Hong Kong China Boys Senior Age Grade 15s (U23) Squad On New Zealand Tour

The Hong Kong China Boys Senior Age Grade 15s squad (U23) is on a tour of New Zealand, which will see them take on Auckland Marist on 9 July, Hamilton Marist on 13 July and Hamilton Harlequins on 18 July.

Photo Credit – HKCR

The squad includes players aged between 17 to 23 years and will test the group against good-quality opposition in a year which has no World Rugby U20 Trophy tournament. The touring group consists of a mix who live and study in Hong Kong or are currently studying in the UK, Ireland, Canada, USA, and New Zealand.

Siân Moore, the Head of Performance Pathways, will be the tour Head Coach, supported by a coaching team that includes Nigel Hotham, CCO of USRC Tigers, Augustine Leger, CCO of Valley RFC, and Kevin West, Head of Coach Development and Game Development.

Joe Barker previously coached the HCKR U20 side, but he was playing in the victorious HKCR Men’s Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s campaign.

Nigel Hotham previously built a legacy running the Hamilton Boys High programme in NZ, and moved to Hong Kong last season – it seemed a matter of time until he was involved in the youth and age-grade development at Hong Kong China Rugby. His daughter, Jasmin, is a NZ 7s Black Ferns gold-medal winning Olympian (currently playing the Japanese Taiyo Seimei 7s season), and his son Noah is a Crusaders Super Rugby Pacific champion and in the All Blacks squad.

HKCR said, “This tour presents an important opportunity for the squad to gain exposure to high-quality club sides in New Zealand while experiencing the challenges and camaraderie of a rugby tour.”

Among the selected groups are those with Hong Kong Premiership experience – including Dave Bennett, Wai Lap Chui, Benedict Sheldon, and Charles Warren, as well as players who have played in development 7s Dragons teams such as James Kee.

Team Management -HKCR NZ Tour 2025

• Siân MOORE (Head Coach)
• Nigel HOTHAM (Assistant Coach)
• Augustine LEGER (Assistant Coach)
• Kevin WEST (Assistant Coach)
• Jonny MOSES (Lead Physiotherapist)
• Emma BURNS (Sports Therapist)
• Lane PROCTOR (S&C Coach)
• Kea HEREWINI (Team Manager)

Players (Club/ School)

• Luke Oliver BANNON (Hong Kong Football Club/ University of British Colombia, Canada)
• Dave BENNETT (University of Bath, UK)
• Wai Lap CHUI (Kowloon RFC/ Hong Kong Baptist University, HK)
• Man Hin CHUNG (Valley Fort RFC)
• Mitchell James CRAWFORD (HKU Sandy Bay RFC)
• Andrew DURANT (Valley Fort RFC/ Yu Chun Keung School, HK)
• Callum Jack FITZHENRY (Kowloon RFC/ University of St. Andrew’s, UK)
• Hugo GRANGE (HKU Sandy Bay RFC/ Clifton College, UK)
• Matisse GUILLOT (HKU Sandy Bay RFC/ University of British Colombia, Canada)
• Cheung To Luca HO (Hong Kong Football Club/ University of Brighton, UK)
• Gabriel HORBERRY (Loughborough University, UK)
• James KEE (Kowloon RFC/ Cardiff University, UK)
• Maurits KENNES (Valley Fort RFC/ University of Bath, UK)
• Leon Peter LESEK (USRC Tigers/ ISF, HK)
• Hassan LIN (USRC Tigers/ Lindenwood University, USA)
• Fritz-Gonzales MAHN (Kowloon RFC/ Cardiff University, UK)
• Samuel Joseph MARTIN (Hong Kong Football Club/ Claremont McKenna College, USA)
• David MCMURTRAY (Valley Fort RFC/ German Swiss International School, HK)
• Craig MCSHEAFFREY (Hong Kong Football Club/ Kellett International School, HK)
• Ciarán Jack POLLARD (Rockwell College, Ireland)
• Hugo St John POOLE (Newcastle University, UK)
• Benedict Richard SHELDON (Kowloon RFC/ Nottingham Trent University, UK)
• Andrew Michael STRATTON (Valley Fort RFC/ Durham University, UK)
• Charles Michael WARREN (Valley Fort RFC)
• Ka Yiu WONG (HKU Sandy Bay RFC/ HKU Space, HK)
• Yat Kan Ian WONG (USRC Tigers/ University of Otago, New Zealand)
• Tin Yuen YEUNG (Hong Kong Football Club/ Hong Kong Polytechnic University, HK)

Asian Rugby 15s News 2025

• 2025 Unions Cup Fixtures Confirmed.
• Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship 2025 Wrap-Up.
• Hong Kong China Men’s XV Reach First Ever Rugby World Cup & Retain Asia Rugby Men’s Championship.
• “We Want To Make It To The Knockouts at RWC 2025” – Sakura 15s Head Coach Lesley McKenzie