Sacrifice, Passion, and A Close Knit Group – Hong Kong China Men’s 15s Now Target the World Stage at RWC 2027

Hong Kong China Men’s 15s will be nursing some sore heads and rightfully revel in what they have achieved as the team has made history by qualifying for their first Rugby World Cup (RWC) in 2027 – but as the cliche goes, the hard work starts now.

HKCR Men Secure Historic RWC 2027 Qualification

The HKCR side overcame the Koreans in Incheon 70-22 and earned automatic qualification to the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia, which is the first Men’s RWC expanded to 24 teams. Hong Kong China will become the 11th new team to appear at a Rugby World Cup since the tournament’s inception in 1987 confirmed World Rugby.

The team follows in the footsteps of Hong Kong China Women’s 15s, who appeared at the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 in Ireland.

Hong Kong China Rugby Chairman, Chris Brooke, said of this latest achievement, “I would like to congratulate the team upon this wonderful achievement. We have always said that potential Rugby World Cup qualification marked a huge opportunity for the four teams competing in this tournament, and indeed for rugby in Asia as a whole – and we are very proud to be joining Japan as a second Asian team at a Men’s Rugby World Cup.

Photo Credit – HKCR – scrumhalf Jack Coombes celebrates in Incheon

He continued to say, “Our sport has thrived in Hong Kong in recent years, thanks to the continued global success of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, the tireless efforts of our senior, community, youth and mini clubs, as well as the continued expansion of school and summer programmes, touch rugby leagues and our Official Charity Rugby For Good. Qualifying for a Men’s World Cup is a historic moment that will act as a further catalyst for growth at all levels of the game.”

HKCR CEO, James Farndon, added, “I would acknowledge the commitment of Andrew Douglas and his coaching and support staff, as well as Joshua Hrstich as captain, along with a wider training squad of over 40 players who have been involved in this campaign.”

Farndon said of what this means, “This is a tremendously exciting time for our entire organisation and the wider rugby community in Hong Kong. It’s important to recognise the contribution made by our domestic clubs, notably those in the Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Men’s Premiership, who play a huge role in the development of many players in the current squad.”

Salom Yiu Kam Shing, who retired with 49 caps for Hong Kong China 15s and leads several key HKCR programmes that identify, recruit and develop local talent into rugby such as the Dragons programme, said of the impact it will have on the next generation of players:

“Having our men’s team at a Rugby World Cup will grow the profile of the sport in Hong Kong even further. In the tournament, Hong Kong China will be playing against the world’s best-known teams and biggest superstars, and I believe that boys and girls across Hong Kong will watch these matches and be inspired to play the game.”

What Next for HKCR Men’s XV?

HKCR Men’s XV Head Coach, Andrew Douglas, said after the final whistle in Incheon, “It’s been a massive campaign and a lot of emotion for all of us. I had my family here this week with me, and you could see the support in the stands, too. It got a little bit emotional for all of us, and that came out of us at the final whistle.”

Over the past 12 months, the team travelled to Chile, Paraguay and Brazil in mid-2024, hosted Brazil twice in November 2024, completed a full domestic rugby season, and then held pre-tournament camps in Australia and Japan earlier in 2025. They also offered full-time contracts to a small group of players, and that is now expected to expand as the road to RWC 2027 is mapped out.

Photo Credit – HKCR

Douglas explained, “As a coaching group, we asked the squad to adopt a one-game-at-a-time mentality. We are delighted with the improvements they made match by match and in the way they adapted to take on the different styles of each of our opponents. I’m particularly pleased with how the players stayed together as a group and how they held their nerve under pressure to come through a tough qualification decider away from home.”

Many of the AREMC winning squad play on a part-time basis and work full-time work full-time.

Captain Joshua Hrstich, who has been an inspiration throughout this campaign and played some excellent rugby, said, “I have always said that reaching the Rugby World Cup would be a dream come true for me, and for all the boys involved. Going into this tournament, we knew that the prize was the opportunity of a lifetime to experience the pinnacle of the game. Pressure is always a privilege, and we felt that we were better prepared than ever to deal with the pressure – and I think that showed on the field.”

Simon Amor, who was only appointed HKCR Executive Director of Performance and Representative Rugby a few months ago, said of the next steps: “Qualifying for a Men’s Rugby World Cup gives us an enormous opportunity to help achieve one of our key strategic objectives, which is to create famous HKCR role models who inspire people to engage in rugby.

Our planning for the World Cup does not just start today. Andrew Douglas and his team have spent a number of months exploring several options that can put us in the strongest possible position to make an impact at the tournament.

Over the coming weeks, we will be looking to establish a programme for the next two years that is the best fit for the uniqueness of Hong Kong and that can take our team to the next level. This will include our coaching and performance staff team structure and confirming the majority of our playing squad.

Photo Credit – HKCR

“Finally, a critical part of our ongoing work for the next two years will be ensuring we have an appropriate fixture list that enables the team to continue on its upward performance trajectory at this incredibly exciting moment in our history.”

Rugby World Cup News

• “We Want To Make It To The Knockouts at RWC 2025” – Sakura 15s Head Coach Lesley McKenzie.
• Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 Pools Confirmed – Japan in Pool C.
• HKCR Alex Post – “For For Us To Reach the Pinnacle of the Sport Can Only Mean Good Things for the Exposure and the Growth of the Game in Hong Kong.”
• Seven Host Cities Confirmed In Australia For Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027.