2025/26 Nan Fung Group | Airside Hong Kong Premiership Season Launch

The 2025/26 Nan Fung Group | Airside Hong Kong Premiership season launch got underway this week at the Groundswell, the indoor Surf House, as the traditional captain’s photoshoot for the men’s and women’s teams took place, followed by a Q&A session to get the new season underway.

The 12 captains donned their 2025/26 playing kits and provided insights into each team ahead of the new season, which is the fourth time that Nan Fung Group has partnered with Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR). They are the title sponsor for the Women’s and Men’s  Hong Kong Premierships, while the AIRSIDE brand will remain part of the league for the second consecutive season.

The season kicks off on Saturday, 4 October, and HKCR’s newly appointed Executive Director, Domestic Rugby, Dean McLachlan said, “We are hugely excited at what should be a very competitive season ahead in both the men’s and women’s leagues. On behalf of everyone at Hong Kong China Rugby, I’d like to take this chance to wish the very best to all players, coaches and referees involved, as well as to acknowledge the tireless efforts put in by our club officials and volunteers throughout the season.”

Rugby Asia 247 is proud to announce that we are a content partner with HKCR for this season, and will help provide Premiership-specific write-ups which will be posted on the Hong Kong China Rugby website, including a wrap-up of each round and features on both men’s and women’s teams, as well as pre-season ‘Meet the Teams’ articles that include quotes from all CCOs and WCCOs (Club Coaching Officers).

Feature Photo – HKCR

Top left to right: Nyasha Tarusenga (Societe Generale Valley RFC), Jack Combes (Kroll USRC Tigers RFC), Euan Humphreys (Kowloon Rugby Club), Dana Fourie (HKU Sandy Bay RFC), Thomas Wilson (Milwaukee Hong Kong Scottish), Pierce Mackinlay-West (HKFC Natixis Club), James Hill ( Chief Commercial Officer and General Manager of Asphodel)

Bottom left to right: Dean McLachlan (Hong Kong China Rugby Executive Director of Domestic Rugby), Jayme Nuku (Societe Generale Valley RFC), Shaye-Moana Whareaorere (Kroll USRC Tigers Women), Julia Mibuy (Kowloon Rugby Club), Vincci Leung (Causeway Sandy Bay), Wan Tsz Yau (Clement Shield/VetiVa Gai Wu Falcons), Kate Palis Stroem (HKFC Natixis Ice)

2025/26 Nan Fung Group | Airside Hong Kong Premiership Season Teams

The 2025/2026 Nan Fung Group |AIRSIDE Hong Kong Premiership will feature six women’s teams and six men’s teams.

Dean McLachlan spoke of the impact of the ‘Prem’ on the wider rugby ecosystem in Hong Kong, “The Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Premiership serves as the pinnacle of our rugby ecosystem in Hong Kong, where men’s and women’s players ply their trade in preparation for the world’s biggest rugby stages.

The historic qualification of the Hong Kong China Men’s XVs team for the 2027 Rugby World Cup is a moment of great pride, but also a chance to create role models who can ignite passion for rugby in Hong Kong at mini, youth and community levels.

The incredible success of the recent Women’s Rugby World Cup has shone a fantastic spotlight on the women’s game. We are proud to have introduced HKCR Women’s Club Coaching Officers to each Premiership club last season, most of whom are now entering a second season with their clubs, as well as coaching on women’s representative campaigns.”

The domestic league will showcase players who compete at the national HKCR representative team level.

• 21 of the 26 players who took to the field in the successful 2025 Asia Rugby Men’s Championship campaign, which secured a historic qualification to the Men’s Rugby World Cup in 2027, played in last season’s Men’s Premiership.
• For the women, ALL 28 players who competed in the 2025 Asia Rugby Women’s Championship, and who will be in contention to play in the recently announced 2026 WXV Global Series, appeared in last season’s Women’s Premiership.

Hong Kong China Rugby will publish ‘Meet the Teams’ articles that include quotes from all CCOs and WCCOs and a preview of their team’s season. The men’s and women’s article pages will be updated before the opening round of matches.

2025/26 Nan Fung Group | Airside Hong Kong Premiership Women’s Premiership Teams

Left to right: Shaye-Moana Whareaorere (Kroll USRC Tigers Women), Jayme Nuku (Societe Generale Valley RFC), Wan Tsz Yau (Clement Shield/VetiVa Gai Wu Falcons), Vincci Leung (Causeway Sandy Bay), Kate Palis Stroem (HKFC Natixis Ice), Julia Mibuy (Kowloon Rugby Club)

• Societe Generale Valley RFC: Bella Milo (defending Grand Final champions)
• HKFC Natixis Ice: Hannah Edwards (serves as the Head of Women’s Rugby – recruitment for a devoted WCCO is ongoing)
• Clement Shield/VetiVa Gai Wu Falcons: Tumua Ioane
• Kroll USRC Tigers Women: Conor Joyce
• Kowloon Rugby Club: Terry Sibanda
• Causeway Sandy Bay: Keving Moggridge

2025/26 Nan Fung Group | Airside Hong Kong Premiership Men’s Premiership Teams

left to right: Nyasha Tarusenga Societe Generale Valley RFC), Jack Combes (Kroll USRC Tigers RFC) , Euan Humphreys (Kowloon Rugby Club), Dana Fourie (HKU Sandy Bay RFC), Thomas Wilson (Milwaukee Hong Kong Scottish), Pierce Mackinlay-West (HKFC Natixis Club)

• HKU Sandy Bay RFC: Marno Meyer (defending Grand Final champions)
• HKFC Natixis Club: Logan Asplin (recently appointed as Head Coach of the Hong Kong China Men’s XVs – recruitment for a new CCO is ongoing)
• Societe Generale Valley RFC: Augustine Leger
• Milwaukee Hong Kong Scottish: Ngatai Walker
• Kowloon Rugby Club: Lewis Wilson
• Kroll USRC Tigers RFC: Nigel Hotham

2025/26 Nan Fung Group | Airside Hong Kong Premiership Format

For the 2025/26 season, all teams will play one another three times, across 15 match weekends. At the end of the season in February 2026, the top four teams will advance to the Semi-Finals and Grand Final, which will be played in March 2026.

• The league’s traditional Super Saturdays will return – All six teams play back-to-back matches at Kings Park Sports Ground.
• The men’s Super Saturday showcase event takes place in round two of fixtures (Saturday 11 October)
• The women’s Super Saturdays event takes place in round three of fixtures (Saturday 18 October).

Men’s results and standings will be updated throughout the season here.
Women’s results and standings will be updated throughout the season here.

Nan Fung Impact League

McLachlan introduced the brand-new initiative to run through the 2025/26 season (which we first heard about from Jamie Farndale earlier in the year):

“We are also proud to officially launch the Nan Fung Impact League. This initiative channels all sponsorship directly to Premiership Clubs, to be focused on sustainability, mental health awareness and community engagement. These are areas that Nan Fung Group are also very passionate about, and it is a pleasure to work with an organisation that is so closely aligned to our own values.”

2025/26 Nan Fung Group | Airside Hong Kong Premiership Season Partners

Vanessa Cheung, Group Managing Director of Nan Fung Group, explained, “Nan Fung Group and AIRSIDE are delighted to continue our strong partnership with Hong Kong China Rugby into the 2025/26 season, building on the success of our collaboration in the past three years.

Sharing the same vision with the athletes, we are committed to bringing positive impact to the community through the spirit of sports, fostering the strength of the body and the power of the mind. We are excited to support and nurture local talent, elevating the profile of the game and driving its growth. We look forward to another exciting season of rugby, working together to inspire and empower the next generation of athletes.”

Player of the Round – Sponsored by Asphodel

The league’s secondary sponsor, Asphodel, will once again run their ‘Player of the Round’ award this season, with one female and one male player each weekend to be nominated by Hong Kong China Rugby coaching staff. They will receive a month’s free membership to use at Asphodel’s three state-of-the-art gyms across the city.

How to Watch The 2025/26 Nan Fung Group | Airside Hong Kong Premiership

All Nan Fung Group |AIRSIDE Hong Kong Premiership games will be streamed live on the HKCR YouTube Channel, and can be watched back at any time.

One men’s and one women’s match each week will be featured in a short “Game of the Week” highlight video.

All photos supplied by HKCR.

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