Singapore Rugby Tell Us About the Importance of the Unions Cup 2026

rugbyasia247 Posted On July 12, 2026

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Singapore Rugby Union are one of only four founding members of the Unions Cup and will have appeared in all three editions of the Men’s XV tournament when it takes place in Thailand in July 2026. They are also a founding member of SEARF, and the SRU values the return of regular Men’s XV Test match rugby in the region, something all participating unions have expressed.

The Singapore Men won the inaugural Unions Cup title in 2024 at home but were 4th in 2025 when it was held in Chinese Taipei. The 2026 Unions Cup is the biggest yet, as the tournament has grown with each edition and three nations will debut in Bangkok, Thailand.

Former national team player Mark Lee is the Singapore Men’s XV Head Coach, and he explained, “Historically, there was the Asian Quadrangular, which was held every two years in the 1990s. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka would play each other over the course of a week during the odd years. That competition helped prepare teams for the old ARFU (Asia Rugby Football Union) Championships, which were held in the even years.

At that time, there were no two or three divisions. If you were grouped with teams such as Japan, Hong Kong or Korea, then that was the level you had to face. Naturally, some of the scores were one-sided because of the gulf in standards. Over time, this eventually evolved into a multi-division Asian divisional tournament in 1998, and later into the yearly Asian Rugby Championship divisional structure from 2008 until 2019.”

That timeline coincided with the global pandemic, and the region has had to slowly rebuild the tournaments and international rugby calendars.

The issues at the Asia Rugby level have not helped, as there are tensions in the region and financial challenges – while Sevens Rugby has often been the focus for many unions too.

More recently, the formation of both SEARF (South East Asia Rugby Federation), and CASA (Central And South Asia) rugby alliance have seen the addition of new tournaments not organised by the regional governing body, but with their blessing have gone ahead.

Mark Lee said of playing regular Men’s XV Tests, “For Singapore, our last Asian Rugby XVs tournament was back in 2019, so this competition (Unions Cup) gives our players, especially the younger ones, a platform to strive for higher honours.

It also gives the sport a visible pathway. That matters, because when a 12-year-old kid switches on YouTube and sees Singapore playing in a regional XVs competition, it gives them meaning, ambition and a reason to dream beyond just loving the game. It shows them that there is a pathway to represent their country.”

Singapore Men's XV - Unions Cup 2026 Squad Photo (Bangkok)

Photo Credit – SRU

This year there is still a strong focus on Sevens Rugby as the four-yearly Asian Games will be played in Nagoya in Japan.

Lee said, “Sevens has been a great evangelist for rugby because of its entertainment value and its ability to attract mainstream interest.

But XVs remains a very important part of the game’s identity. At the end of a player’s journey, people often remember the caps earned, the opponents faced, and the big moments in the jersey. That is why competitions like this are so important,” added the Singapore Men’s XV Head Coach.