australia)*
\nHollie Davidson (Scotland, Great Britain)***
\nLauren Jenner (New Zealand)**
\nAdam Jones (Wales, Great Britain)
\nPaulo Duarte (Portugal)** and ****
\nTyler Miller (Australia)
\nMadeleine Putz (Australia)**
\nTevita Rokovereni (Fiji)***
\nSelica Winiata (New Zealand)
\nJulianne Zussman (Canada)
*participated at Olympic Games Rio 2016
\n**participated at Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018
\n***participated at Commonwealth Games Gold Coast 2018
\n****participated at Pan American Games Lima 2019
VIEW FULL LIST OF MATCH OFFICIALS HERE >>
\n![\"Noriaki](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/nori.jpg\")
Jeremy Rozier of France was due to be selected for the men\u2019s tournament but has withdrawn through injury sustained in training. Japan\u2019s Nori Hashimoto will perform the role of assistant referee in Tokyo.
\nIt has also been confirmed today that Hollie Davidson (Scotland), Sam Grove-White (Scotland), Sara Cox (England), Richard Haughton (England), Adam Jones (Wales), Craig Evans (Wales) and Paulo Duarte (Portugal) will officiate at the World Rugby Sevens Repechage in Monaco on 19-20 June, which is the final Olympic qualification event at which the last two women\u2019s and one men\u2019s teams for Tokyo will be decided.
\nWorld Rugby High Performance Sevens Referee Manager Paddy O\u2019Brien said: \u201cWe have selected a match officials squad that includes a good mix of experience and youth, with selection based on merit following a thorough evaluation of performances and I thank all those involved in the process.
\n\u201cJust like the players, coaches and teams, the match officials are preparing and training hard in order to arrive in Tokyo in peak physical and mental condition to perform to the very best of their abilities for what will be a career highlight for all involved.
\n\u201cWe are proud of the leading position that rugby enjoys in the mutual respect and values demonstrated between match officials and players. The Olympic Games present an excellent opportunity to showcase the very best of rugby on the greatest sporting stage on the planet and I am have every confidence that the individuals announced today will represent themselves and the sport with great integrity, skill and pride in Tokyo.\u201d
\nThe milestone for 100 days until the Olympic rugby sevens kick off falls on Saturday, 17 April and comes as the sport\u2019s Olympic preparations stepped up a gear with 14 women\u2019s and men\u2019s teams competing at the successful high-performance preparation event in Dubai over the past two weekends on 2-3 and 8-9 April.
\nRelated news :\u00a0Pioneering Olympic female referee Alhambra Nievas excited by the next generation
\nTo ensure both the teams and referees are as best prepared as possible for the Olympic Games, and thanks to support received from the International Olympic Committee, World Rugby is investing US$4 million into Olympic qualified unions\u2019 sevens programmes and towards the costs of hosting a number of high-performance preparation events, such as the tournament in Dubai.
\nAustralia and Fiji are reigning women\u2019s and men\u2019s Olympic champions respectively following their victories in Rio, and the competition for medals has never been closer with the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series showcasing in recent years that a wide number of teams are capable of reaching the medal podium, including the hosts Japan whose men\u2019s team finished fourth at the Rio 2016 Games and were champions of the inaugural HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in 2020 before the onset of the pandemic.
\nThe inclusion of rugby sevens for the first time at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 had a profound effect on the sport, attracting an estimated 30 million new fans globally and rugby sevens is expected to be one of the most highly anticipated events of the Tokyo Games, following the outstanding success of Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, which captured the nation\u2019s imagination with record-breaking broadcast audiences and huge numbers of new rugby fans across Japan and Asia.
\nThe men\u2019s competition will take place from 26-28 July, with the women\u2019s tournament following on the 29-31 July with the gold medal match happening on \u2018Super Saturday\u2019. All the action will take place at Tokyo Stadium, which was the venue for the opening match of Rugby World Cup 2019.
\nVIEW RUGBY SEVENS OLMYPIC NEWS >>
\nThe post Rugby sevens match officials unveiled for Tokyo Olympics with 100 days to go appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Squad of 22 match officials announced for the women\u2019s and men\u2019s rugby sevens competitions at the delayed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020\n\nSquad of 22 match officials from 12 countries selected for the Olympic Games in Tokyo\nInclusion of five international players who have swapped the playing shirt for the whistle, including New Zealand\u2019s Rugby World Cup winner Selica Winiata\nEight female referees including two making their second appearances at the Olympic Games\nRugby sevens competition takes place from 26-31 July, 2021 at Tokyo Stadium\nSaturday, 17 April marks 100 days to go to rugby sevens kick off, as team preparations continue to be supported by US$4 million World Rugby investment\nMatt Rodden (Hong Kong) and Noriaki Hashimoto (Japan) from Asia to officiate at the Olympics for the first time\n\nThe squad of 22 match officials that will take charge of the women\u2019s and men\u2019s rugby sevens competitions at the delayed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 has today been announced by World Rugby to mark the 100 days to go milestone until the action kicks off in Tokyo Stadium on 26 July, 2021.\nThe match officials’ squad contains representatives from 12 countries spread across four continents and includes eight female referees. The group includes a blend of highly experience referees and exciting young talent making their debuts on the Olympic stage.\nBoth Sara Cox and Amy Perrett were involved in the Olympic Games Rio 2016, with Perrett having refereed the first ever Olympic rugby sevens match and also the women\u2019s bronze medal match. In a clear demonstration of progress, six of the selected match officials gained invaluable experience at the Youth Olympic Games 2018 in Buenos Aires, including Portugal\u2019s Paulo Duarte who took charge of the men\u2019s final.\nRelated Link :Match Officials\nThe individuals were selected by the World Rugby\u2019s Match Official Selection Committee following a comprehensive review of performances and fitness. All selected referees have proven themselves on the annual HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and many also featured at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018 in San Francisco and the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.\nThe group also includes five internationals who have swapped the playing shirt for the whistle. Selica Winiata is a current Black Ferns player who has been capped 40 times and is aiming to compete at the Rugby World Cup on home soil next year. She was a Rugby World Cup winner in 2017, scoring two tries in the final at her second Rugby World Cup. She is also a former Black Ferns Sevens player, becoming Rugby World Cup Sevens champion in 2013, and runner-up in 2009. She has since refereed at four events on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series and impressed when refereeing at the Oceania Rugby Women’s Sevens Championship in November 2019.\nMatt Rodden HKRFU\nAlso making the conversion from player to referee is Julianne Zussman who scored 18 tries in 44 tests for Canada and played in three Rugby World Cups, claiming a runners-up medal in 2014. Madeleine Putz played for Australia, including twice at Rugby World Cup 2014. On the men\u2019s side Richard Haughton played for England at Rugby World Cup Sevens in 2005 and at the Commonwealth Games in 2006, while Damon Murphy represented Australia at Rugby World Cup Sevens 2009 and at the Commonwealth Games in 2006.\nThe full match official squad for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 rugby sevens is:\nMen\u2019s tournament:\nJames Doleman (New Zealand)\nCraig Evans (Wales, Great Britain)\nFrancisco Gonzalez (Uruguay)** and ****\nSam Grove-White (Scotland, Great Britain)***\nNoriaki Hashimoto (Japan)\nRichard Haughton (England)***\nDamon Murphy (Australia)***\nNehuen Rivero (Argentina)** and ****\nMatt Rodden (Hong Kong)\nDamian Schneider (Argentina)** and ****\nJordan Way (Australia)***\nWomen\u2019s\nSara Cox (England, Great Britain)* and ***\nAmy Perrett (Australia)*\nHollie Davidson (Scotland, Great Britain)***\nLauren Jenner (New Zealand)**\nAdam Jones (Wales, Great Britain)\nPaulo Duarte (Portugal)** and ****\nTyler Miller (Australia)\nMadeleine Putz (Australia)**\nTevita Rokovereni (Fiji)***\nSelica Winiata (New Zealand)\nJulianne Zussman (Canada)\n*participated at Olympic Games Rio 2016\n**participated at Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018\n***participated at Commonwealth Games Gold Coast 2018\n****participated at Pan American Games Lima 2019\nVIEW FULL LIST OF MATCH OFFICIALS HERE >>\nNoriaki Hashimoto (Japan)\nJeremy Rozier of France was due to be selected for the men\u2019s tournament but has withdrawn through injury sustained in training. Japan\u2019s Nori Hashimoto will perform the role of assistant referee in Tokyo.\nIt has also been confirmed today that Hollie Davidson (Scotland), Sam Grove-White (Scotland), Sara Cox (England), Richard Haughton (England), Adam Jones (Wales), Craig Evans (Wales) and Paulo Duarte (Portugal) will officiate at the World Rugby Sevens Repechage in Monaco on 19-20 June, which is the final Olympic qualification event at which the last two women\u2019s and one men\u2019s teams for Tokyo will be decided.\nWorld Rugby High Performance Sevens Referee Manager Paddy O\u2019Brien said: \u201cWe have selected a match officials squad that includes a good mix of experience and youth, with selection based on merit following a thorough evaluation of performances and I thank all those involved in the process.\n\u201cJust like the players, coaches and teams, the match officials are preparing and training hard in order to arrive in Tokyo in peak physical and mental condition to perform to the very best of their abilities for what will be a career highlight for all involved.\n\u201cWe are proud of the leading position that rugby enjoys in the mutual respect and values demonstrated between match officials and players. The Olympic Games present an excellent opportunity to showcase the very best of rugby on the greatest sporting stage on the planet and I am have every confidence that the individuals announced today will represent themselves and the sport with great integrity, skill and pride in Tokyo.\u201d\nThe milestone for 100 days until the Olympic rugby sevens kick off falls on Saturday, 17 April and comes as the sport\u2019s Olympic preparations stepped up a gear with 14 women\u2019s and men\u2019s teams competing at the successful high-performance preparation event in Dubai over the past two weekends on 2-3 and 8-9 April.\nRelated news :\u00a0Pioneering Olympic female referee Alhambra Nievas excited by the next generation\nTo ensure both the teams and referees are as best prepared as possible for the Olympic Games, and thanks to support received from the International Olympic Committee, World Rugby is investing US$4 million into Olympic qualified unions\u2019 sevens programmes and towards the costs of hosting a number of high-performance preparation events, such as the tournament in Dubai.\nAustralia and Fiji are reigning women\u2019s and men\u2019s Olympic champions respectively following their victories in Rio, and the competition for medals has never been closer with the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series showcasing in recent years that a wide number of teams are capable of reaching the medal podium, including the hosts Japan whose men\u2019s team finished fourth at the Rio 2016 Games and were champions of the inaugural HSBC World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in 2020 before the onset of the pandemic.\nThe inclusion of rugby sevens for the first time at the Olympic Games Rio 2016 had a profound effect on the sport, attracting an estimated 30 million new fans globally and rugby sevens is expected to be one of the most highly anticipated events of the Tokyo Games, following the outstanding success of Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, which captured the nation\u2019s imagination with record-breaking broadcast audiences and huge numbers of new rugby fans across Japan and Asia.\nThe men\u2019s competition will take place from 26-28 July, with the women\u2019s tournament following on the 29-31 July with the gold medal match happening on \u2018Super Saturday\u2019. All the action will take place at Tokyo Stadium, which was the venue for the opening match of Rugby World Cup 2019.\nVIEW RUGBY SEVENS OLMYPIC NEWS >>\nThe post Rugby sevens match officials unveiled for Tokyo Olympics with 100 days to go appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2021-04-16T22:54:46+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-04-16T22:54:46+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" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/olympic-head.jpg", "tags": [ "Match Officials", "Olympics", "Featured", "Tokyo 2020", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=7681", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2020/12/13/2021-competitions/", "title": "Asia Rugby Announces 2021 Competitions Calendar", "content_html": "Asia Rugby confirmed the commencement of the year 2021 competitions with Hong Kong hosting the Asia Rugby Women’s Championship (ARWC) which was initially scheduled for 2020, the championship will also be considered as the qualifiers for the Rugby World Cup 2021 scheduled for September 2021\u00a0 in New Zealand.
\nLink to >>>>>>Asia Rugby Calendar 2021
\nThe WRWC 2021 qualifiers will feature Hong Kong, Kazakstan and Japan with the winners awarded Asia\u2019s direct spot into and placed in Pool B alongside Canada USA and Europe 1.
\n![\"2021](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMA_5586.jpg\")
Another highlight of the year will be the Asia Rugby Men\u2019s Championship (ARMC) which is a qualification pathway tournament for the Rugby World Cup 2023 in France, with Japan already securing a spot after reaching the Quarterfinals in the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
\nRelated Article: Over two million new rugby participants in Asia shows impact beyond Rugby World Cup 2019
\nThe winner of the 2021 ARMC will play Oceania 2 in a one-off game which will be hosted by the team with the highest ranking, with the winner securing a direct spot in the RWC 2023, and the loser going to the final qualification tournament.
\n![\"Asia](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/IMA_8177-e1607786035982.jpg\")
The ARMC is scheduled to be played in a home and away matches that are planned to start on the\u00a0 5th of May at the Namdong Asiad Stadium, Incheon in South Korea until 26th of June at the Hong Kong Football Club stadium in Hong Kong.
\nThe iconic Asia Rugby Sevens Series is scheduled over 3 legs, with the series being played in South Korea, China and Sri Lanka, from August to September.
\n![\"Asia](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/01-Kazakhstan-vs-Thailand-W-4-e1607786478503.jpg\")
The Asia Rugby U19 Men\u2019s Fifteens Tournament being postponed from 2020 to commence on 31 March 2021 will serve as the pathway to the Junior World Trophy 2021, featuring Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong.
\nAsia Rugby Competitions Committee has been engaged constantly with unions in planning the 2021 Competitions Calendar and continues to work closely with the Player Welfare and Medical Committee and relevant stakeholders to monitor the updates and effects of the COVID19 pandemic,\u00a0 ensuring that the competitions are held with all relevant safety measures in place.
\nAsia Rugby President, Mr Qais Al Dhalai said: \u201cWe are very excited about the Return of Rugby across Asia,\u00a0 some of our unions have already kicked off their domestic tournaments and it\u2019s the time now for international rugby as well\u201d
\n![\"\"](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/-C91W0879-e1607786870451.jpg\")
He added \u201cAsia Rugby is fully committed to the health and safety of players, fans and everyone working on the events which will always be our top priority and will keep monitoring the region\u2019s health situation closely to implement the ideal protocols. As always, Asia Rugby will ensure that it\u2019s longstanding guiding principles of\u00a0 Equality, Transparency and\u00a0 Accountability in all aspect of the game are fully exercised across the region\u201d
\n![\"2021](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/90514796_548218602469841_3238501857689075712_n-e1607786929675.jpg\")
He further added, \u201cAsia Rugby has also explored various innovative opportunities aiming at serving its member unions and fans in the forms of Beach Rugby, and Snow Rugby\u201d
\n\n
The post Asia Rugby Announces 2021 Competitions Calendar appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Asia Rugby confirmed the commencement of the year 2021 competitions with Hong Kong hosting the Asia Rugby Women’s Championship (ARWC) which was initially scheduled for 2020, the championship will also be considered as the qualifiers for the Rugby World Cup 2021 scheduled for September 2021\u00a0 in New Zealand.\nLink to >>>>>>Asia Rugby Calendar 2021\nThe WRWC 2021 qualifiers will feature Hong Kong, Kazakstan and Japan with the winners awarded Asia\u2019s direct spot into and placed in Pool B alongside Canada USA and Europe 1.\nPhoto by Ike Li / ikeimages\nAnother highlight of the year will be the Asia Rugby Men\u2019s Championship (ARMC) which is a qualification pathway tournament for the Rugby World Cup 2023 in France, with Japan already securing a spot after reaching the Quarterfinals in the 2019 Rugby World Cup.\nRelated Article: Over two million new rugby participants in Asia shows impact beyond Rugby World Cup 2019\nThe winner of the 2021 ARMC will play Oceania 2 in a one-off game which will be hosted by the team with the highest ranking, with the winner securing a direct spot in the RWC 2023, and the loser going to the final qualification tournament.\nPhoto by : Ike Li / Ike Images\nThe ARMC is scheduled to be played in a home and away matches that are planned to start on the\u00a0 5th of May at the Namdong Asiad Stadium, Incheon in South Korea until 26th of June at the Hong Kong Football Club stadium in Hong Kong.\nThe iconic Asia Rugby Sevens Series is scheduled over 3 legs, with the series being played in South Korea, China and Sri Lanka, from August to September.\n\nThe Asia Rugby U19 Men\u2019s Fifteens Tournament being postponed from 2020 to commence on 31 March 2021 will serve as the pathway to the Junior World Trophy 2021, featuring Chinese Taipei, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong.\nAsia Rugby Competitions Committee has been engaged constantly with unions in planning the 2021 Competitions Calendar and continues to work closely with the Player Welfare and Medical Committee and relevant stakeholders to monitor the updates and effects of the COVID19 pandemic,\u00a0 ensuring that the competitions are held with all relevant safety measures in place.\nAsia Rugby President, Mr Qais Al Dhalai said: \u201cWe are very excited about the Return of Rugby across Asia,\u00a0 some of our unions have already kicked off their domestic tournaments and it\u2019s the time now for international rugby as well\u201d\n\nHe added \u201cAsia Rugby is fully committed to the health and safety of players, fans and everyone working on the events which will always be our top priority and will keep monitoring the region\u2019s health situation closely to implement the ideal protocols. As always, Asia Rugby will ensure that it\u2019s longstanding guiding principles of\u00a0 Equality, Transparency and\u00a0 Accountability in all aspect of the game are fully exercised across the region\u201d\n\nHe further added, \u201cAsia Rugby has also explored various innovative opportunities aiming at serving its member unions and fans in the forms of Beach Rugby, and Snow Rugby\u201d\n \nThe post Asia Rugby Announces 2021 Competitions Calendar appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2020-12-13T18:45:28+08:00", "date_modified": "2020-12-13T21:30:56+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" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/2021.jpg", "tags": [ "Featured", "Qais Al-Dhalai", "Asia Rugby u19", "Tokyo 2020", "Asia Rugby Championship", "Asia Rugby Sevens Series", "Asia Rugby Women\u2019s Championship", "ARC", "Rugby World Cup 2023", "World Rugby" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=6953", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2020/03/25/games-of-the-xxxii-olympiad-in-tokyo-to-rescheduled/", "title": "Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo postponed", "content_html": "Asia Rugby President Mr Qais al Dhalai, on Tuesday, welcomed the decision to postpone the Tokyo Olympics and issued the following statement expressing solidarity with all involved.
\n“We at Asia Rugby welcome the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee\u2019s ![\"Qais](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Qais.jpg\")
decision to postpone the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo.
“We have seen the strength and resolve of the Japanese people and we know whenever the games will be held, they will reflect the same spirit that we saw during the challenges with super typhoon Hagibis at the last year\u2019s Rugby World Cup in Japan.
\n“We at Asia Rugby strongly believe that this historical decision has been taken for the best interest of the Olympic movement and for humanity in general.”
\nWorld Rugby supports the prudent and necessary decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee to postpone the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
\n![\"\"](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/olympic-head-360x180.jpg\")
\u00a0
\nThe health and safety of the athletes, fans, and everyone involved is our shared priority and responsibility and we believe the right decision has been taken in these very difficult and unprecedented circumstances.
\nWe look forward to working closely together in a spirit of partnership with the IOC, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and all other stakeholders towards the rescheduling of the Games and our belief from the outstanding Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, is that the hosts will come out of this adversity stronger and more committed than ever before to deliver an exceptional Games.
\nGames of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo to rescheduled ![\"Tokyo](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Tokyo_2020_Olympics_logo.svg_-e1537204896219.png\"){kind=logo}
They were joined by Mori Yoshiro, the President of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee; the Olympic Minister, Hashimoto Seiko; the Governor of Tokyo, Koike Yuriko; the Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission, John Coates; IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper; and the IOC Olympic Games Executive Director, Christophe Dubi.
\nPresident Bach and Prime Minister Abe expressed their shared concern about the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, and what it is doing to people\u2019s lives and the significant impact it is having on global athletes\u2019 preparations for the Games.
\nIn a very friendly and constructive meeting, the two leaders praised the work of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and noted the great progress being made in Japan to fight against COVID-19.
\nThe unprecedented and unpredictable spread of the outbreak has seen the\u00a0situation in the rest of the world deteriorating. Yesterday, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the COVID-19 pandemic is “accelerating”. There are more than 375,000 cases now recorded worldwide and in nearly every country, and their number is growing by the hour.
\nIn the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.
\nThe leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present. Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.
\nThe post Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo postponed appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Asia Rugby President Mr Qais al Dhalai, on Tuesday, welcomed the decision to postpone the Tokyo Olympics and issued the following statement expressing solidarity with all involved.\n“We at Asia Rugby welcome the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee\u2019s decision to postpone the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo.\n“We have seen the strength and resolve of the Japanese people and we know whenever the games will be held, they will reflect the same spirit that we saw during the challenges with super typhoon Hagibis at the last year\u2019s Rugby World Cup in Japan.\n“We at Asia Rugby strongly believe that this historical decision has been taken for the best interest of the Olympic movement and for humanity in general.”\nWorld Rugby Statement on the postponement of Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo\nWorld Rugby supports the prudent and necessary decision of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee to postpone the Olympic and Paralympic Games.\n\n\u00a0\nThe health and safety of the athletes, fans, and everyone involved is our shared priority and responsibility and we believe the right decision has been taken in these very difficult and unprecedented circumstances.\nWe look forward to working closely together in a spirit of partnership with the IOC, the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and all other stakeholders towards the rescheduling of the Games and our belief from the outstanding Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan, is that the hosts will come out of this adversity stronger and more committed than ever before to deliver an exceptional Games.\nGames of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo to rescheduled \nThey were joined by Mori Yoshiro, the President of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee; the Olympic Minister, Hashimoto Seiko; the Governor of Tokyo, Koike Yuriko; the Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission, John Coates; IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper; and the IOC Olympic Games Executive Director, Christophe Dubi.\nPresident Bach and Prime Minister Abe expressed their shared concern about the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, and what it is doing to people\u2019s lives and the significant impact it is having on global athletes\u2019 preparations for the Games.\nIn a very friendly and constructive meeting, the two leaders praised the work of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and noted the great progress being made in Japan to fight against COVID-19.\nThe unprecedented and unpredictable spread of the outbreak has seen the\u00a0situation in the rest of the world deteriorating. Yesterday, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the COVID-19 pandemic is “accelerating”. There are more than 375,000 cases now recorded worldwide and in nearly every country, and their number is growing by the hour.\nIn the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.\nThe leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present. Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.\nThe post Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo postponed appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2020-03-25T02:18:41+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-06-17T09:55:24+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" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Tokyo2020-Landcsape-2.jpg", "tags": [ "Tokyo 2020", "Olympics", "Qais Al-Dhalai", "Japan" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=6787", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2020/01/17/sevens-challenger-series/", "title": "Sevens Challenger Series to boost rugby sevens\u2019 expansion", "content_html": "The World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series, a new and exciting international rugby sevens competition, will be launched in February 2020 to boost rugby sevens\u2019 development across the globe.
\nWith sevens experiencing exponential growth from a performance and fan engagement perspective, World Rugby is launching men\u2019s and women\u2019s Sevens Challenger Series to develop the next generation of rugby players and take rugby sevens to new nations, further growing the popularity and participation of sevens following its hugely impactful Olympic debut at the Rio 2016 Games.
\nThe men\u2019s series will feature 13 core teams from the six World Rugby regions who will compete over two rounds alongside three invitational teams.
\nThe top eight core teams after the two rounds will then compete in the final playoff tournament for a spot in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, replacing the bottom placed core team in the World Series in the following season. This promotion and relegation system will provide a clear and consistent development pathway for teams ready to shine at the highest level of rugby sevens.
\nThe two legs of the inaugural World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series will be played in South America in Vi\u00f1a del Mar, Chile (15-16 February, 2020), and Montevideo, Uruguay (22-23 February, 2020).
\nThirteen nations have earned their place in the Challenger Series by finishing as the top ranked nations who are not already competing in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series at their respective regional sevens competitions in 2019.
\nThe teams who will compete in the 2020 World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series are Brazil, Chile, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Tonga, Uganda, Uruguay and Zimbabwe. They will be joined by three invitational teams from the Americas in Colombia, Mexico and Paraguay.
\n\n
The final play-off tournament will be hosted alongside the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens event on 3-5 April, 2020.
\nA separate announcement for the women\u2019s Challenger Series will be made in due course. World Rugby are heavily committed to growing the women\u2019s game \u2013 the women\u2019s competition on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series has expanded from six to eight rounds this season and teams are more competitive than ever, demonstrating the need and appetite for more women\u2019s teams to be playing sevens at a high level.
\nPreparation for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
\nThe Rio 2016 Olympic Games attracted almost 17 million new fans from around the world to the speed, skill and fun of rugby sevens, and with Tokyo 2020 on the horizon, the Sevens Challenger Series will help to prepare teams for the possibility of playing on the world\u2019s biggest sporting stage.
\nWorld Rugby Sevens Challenger Series participants Brazil, Chile, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Mexico, Tonga, Uganda and Zimbabwe will all take part in the Olympic repechage in June 2020 to try and secure their ticket to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
\nWorld Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: \u201cWe are thrilled to launch the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in a pivotal year for rugby sevens ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Rugby sevens continues to attract new fans around the globe with its fast-paced, athletic and highly skilled format.
\nThe new Sevens Challenger Series will help to develop the next generation of players and bring international sevens events to new nations, further growing the popularity of our Olympic sport around the world.\u201d
\nMark Egan, World Rugby Head of Competitions and Performance, said: \u201cToday\u2019s announcement is just the beginning for the Sevens Challenger Series, which will also see a women\u2019s competition launched in 2020 and will evolve to feature more rounds across the globe as it grows and develops in future years.
\n\u201cThe competition will allow unions outside of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series to compete on a more regular basis with a clear pathway to the highest level. Launching next year will provide an excellent platform for nations to develop and improve their competitiveness ahead of Tokyo 2020 and Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 in South Africa.
\nSudamerica Rugby President Sebasti\u00e1n Pi\u00f1eyr\u00faa said: \u201cHosting two rounds of the first Challenger Series is a tremendous opportunity to further develop rugby sevens in the South American region. This is an exciting development for rugby sevens and we are proud to be playing our part as hosts, welcoming teams from all over the world.\u201d
\nThe post Sevens Challenger Series to boost rugby sevens\u2019 expansion appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "The World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series, a new and exciting international rugby sevens competition, will be launched in February 2020 to boost rugby sevens\u2019 development across the globe.\nWith sevens experiencing exponential growth from a performance and fan engagement perspective, World Rugby is launching men\u2019s and women\u2019s Sevens Challenger Series to develop the next generation of rugby players and take rugby sevens to new nations, further growing the popularity and participation of sevens following its hugely impactful Olympic debut at the Rio 2016 Games.\nThe men\u2019s series will feature 13 core teams from the six World Rugby regions who will compete over two rounds alongside three invitational teams.\nThe top eight core teams after the two rounds will then compete in the final playoff tournament for a spot in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, replacing the bottom placed core team in the World Series in the following season. This promotion and relegation system will provide a clear and consistent development pathway for teams ready to shine at the highest level of rugby sevens.\nThe two legs of the inaugural World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series will be played in South America in Vi\u00f1a del Mar, Chile (15-16 February, 2020), and Montevideo, Uruguay (22-23 February, 2020).\nThirteen nations have earned their place in the Challenger Series by finishing as the top ranked nations who are not already competing in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series at their respective regional sevens competitions in 2019.\nThe teams who will compete in the 2020 World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series are Brazil, Chile, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Tonga, Uganda, Uruguay and Zimbabwe. They will be joined by three invitational teams from the Americas in Colombia, Mexico and Paraguay.\n \nThe final play-off tournament will be hosted alongside the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens event on 3-5 April, 2020.\nA separate announcement for the women\u2019s Challenger Series will be made in due course. World Rugby are heavily committed to growing the women\u2019s game \u2013 the women\u2019s competition on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series has expanded from six to eight rounds this season and teams are more competitive than ever, demonstrating the need and appetite for more women\u2019s teams to be playing sevens at a high level.\nPreparation for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games\nThe Rio 2016 Olympic Games attracted almost 17 million new fans from around the world to the speed, skill and fun of rugby sevens, and with Tokyo 2020 on the horizon, the Sevens Challenger Series will help to prepare teams for the possibility of playing on the world\u2019s biggest sporting stage.\nWorld Rugby Sevens Challenger Series participants Brazil, Chile, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Mexico, Tonga, Uganda and Zimbabwe will all take part in the Olympic repechage in June 2020 to try and secure their ticket to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.\nWorld Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: \u201cWe are thrilled to launch the World Rugby Sevens Challenger Series in a pivotal year for rugby sevens ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Rugby sevens continues to attract new fans around the globe with its fast-paced, athletic and highly skilled format.\nThe new Sevens Challenger Series will help to develop the next generation of players and bring international sevens events to new nations, further growing the popularity of our Olympic sport around the world.\u201d\nMark Egan, World Rugby Head of Competitions and Performance, said: \u201cToday\u2019s announcement is just the beginning for the Sevens Challenger Series, which will also see a women\u2019s competition launched in 2020 and will evolve to feature more rounds across the globe as it grows and develops in future years.\n\u201cThe competition will allow unions outside of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series to compete on a more regular basis with a clear pathway to the highest level. Launching next year will provide an excellent platform for nations to develop and improve their competitiveness ahead of Tokyo 2020 and Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022 in South Africa.\nSudamerica Rugby President Sebasti\u00e1n Pi\u00f1eyr\u00faa said: \u201cHosting two rounds of the first Challenger Series is a tremendous opportunity to further develop rugby sevens in the South American region. This is an exciting development for rugby sevens and we are proud to be playing our part as hosts, welcoming teams from all over the world.\u201d\nThe post Sevens Challenger Series to boost rugby sevens\u2019 expansion appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2020-01-17T08:58:40+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-06-17T09:49:05+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" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Challanger-sevens-series.jpg", "tags": [ "Sevens Challenger Series", "Tokyo 2020", "News" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=6687", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2019/11/24/korea-win-asia-rugby-olympic-games-qualifier/", "title": "Historic Korea book spot in Tokyo in sudden death thriller #Tokyo2020", "content_html": "Hosts Korea beat Hong Kong 12-7 in the final of the Asia Rugby Olympic Games qualifier to book their spot at next year\u2019s Tokyo 2020.
\nSeongmin Jang will steal the headlines after crossing \u00a0in sudden death extra time, scoring a length of the field try having turned Hong Kong over on their own try line to spark emotional celebrations.
\nFixtures and Results >>>>>>>\u00a0#ARM7sQ
\nIt was heartbreaking for Hong Kong but elation for the hosts and they will now join Japan at next year\u2019s Games with Hong Kong and China joining the repechage.
\n![\"\"](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/-AV5I6016-e1574589155821.jpg\")
Jamie Hood gave Hong Kong a slender lead in the first half after four minutes of enthralling action but Park Wanyong scored for Korea, the first try Hong Kong had conceded all weekend, levelling the scores at 7-7 to set up a thrilling finale in sudden death extra time.
\u201cThe last try was amazing, it means so much to us,\u201d said captain Wanyong.
\n\u201cWe give the fans an Olympic opportunity and this is for the fans.\u201d
\nIt will be only the second time rugby sevens has been at the Games having made its debut at Rio 2016.
\n12 men\u2019s side and 12 women\u2019s sides will compete for the prestigious gold, silver and bronze medals, and Asia will now be represented by both Japan men and women as well as China women and Korea men.
\nKazakhstan and Hong Kong women and Hong Kong and China men will also head to the global repechage for one last change of a ticket to Tokyo.
\nLiu Luda, Shan Changshun \u00a0and Wu Jiajun confirmed China\u2019s place at the repechage in the all-important third place play-off with a 19-14 win over the Philippines.
\nEarlier, in the quarter-finals Junyoung Bang scored a hat-trick in the host\u2019s quarter-final victory over Malaysia, while Lee Jones scored two in Hong Kong\u2019s 38-0 defeat of Afghanistan.
\nJeong Min Jang scored for Korea in the final play to win 12-7 after trailing 7-0 in the first semi-final with Hong Kong cruising to a 26-0 win over the Philippines who had knocked Sri Lanka out in their quarter-final.
\n![\"Asia](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/AV5I9542-e1574591218960.jpg\")
Singapore finished seventh with a 33-7 win over Afghanistan thanks to a hat-trick from Adam Vine while Sri Lanka beat Malaysia 14-7 to win the Plate.
\nResults
\nFinal\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Korea 12-7 Hong Kong
\nThird-place play-off\u00a0 \u00a0China 19-14 Philippines
\nSemi finals
\nKorea 12-7 China
\nPhilippines 0-26 Hong Kong
Quarterfinals
\nKorea 32-7 Malaysia
\nChina 50-5 Singapore
\nSri Lanka 17-24 Philippines
\nHong Kong 38-0 Afghanistan
Plate final
\nSri Lanka 14-7 Malaysia
\nPlate semi finals
\nMalaysia 21-7 Singapore
\nSri Lanka 40-0
7th/8th play-off
\nSingapore 33-7 Afghanistan
\n
The post Historic Korea book spot in Tokyo in sudden death thriller #Tokyo2020 appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Hosts Korea beat Hong Kong 12-7 in the final of the Asia Rugby Olympic Games qualifier to book their spot at next year\u2019s Tokyo 2020.\nSeongmin Jang will steal the headlines after crossing \u00a0in sudden death extra time, scoring a length of the field try having turned Hong Kong over on their own try line to spark emotional celebrations.\nFixtures and Results >>>>>>>\u00a0#ARM7sQ\nIt was heartbreaking for Hong Kong but elation for the hosts and they will now join Japan at next year\u2019s Games with Hong Kong and China joining the repechage.\nJamie Hood gave Hong Kong a slender lead in the first half after four minutes of enthralling action but Park Wanyong scored for Korea, the first try Hong Kong had conceded all weekend, levelling the scores at 7-7 to set up a thrilling finale in sudden death extra time.\n\u201cThe last try was amazing, it means so much to us,\u201d said captain Wanyong.\n\u201cWe give the fans an Olympic opportunity and this is for the fans.\u201d\nIt will be only the second time rugby sevens has been at the Games having made its debut at Rio 2016.\n12 men\u2019s side and 12 women\u2019s sides will compete for the prestigious gold, silver and bronze medals, and Asia will now be represented by both Japan men and women as well as China women and Korea men.\nKazakhstan and Hong Kong women and Hong Kong and China men will also head to the global repechage for one last change of a ticket to Tokyo.\nLiu Luda, Shan Changshun \u00a0and Wu Jiajun confirmed China\u2019s place at the repechage in the all-important third place play-off with a 19-14 win over the Philippines.\nEarlier, in the quarter-finals Junyoung Bang scored a hat-trick in the host\u2019s quarter-final victory over Malaysia, while Lee Jones scored two in Hong Kong\u2019s 38-0 defeat of Afghanistan.\nJeong Min Jang scored for Korea in the final play to win 12-7 after trailing 7-0 in the first semi-final with Hong Kong cruising to a 26-0 win over the Philippines who had knocked Sri Lanka out in their quarter-final.\n\nSingapore finished seventh with a 33-7 win over Afghanistan thanks to a hat-trick from Adam Vine while Sri Lanka beat Malaysia 14-7 to win the Plate.\nResults\nFinal\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Korea 12-7 Hong Kong\nThird-place play-off\u00a0 \u00a0China 19-14 Philippines\nSemi finals\nKorea 12-7 China\nPhilippines 0-26 Hong Kong\nQuarterfinals\nKorea 32-7 Malaysia\nChina 50-5 Singapore\nSri Lanka 17-24 Philippines\nHong Kong 38-0 Afghanistan\nPlate final\nSri Lanka 14-7 Malaysia\nPlate semi finals\nMalaysia 21-7 Singapore\nSri Lanka 40-0\n7th/8th play-off\nSingapore 33-7 Afghanistan\n \nThe post Historic Korea book spot in Tokyo in sudden death thriller #Tokyo2020 appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2019-11-24T18:31:02+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-06-17T09:46:45+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" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/head-korea.jpg", "tags": [ "#Tokyo2020", "Olympics", "Tokyo 2020", "Korea" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=6678", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2019/11/23/live-streaming-asia-mens-qualifier/", "title": "Live Streaming Link Asia Rugby Men\u2019s Sevens\u00a0Qualifier 2019", "content_html": "![\"\ud83c\udfc9\"](\"https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f3c9.png\")
Live Streaming Asia Men’s Qualifier
Asia Rugby Men’s Sevens\u00a0 Qualifier 2019
\nLive Streaming Link Asia Rugby Men’s sevens qualification tournament for The Games Of The XXXII Olympiad
\nDay 2
\n\n\n
Day 1 session 2
\nLINK\u00a0\u00a0
KO Day 1
\nLINK\u00a0 ( Link 1))
\n
9 of the top Asian teams are competing for a spot alongside Japan as Asia\u2019s representatives,
\nFixtures and Results >>>>>>> #ARM7sQ
\n\n
Where to watch: The Men Qualifiers will be live-streamed on the Asia Rugby\u00a0 Facebook page @Asia.rugby
\nThe post Live Streaming Link Asia Rugby Men\u2019s Sevens\u00a0Qualifier 2019 appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Live Streaming Asia Men’s Qualifier\nAsia Rugby Men’s Sevens\u00a0 Qualifier 2019\nLive Streaming Link Asia Rugby Men’s sevens qualification tournament for The Games Of The XXXII Olympiad\nDay 2\nLive Link\u00a0\n \nDay 1 session 2\nLINK\u00a0\u00a0\nKO Day 1\nLINK\u00a0 ( Link 1))\n \n9 of the top Asian teams are competing for a spot alongside Japan as Asia\u2019s representatives,\nFixtures and Results >>>>>>> #ARM7sQ\n \nWhere to watch: The Men Qualifiers will be live-streamed on the Asia Rugby\u00a0 Facebook page @Asia.rugby\nThe post Live Streaming Link Asia Rugby Men\u2019s Sevens\u00a0Qualifier 2019 appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2019-11-23T08:17:43+08:00", "date_modified": "2021-06-17T09:46:33+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" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ARM7sQ-New.jpg", "tags": [ "#Tokyo2020", "Olympics", "Tokyo 2020", "Live Streaming" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=6629", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2019/11/10/china-women-qualify-for-olympic-games/", "title": "China women qualify for Olympic Games in style", "content_html": "China women qualify for Olympic Games in style , China beat Hong Kong 33-0 in the final of the Asia Rugby Women\u2019s Sevens Olympic qualifier to book their place alongside the world\u2019s elite at next year\u2019s Olympic Games.
\n![\"\"](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/DSC_2521.jpg\")
It was a weekend to remember for China who conceded just one try in all weekend in their five matches, resulting in them becoming the second Asian side to qualify for Tokyo.
\nFixtures and Results>>>>\u00a0#ARW7sQ
\nWith Japan guaranteed a spot as hosts, China are also now guaranteed a place with their victory. Hong Kong and Kazakhstan, who beat Thailand 17-14 in the third place play-off, will head to the global repechage where 12 teams will compete for one final spot.
\nKeyi Chen scored two tries in the final taking her tally for the weekend to nine \u2013 an incredible tournament for the speedster.
\n![\"\"](\"https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/DSC_2442.jpg\")
World Rugby Council Member Ada Milby, who also played for the Philippines in China, said she wishes all Asian representatives the best in Tokyo.
\n\u201cFirstly congratulations to China, they really shone this weekend,\u201d said Milby.
\n\n\n\nTears of joy as China qualify for the @olympics with victory over Hong Kong! @WorldRugby7s #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/xSZ2cRSGXS
\n— Asia Rugby (@asiarugby) November 10, 2019
\u201cWith Asia guaranteed two sides in Tokyo, adding to the fact that the Games are in Asia and we have just had an incredible first-ever Rugby World Cup in Asia I am excited to see the continued development of rugby in the region.\u201d
\nThe Philippines finished the weekend in seventh with victory over Korea while Sri Lanka won the Plate and finished fifth after Dulani Pallikkondage scored twice in a 33-12 victory over Singapore.
\nAll eyes now turn to Korea where the men\u2019s qualifier takes place in two week\u2019s time.
\nhttps://www.facebook.com/asia.rugby/
\nThe post China women qualify for Olympic Games in style appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "China women qualify for Olympic Games in style , China beat Hong Kong 33-0 in the final of the Asia Rugby Women\u2019s Sevens Olympic qualifier to book their place alongside the world\u2019s elite at next year\u2019s Olympic Games.\n\nIt was a weekend to remember for China who conceded just one try in all weekend in their five matches, resulting in them becoming the second Asian side to qualify for Tokyo.\nFixtures and Results>>>>\u00a0#ARW7sQ\nWith Japan guaranteed a spot as hosts, China are also now guaranteed a place with their victory. Hong Kong and Kazakhstan, who beat Thailand 17-14 in the third place play-off, will head to the global repechage where 12 teams will compete for one final spot.\nKeyi Chen scored two tries in the final taking her tally for the weekend to nine \u2013 an incredible tournament for the speedster.\n\nWorld Rugby Council Member Ada Milby, who also played for the Philippines in China, said she wishes all Asian representatives the best in Tokyo.\n\u201cFirstly congratulations to China, they really shone this weekend,\u201d said Milby.\n\nTears of joy as China qualify for the @olympics with victory over Hong Kong! @WorldRugby7s #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/xSZ2cRSGXS\n— Asia Rugby (@asiarugby) November 10, 2019\n\n\u201cWith Asia guaranteed two sides in Tokyo, adding to the fact that the Games are in Asia and we have just had an incredible first-ever Rugby World Cup in Asia I am excited to see the continued development of rugby in the region.\u201d\nThe Philippines finished the weekend in seventh with victory over Korea while Sri Lanka won the Plate and finished fifth after Dulani Pallikkondage scored twice in a 33-12 victory over Singapore.\nAll eyes now turn to Korea where the men\u2019s qualifier takes place in two week\u2019s time.\nhttps://www.facebook.com/asia.rugby/\nThe post China women qualify for Olympic Games in style appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2019-11-10T18:33:04+08:00", "date_modified": "2019-12-15T11:29:18+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" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Head-Chian-Olympic.jpg", "tags": [ "Olympics", "Tokyo 2020" ] }, { "id": "https://www.asiarugby.com/?p=6626", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/2019/11/09/live-streaming-asia-womens-qualifier/", "title": "Live Streaming Link Asia Rugby Women\u2019s Sevens\u00a0Qualifier 2019", "content_html": " Live Streaming Asia Women’s Qualifier
Asia Rugby Women\u2019s Sevens\u00a0 Qualifier 2019
\nLive Streaming Link Asia Rugby women\u2019s sevens qualification tournament for The Games Of The XXXII Olympiad
\nKO Day 2\u00a0 9:00 am China\u00a0 Time\u00a0 ( GMT+8:00)
\nLINK\u00a0 ( Live 2 Link\u00a0 \u00a0 )
\nLINK\u00a0 (\u00a0 Link1\u00a0 \u00a0 )
KO Day 1\u00a0 2:00 Pm China\u00a0 Time\u00a0 ( GMT+8:00)
\nLINK2\u00a0 ( Live 2\u00a0 \u00a0)
\nLINK\u00a0 ( Link 1\u00a0 \u00a0)
Eight of the top Asian teams are competing for a spot alongside Japan as Asia\u2019s representatives, the competition on 9-10 November at the Guangzhou University Town Sports Centre Stadium.
\nThe post Live Streaming Link Asia Rugby Women\u2019s Sevens\u00a0Qualifier 2019 appeared first on Asia Rugby.
\n", "content_text": "Live Streaming Asia Women’s Qualifier\nAsia Rugby Women\u2019s Sevens\u00a0 Qualifier 2019\nLive Streaming Link Asia Rugby women\u2019s sevens qualification tournament for The Games Of The XXXII Olympiad\nKO Day 2\u00a0 9:00 am China\u00a0 Time\u00a0 ( GMT+8:00)\nLINK\u00a0 ( Live 2 Link\u00a0 \u00a0 )\nLINK\u00a0 (\u00a0 Link1\u00a0 \u00a0 )\nKO Day 1\u00a0 2:00 Pm China\u00a0 Time\u00a0 ( GMT+8:00)\nLINK2\u00a0 ( Live 2\u00a0 \u00a0)\nLINK\u00a0 ( Link 1\u00a0 \u00a0)\nFixtures\nFixtures and Results>>>> #ARW7sQ\nEight of the top Asian teams are competing for a spot alongside Japan as Asia\u2019s representatives, the competition on 9-10 November at the Guangzhou University Town Sports Centre Stadium.\nThe post Live Streaming Link Asia Rugby Women\u2019s Sevens\u00a0Qualifier 2019 appeared first on Asia Rugby.", "date_published": "2019-11-09T11:59:57+08:00", "date_modified": "2019-12-15T11:29:11+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" } ], "author": { "name": "Asia Rugby", "url": "https://www.asiarugby.com/author/k-haroon/", "avatar": "https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/ea791d807df550e52d2e6508886912b7?s=512&d=mm&r=g" }, "image": "https://www.asiarugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ARW7sQ-New-v4-final1200-x-600.jpg", "tags": [ "Olympics", "Tokyo 2020", "Live Streaming" ] } ] }