Korea vs Hong Kong China Preview – Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship 2025
rugbyasia247
Posted On July 5, 2025
Korea hosts defending champions Hong Kong China on Saturday, 5 July at the Namdong Asiad Rugby Stadium in Incheon, and both sides have everything to play for in this high-stakes Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship finale.
Feature Photo Credit: HKCR/ Ike Li / Ike Images
Korea beat Sri Lanka in the opening round but were made to work hard for the 38-34 win away from home, and in the second round were pipped by the UAE 36-38 in Incheon. They did pick up vital bonus points across both rounds and sit on 7 championship points.
Should Korea win, the bonus points that the two teams are able to collect will determine who finishes top, noting that if both teams finish level on points, then the head-to-head record will be used as a tie-breaker.
Korean Head Coach Lee Myung-Geun has said to Korean media that they are confident they can win, and if they did, it would be their first Asian Rugby Men’s Championship title since 2002. However, Hong Kong China are on a 12-match win streak that dates back to April 2015.
Hong Kong China sit on ten log points thanks to two maximum 5-point hauls with their two wins, and history really favours the visitors who are vying for a 6th championship win in a row, but more importantly, secure their place at their first ever Rugby World Cup. No matter the result, they can not finish outside of the top two, but they will undoubtedly be going for a win and avoiding the tricky alternative pathway to qualify.
The side has already scored 18 tries while only conceding two tries (one in each match) across the opening two rounds. In last year’s fixture, they beat Korea 62-7 in Hong Kong, and across the 37 times they have played each other, Hong Kong China have won 21 times compared to Korea’s 16 wins.
Hong Kong China are also just two points shy of scoring 1,000 points in matches against Korea.
Head Coach Andrew Douglas has been relatively consistent with selections and again has gone for a matchday 23 in which all members have already had game time in this Championship. The starting backline is the same that beat Sri Lanka, and Max Denmark comes into the reserves, while there is a shuffle around in the forwards for this key fixture.
The pack has been dominant, and they have given the very dangerous loose forwards and the backline excellent platforms in which to attack opposition defences. They have not shirked from scoring themselves, as they have contributed 9 of the 18 tries scored across the opening two games, with the backs dotting down eight times and one penalty try.
Matt Worley is the top scorer with four, and he now has 15 in 14 appearances and slots in at fullback. The same 9-10 combo starts with Nate de Thierry overcoming his knock, and Jack Combes partnering him at scrumhalf.
Alex Post is a vital cog and experienced campaigner for HKCR. The Hong Kong-born hooker currently plays for Richmond RFC in the RFU Championship and is the second-most capped (22) player in the wider Hong Kong China Men’s squad. This week, it was announced that teammate Paul Altier will join him at Richmond next season, while another training squad member is also at the club. Post has been full of praise for the work the coaches have put in to get the squad physically ready, but also by building depth over the past 18 months.
Photo Credit – HKCR – Men’s XV AREMC 2025
“I need to credit Douggie and the team who have established really good, talented depth, and I think we could see that across games #1 and #2 – the impact the guys were having off the bench,” said Alex Post.
We all know it’s not just the guys lucky enough to be selected in the 23. I will name-drop a Richmond Rugby teammate who is here training with us, Max Murphy. He has come in and has been training with the squad; he’s in his early twenties, he is six feet eight, and a young one for the future, and he has been training the house down and helped push the other guys all the way. You need those 40+ players for the next two years.”
Post said the Koreans possess pace and power. “In terms of what Korea will bring, they have a fast pace and some serious athletes; their backline is seriously quick, so there are a lot of threats there. There are also some opportunities we have identified in some areas, and we will look to target those.”
The team has taken a very pragmatic approach all Championship, but with one very crucial game left, he said of what it would mean to qualify for RWC 2027:
“For Hong Kong China Rugby, for us to reach the pinnacle of the sport can only mean good things for the exposure and the growth of the game, which can be really important in future years. We can maybe get more players here as part of that full-time programme, and young kids can see Hong Kong China play at the highest stage against the very best players in the world.”
Photo Credit – Asia Rugby – Korea Men’s XV 2025
- Referee: Ibuki Tetsuka (JRFU)
- Assistant Referees: Koki Yamauchi, Tetsuya Hirakawa (JRFU)
- TMO: Tasuku Kawahara (JRFU)
- Performance Reviewers: Peter Hudson, Tasuku Kawahara
You can find out more about the RWC 2027 pathway.
Match Permutations – Korea vs Hong Kong China
Hong Kong China Men are currently ranked 23rd in World Rugby’s global rankings, while Korea have dropped to 36th.
- Hong Kong China cannot equal their own high of 21st this weekend, even if they win
- A win for Korea will see them regain the ground lost following their defeat to the United Arab Emirates a fortnight ago.
Korea Squad vs HKCR – July 5 2025
- Kwanyoung NA
- Jeep KIM
- Hyunsu LEE
- Hyeonje LEE
- Seokhwan JANG
- Okgi NOH
- Joonyoung PARK
- Jeongwook HWANG
- Jaejune HEO
- Kimin KIM
- Yongheung CHANG
- Jinkyu LEE
- Geunyu PARK
- Yeonsik JEONG
- Hyungoo JANG
- Inbum HWANG
- Hoyoung CHOI
- Jaehwan LEE
- Daeyoung YANG
- Seongdeok CHOI
- Minseong CHAE
- Namuk KIM
- Wonju KIM
Hong Kong China Squad vs Korea – July 5 2025
Player (Club):
- Sunia FAMEITAU (HKU Sandy Bay)
- Alexander POST (Richmond)
- Keelan CHAPMAN (Hong Kong Football Club)
- Mark PRIOR (HKU Sandy Bay)
- Patrick JENKINSON (Hong Kong Football Club)
- Callum McCULLOUGH (Hong Kong Football Club)
- James SAWYER (Valley)
- Joshua HRSTICH © (Hong Kong Football Club)
- Jack COMBES (USRC Tigers)
- Nathan DE THIERRY (Hunter Wildfires)
- Harry SAYERS (Valley)
- Thomas HILL (Hong Kong Football Club)
- Ben AXTEN-BURRETT (Hong Kong Football Club)
- Paul ALTIER (SOC Rugby)
- Matt WORLEY (Bedford Blues RFC)
- Calum SCOTT (London Scottish)
- Rory CINNAMOND (HKU Sandy Bay)
- Faizal SOLOMONA PENESA (HK Scottish)
- Luke VAN DER SMIT (Valley)
- Pierce MACKINLAY WEST (Hong Kong Football Club)
- James CHRISTIE (HK Scottish)
- Joseph BARKER (Kowloon)
- Max DENMARK (Hong Kong Football Club)
Touring Reserves
- Zacceus CINNAMOND (HKU Sandy Bay)
- Harry BARON* (HK Scottish)
- Alessandro NARDONI (HK Scottish)
- Tyler McNUTT (Hong Kong Football Club)
- Matteo AVITABILE (Hong Kong Football Club)
*Potential debutant for Hong Kong China 15s
Team Management:
- Andrew DOUGLAS (Head Coach)
- Lewis EVANS (Coach)
- Logan ASPLIN (Coach)
- Marno MEYER (Coach)
- Alex ALLAN (Coach)
- Pete NUGENT (S&C Coach)
- Ian BONNET (S&C Coach)
- Andy YUEN (Analyst)
- Henry ELLIOTT (Physiotherapist)
- Jonathan MOSES (Physiotherapist)
- Charles CHEUNG (Team Manager)
You can read more in our match preview collaboration with HKCR, with quotes from key players here.
How To Watch the 2025 Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship
All six matches of the 2025 Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship will be streamed live and free via RugbyPassTV and Asia Rugby Facebook and YouTube.
AREMC 2025 Rugby News
- Ultimate Guide to 2025 Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship – RWC 2027 Qualification.
- Hong Kong China vs Sri Lanka Preview – Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship 2025.
- UAE vs Hong Kong China Preview – Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship 2025.
- Sri Lanka vs Korea Preview – Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship 2025.
