Guide To The Asia Rugby 2024 International Tournaments
Asia Rugby released the 2024 tournament rugby calendar which lists several key national teams sevens and XV tournaments for the region, for women, men and age-grade tournaments. This is our guide to the Asia Rugby 2024 International Tournaments.
Updated 20th April 2024
Just a general note – we try to put these guides together to help fans, and even the media and unions as the way the information is presented by Asia Rugby is less than ideal.
On April 20th 2024, information for some of the Men’s XV’s Divisions changed completely – no reason as to why from the governing body or the permutations on relegation or promotion – the formats have been a mess for years and we were hoping (in vain) it would be better in 2024 after they had released a proposed competition framework.
As with previous years, this is not a comprehensive outlook for all of the tournaments in Asia but it provides an outline which hopefully will allow the respective rugby unions and federations, fans, and media to better plan to prepare for and attend these crucial rugby tournaments in Asia.
It would be great if the complete set of participating teams and venues were announced well in advance for all Asia Rugby 2024 International Tournaments.
- Playing 15s Rugby
- Playing 15s Rugby in an RWC 2025 Pathway
- Playing 15s Rugby in a RWC 2027 Pathway
- Playing 7s Rugby
- Playing 7s Rugby in an Asian Games Pathway
- Playing 7s Rugby in an Olympic Pathway
We previously published Asia Rugby’s New Competition Framework Proposals 2024-2027. and below are the confined tournaments to take place in 2024.
We will keep updating this article when more information is released– so bookmark it now!
Asia Rugby XVs Rugby Tournaments 2024
Men’s XV 2024 Tournaments in Asia
In total, 27 Asian rugby unions or federations expressed an interest in Men’s 15s rugby in 2024 and onwards according to the graphic from Asia Rugby.
It appears as if the ten teams from ARC to Division 3 will be eligible for the RWC 2027 pathway but this has not been further clarified.
No Men’s Division 3 appeared in the Asia Rugby PR and initial calendar but the graphic below indicates there will be one.
Asia Rugby Men’s Championship 2024 (ARMC)
Although it was said by just about everyone in 2023 that Malaysia would be relegated from the top tier of Asian Men’s XV rugby after enduring another winless season against Hong Kong China Rugby and South Korea, Asia Rugby (without providing a reason) has decided to make the ARMC 2024 a four-team affair.
In addition to perennial competitors South Korea and defending champions HKCR, newly promoted UAE joins the top flight for the first time, while Malaysia somehow remains in the Asia Rugby Men’s Championship in 2024.
ARMC 2024 Fixtures
- 1st June 2024 – HKCR X UAE (Hong Kong – This will be a doubleheader with the final Women’s Championship match played on the same day).
- 2nd June 2024 – South Korea vs Malaysia vs (Incheon, South Korea)
- 8th June 2024 – Malaysia vs HKCR (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
- 9th June 2024 – UAE vs South Korea (Dubai, UAE)
- 21st June 2024 – UAE vs Malaysia (Dubai, UAE)
- 22nd June 2024 – HKCR vs South Korea (Hong Kong)
The format is set to be a round-robin.
- Teams: Hong Kong China, South Korea, UAE, Malaysia
- Date: 1 -22 June 2024
- Venue: Various
Asia Rugby Men’s Division 1 2024 (Updated)
The Men’s Division 1 2024 was scheduled to be played in Colombo, Sri Lanka, in May 2024 and will see the return of the Sri Lanka Men’s 15s team although who they will face was not clarified.
In 2023, only the UAE and Pakistan were involved in Division 1, which the Gulf team easily won. Qatar won Division 2 so they should logically be involved in Division 1 in 2024.
The winner should earn a promotion to the top-tier Asia Rugby Championship in 2025 (but honestly it’s not clear at this point).
Conflicting reports in Sri Lanka media indicate that Sri Lanka and Qatar will be playing, but the involvement of Pakistan is to be confirmed.
On April 20th, Asia Rugby announced that it would be a combined Division 1&2 and include Sri Lanka, Qatar, India, and Kazakhstan in a knockout tournament – with all of the known information here.
- Teams: Sri Lanka, Qatar, India, and Kazakhstan
- Date: 28 April 2024 – 5 May 2024
- Venue: Racecourse International Stadium, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Asia Rugby Men’s Division 2 2024
Kazakhstan Rugby was been granted the rights to host Asia Rugby Men’s Division 2 in Almaty from 12-18 May 2024 but with the announcement of the combined Division 1&2 in Colombo- we assume that this will no longer take place.
In 2023, Kazakhstan, India and Qatar were involved in Division 2, with the Qataris crowned champions. Qatar had also beaten Iran in the Division 3 West in 2023.
- Teams: Kazakhstan & was likely to be India, Iran and Thailand – but not looks like Thailand and Iran are not listed against a Division tournament.
- Date: 12-18 May 2024 – Potentially combined with Division 1
- Venue: Almaty, Kazakhstan – Potentially not a host anymore.
Asia Rugby Men’s Division 3 2024
The graphic above and the language from Asia Rugby suggested there would be a Men’s Division 3 but it’s not on the list released.
Since AR published their calendar of events, Iraq Rugby indicated another XVs Men’s tournament would be played in Lebanon on May 2024 – so this may well be Div 3?
- Teams: Lebanon, Iraq and more to TBC
- Date: Possibly May 2024
- Venue: Possibly Lebanon (TBC)
Asia Rugby U19s Men Championship 2024
No details for the venue were confirmed for the U19 Men’s Championship 2024 tournament but it is due to take place in December.
In 2023, Hong Kong China Rugby were the winner which qualified them for the 2024 World Rugby U20 Trophy. They beat Malaysia and Chinese Taipei – so it is assumed all three nations could be in the Asia Rugby U19s Men Championship 2024.
- Teams: TBC
- Date: 13-20 December 2024
- Venue: TBC
Asia Rugby U19s Men Div 1 2024
No details for the venue were confirmed for the U19s Men Div 1 2024 but the tournament is due to take place in December.
- Teams: TBC
- Date: 13-20 December 2024
- Venue: TBC
Women’s XV 2024 Tournaments in Asia
Asia Rugby Women’s Championship 2024 (ARWC)
There is no change to the competing teams for the ARWC in 2024, with favourites Japan set to compete with Kazakhstan and Hong Kong China Rugby. This year, HKCR will host the tournament after they narrowly finished third in 2023 in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Since 2023, the tournament has added motivation for the teams as the top two are due to compete in WXV – with details for WXV 2024 available here.
Fixtures ARWC 2024
- 22 May 2024 – HKCR vs Japan
- 27 May 2024 – Japan vs Kazakhstan
- 1st June 2024 – Kazakhstan vs HKCR (This will be a doubleheader with the Men’s Asia Rugby Championship match played on the same day).
The Asia Rugby Women’s Championship also serves as a Rugby World Cup Qualifier and the winner of the ARWC 20024 secures a direct spot at the Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025.
The six highest-finishing WXV teams who have not yet qualified through RWC 2021 and the regional tournaments will also qualify for RWC 2025.
- Teams: Japan, Hong Kong China, and Kazakhstan
- Date: 22 May – 1 June 2024
- Venue: Hong Kong
Asia Rugby Women’s Division 1 2024
The Women’s Division 1 tournament 2024 tournament will be hosted by Rugby India in December, with more details To Be Confirmed.
Based on a calendar of events released by Malaysia Rugby in March 2024, the tournament will include India, Malaysia, UAE, Singapore, the Philippines & TBC.
- Teams: India & Malaysia, UAE, Singapore, the Philippines & TBC
- Date: 13-20 December 2024
- Venue: TBC, India
Asia Rugby Sevens Rugby Tournaments 2024
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Asia Rugby Sevens Series 2024 (ARSS)
The ARSS 2024 will feature Asia’s top eight Men’s and Women’s 7s teams with the UAE Women’s and Thailand Men’s earning promotion from 2023.
Women’s ARSS 2024 Teams
- UAE
- Japan
- Hong Kong China
- China
- Malaysia
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Kazakhstan
Men ARSS 2024 Teams
- Thailand
- Japan,
- Hong Kong China
- China
- Malaysia
- Singapore
- UAE
- South Korea
There are three legs again in 2024 of the ARSS with South Korea (1st leg), and Thailand (3rd leg) confirmed as two of the hosts but the second leg is yet to be confirmed. Asia Rugby also said that South Korea and Thailand will host again in 2025.
- Asia Rugby Sevens Series Round 1 – Korea 7s (Incheon) 7-8 September 2024
- Asia Rugby Sevens Series Round 2 – TBC, China – 28-29 September 2024
- Asia Rugby Sevens Series Round 3 – Thailand 7s (Bangkok) 9-10 November 2024
Asia Rugby Sevens Trophy 2024
The Asia Rugby Sevens Trophy (ARST) 2024 will be played with the new Asia Rugby Sevens Challenge in Kathmandu in the first week of October 2024 with both men’s and women’s teams.
- Teams: TBC
- Date: 4-6 October 2024
- Venue: Kathmandu, Nepal
Asia Rugby Sevens Challenge 2024
The Asia Rugby Sevens Challenge 2024 will be played for the first time alongside the ARST in Kathmandu in the first week of October 2024 with both men’s and women’s teams.
- Teams: TBC
- Date: 4-6 October 2024
- Venue: Kathmandu, Nepal
Asia Rugby U20 Sevens Men & Women 2024
No details were released by Asia Rugby for the U20 Sevens Men & Women 2024.
For details of the 2023 U20 7s, please see here. Women’s teams were Nepal, Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR), Malaysia, and Thailand. The men were Chinese Taipei, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Nepal, India, and Hong Kong China.
- Teams: TBC
- Date: possibly October 2024
- Venue: TBC
Asia Rugby U18s Boys & Girls 7s 2024
The U18 Girls and Boys will be heading to Johor Bahru, Malaysia for the 2024 edition of the 7s tournament from 28-29 September.
For all of the participating teams from the 2023 tournament, find out more here.
Teams in 2023 included India (girls and boys), UAE (girls and boys), Hong Kong, China (girls and boys), Chinse Taipei (girls and boys), Thailand (girls and boys), Malaysia (boys only), and Iran (boys only)
- Teams: TBC
- Date: 28-29 September 2024
- Venue: Johor Bahru, Malaysia
How To Watch The Asia Rugby International Tournaments In 2024
Asia Rugby said that fans can “watch every moment of every match in real-time as they are live-streamed on the Asia Rugby Facebook and YouTube channels” in 2024.
You can also track any changes to the Asia Rugby Calendar on their website,
Asian & World Rugby Tournaments
- Pacific Nations Cup 2024 Explained.
- Is The New Aligned Rugby Calendar Good For The Sport.
- World Rugby HSBC Sevens Challenger 2024 – Dates And Venues.
- What will the men’s international rugby calendar look like in 2024?