The Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Hong Kong Premiership 2025-2026 – New Players To Watch

The Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Hong Kong Premiership 2025-2026 season kicks off this weekend as Round 1 takes place on Saturday, 4 October – we take a look at what is new and which players have been signed by the 12 clubs competing in the Women’s and Men’s Premierships this season.

The opening round features 5 matches across four different venues, and all matches are free to attend and will be streamed live on the HKCR YouTube channel.

The Societe Generale Valley RFC Women and HKU Sandy Bay RFC Men are the Grand Final defending champions from last season, as all teams enter the new season with new players and aspirations to be domestic champions.

As a content partner with HKCR this season, most of what we publish will be shared on their website. We have already caught up with each of the six clubs for the women and men. To find out more about the CCOs, the respective teams, their goals and which players to keep an eye on – visit the men’s and women’s article pages. Stay tuned for weekly recaps!

What to Know This Season – Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Hong Kong Premiership 2025-2026

• Each team plays against each other three times across 15 rounds of action to determine the League Winner. 
• The top four teams will advance to the knockout stage, where the 1st place team faces the 4th, and the 2nd plays against the 3rd.
• The Grand Championship final will take place on 14 March 2026.
• The league’s traditional Super Saturday also returns, with all six teams together for back-to-back matches at King’s Park Sports Ground for the women in round three on Saturday, 18 October.
• There are some international breaks in the Prem for when the Women’s XV HKCR Rep team is in action.
• The 34 Men’s HKCR contracted players are ring-fenced for the first five rounds of the Men’s Prem season.

It is also worth noting some special milestones being celebrated:

• Both Kowloon and Societe Generale Valley RFC are celebrating their 50th anniversaries.
• The HKFC Women are celebrating the 30th anniversary of their women’s section.

Men’s results and standings will be updated throughout the season here.
Women’s results and standings will be updated throughout the season here.

The Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Hong Kong Premiership 2025-2026 Women’s Teams

Societe Generale Valley RFC

The defending champions of the Women’s Prem Grand Final – the Societe Generale Valley RFC Women’s Premiership side have won the Grand Championship Prem title 13 times during the past 16 seasons. They have announced minimal new signings, and CCO Bella Milo has recently returned from coaching with the Manusina (Samoa) women’s national team at the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025.

The team has a core group of local and representative team players who “continue to fly the flag for us and keep our standards high at training, which is cool,” added Bella.

• Ones to watch are the Pacific and NZ talent in the form of Crystal Mayes, Jayme Nuku, and Hasting Leiataua.
• One club signing is Chloe Mak Ho Yee, who has played previously in the Hong Kong Premiership and represented HKCR XVs.
• Grace Hamilton – After Round 2, the club confirmed the signing of former Australia Wallaroos Women’s Captain Grace Hamilton, who has played at SW Waratahs, Melbourne Rebels, Brumbies in Super W,  St George Illawarra Dragons (NRLW) and Montpellier in France.

HKFC Natixis Ice

Former USA 7s player Andrew Durutalo signed on as the Director of Rugby Operations, and the Women’s section is looking to appoint a new CCO, but Hannah Edwards is the Head of Women’s Rugby at Hong Kong Football Club and Head Coach of HKFC Natixis Ice. The team has claimed two league titles and reached three Grand Championship finals since 2022.

HKFC has many Hong Kong China national representative qualified players who have been with the XV and 7s campaigns. One major move is away from the club as Roshni Turner has signed on to play with Saracens Women this season, which should be applauded.

Major signings for the HKFC Women, which include 3 players from the Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR)

• Georgina Tasker – Joined from Exeter Chiefs and represented GB and England 7s. She has 50+ appearances and 10 tries for Loughborough Lightning, too.
• Niamh Orchard – Also joins from Exeter Chiefs and has represented England U20s.
• Lauren Knowler – Experience in the PWR – she has played for England U18s. She is Hong Kong China qualified.
• Hayley Glass – A prop who has played for Hunter Wildfires / Melbourne University / and Melbourne Rebels.
• Anna Davies – Another Hong Kong-qualified player, the prop has played in the Bucs Super Rugby and Celtic Rugby Competition.

Kowloon Rugby Club

It’s a milestone year for Kowloon as they celebrate their 50th anniversary. Last year, they finished outside of the top four, but are bolstered by some strong signings, they are aiming for a top-four finish.

Ones to watch are HKCR capped players Julia Oyana, who returns after a long-term injury recovery, and Gabby Rivers, as well as Yip Cho Kwan, who returns from a one-year hiatus in New Zealand, as well as the rising star of Joyce Young.

The club has signed a trio of players from the Chicago Tempest in the USA Women’s Elite Rugby competition and other talented players.

New signings include:

• Alisi Qalo Wilson – The Fijian prop joins from Australia and has Brisbane Premier Women’s and Farah Palmer Cup experience. She will fill a player-coach role.
• Ubaida Ahme, Isla Alejandro & Brooke Walklate – All three join from Chicago Tempest. Alejandro also has PWR experience with Saracens.
• Sammy Spence –  From New Zealand and with Farah Palmer Cup experience as well as a stint in France.
• Lucia Bolton – The HKCR national team capped player will play in the centres and joins from HKFC. 

Causeway Sandy Bay

The team finished last season with just the solitary win to finish bottom of the Women’s Prem in a tough year but they have been rebuilding and had a good, productive pre-season as well as signing more than half a dozen players.

New players include:

• Marlo Boyd – The player-coach joins from Bath and has previously had a coaching role with the UK Armed Forces and the Royal Navy, as well as touring with the Ireland Exiles.
• Rebecca Mains – Joins from Glasgow and plays as a prop.
• Lieve Stallman – A Dutch international with 7s and 15s caps who has also played in Spain for the last three seasons.
• Amy Rothero – The flanker joins from Wales.
• Amber Lawless – Joins from Newcastle as fly-half / inside centre.
• Becky Davidson – Joins from Canterbury, New Zealand & has represented New Zealand in Development Sevens and NZ University Sevens. She previously played in Japan with Yokohama TKM, as well as Canterbury and Tasman Mako in the Farah Palmer Cup.
• Maddison Hughes – Has experience captaining Worcester in the championship, and plays in the ten jersey.
• Ayva Smith – Represented Yorkshire and won the Premier North BUCS league with Northumbria University.

Kroll USRC Tigers Women

Head Coach and CCO, Conor Joyce, heads into his second season and has high hopes to improve on the 4th place in the Prem last season.

The Hong Kong club has a strong representation with the HKCR 7s and 15s teams, including Ng Ki Sum, Micayla Baltazar, Chloe Baltazar, Maggie Au Yeung, Nam Ka Man, Chong Ka Yan, Vivian Poon, Jessica Ho, Lo Wing Yin, Chan Sze Hang Sheryn, Chan Wing Kei Yami, and Natasha Olson-Thorne.

They have half a dozen new signings, including a contingent who moved from Causeway Sandy Bay.

• Shandre Fouche – Joined from Sandy Bay and will anchor the scrum at #8.
• Elitha Sylvester – Also moved from Sandy Bay, who Conor calls “A really exciting back row and lock”
• Tiyanah Joseph – A winger who is the fourth to make the move from Sandy Bay
• Lok Tung Cheng – A very athletic player and a great addition to the team.
• Loramhel (Lora) Mateo – Lora is a Philippines-capped sevens and fifteens player who was born in Canada. She has played for the Brock University Badgers and the Toronto Nomads and is the co-founder of the North America Magandaquins Rugby programme. Lora is also a youth rugby coach.
• Hinemaringi Melanie Scott – Raised in Eastern Bay of Plenty, NZ, Hinemaringi only started playing two years ago with the University of Waikato and was part of the Waikato FPC side that claimed the Farah Palmer Cup, where she played at outside centre.

Clement Shield/VetiVa Gai Wu Falcons

Last season, the Gai Wu Falcons Women’s Prem team was 3rd in the regular season, and Tumua Loane is responsible for the club’s performance program, development pathway, and player welfare. They used as many 44 players last season in the Premiership.

The club has on their roster many HKCR rep players: Lee Ka Shun, Lau Nga Wun, Chow Mei Nam, Pun Wai Yan, Au King To, Wan Tsz Yau, Lo Wing Yin, Qian Jiayu.

Players to watch include Pui Yee, who played at the Asia Rugby U20 7s and toured with the LIT 7s team to Fiji pre-season, competing against NZ, Australia, and Fiji, Au King To, who has been a member of the Hong Kong China Women’s XV team since 2019, and a rising star is Wai Choi Tung (‘Rainbow’) who joins the Premiership side full-time this season.

It appears they have also made several signings from HK Scottish, with both Amy Fallaize (formerly of Guernsey Raiders Ladies), Jade Courtney (Heriots Rugby and Sussex Women), and Charlotte Hancock making their debut for the club in Round 1. Montana Heslop (formerly Farah Palmer Cup/NZ University 7’s and Kowloon) is also with Gai Wu this season.

• Piwokuhle Nyanda-Alberts – The South African player joined the club and has represented the Golden Lions in SA, as well as the national team in 15s rugby.

They have strengthened their coaching team this season with some key additions. 

• Jake Martin – The current Head Analyst for the HKCR Women’s program, he has spent the last few years coaching women’s rugby.
• Mark Wright – The HKCR Hall of Famer has represented and captained both the 7s and 15s HKCR teams.
• Aggie Poon – Another HKCR Hall of Famer, Aggie played for Gai Wu from 2008-2019 and represented both the 7s and 15s HKCR teams.

The Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Hong Kong Premiership 2025-2026 Men’s Teams

HKU Sandy Bay RFC

HKU Sandy Bay RFC men were the Premiership Grand Final champions after beating HKFC 40-29 to earn their first title in 6 years. This season they are rebuilding, and Marno Meyer (Club Coaching Officer) said that they lost 11 of their 23 players who were in the final win last season.

He also singled out the likes of Dean Nieuwoudt and the captain Dana Fourie as ones to watch.

New signings include:

• Nicki van der Westhuizen – A South African 9 who covers fly half and fullback.
• Stephan Smit – Has won the SA Varsity Cup title with the University of Pretoria, and played with the Bulls and Griquas as a back row forward.
• Connor O’Byrne – Born in Hong Kong and has family roots in Sandy Bay, he joins from Nottingham University.
• Werner Coetzee – The lock has played for the Springboks U20 and Junior Sharks, as well as competing in the Varsity Cup.
• Sam Porter – The lock comes from Ireland and has progressed through the Leinster pathways and age grades.
• Samuel Townsley – A graduate from Hartpury College in the UK, he has had playing stints in Australia and New Zealand.
• Barend Joubert – The front-rower comes from Maties (Stellenbosch University) in South Africa.
• Finn Hamilton – The hooker joins from New Brighton in New Zealand.
• Jaime Chuidian – Played his youth rugby at the club before studying and playing at Dartmouth, and joined LA in the MLR. He has represented the Philippines in national age-grade rugby.
• Guy Lansdown – From Hamilton, New Zealand and a product of Hamilton Boys’ High.

Kowloon Rugby Club

Kowloon Rugby Club finished 5th on the Prem log last season and missed out on a semifinal spot, but CCO for the Men, Lewis Wilson, is excited about the season ahead. They have a young team who are striving for consistency.

Part of their recruitment drive has been signing players who are Hong Kong-based or Hong Kong-born, and Hong Kong-qualified.

• Barney Horberry – Born in Hong Kong, and has featured in the World Rugby U20 Trophy in Scotland.
• Oliver Nicolle – Also Hong Kong qualified and has been playing in Australia, but will be joining the club for the first time and can play across the back row in the forwards.
• Tom Edwards – The wing played at Pontypridd RFC and said, “Really excited for what is ahead and can’t wait to get stuck in.”
• Sam Carroll – The second rower commented on joining, “Grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to what’s ahead on and off the field.”
• Isaiah Kolopeaua – The Tongan prop from Australia has played for the Australian under-18s as well as Queensland Reds Super Rugby U19s.
• Josh Godsiff – The backrow has played at Randwick Rugby Club in Australia.
• Harry Chase – The backrower joins from Suttonians RFC, and he said, “The standards within the group are high, and there’s a real sense of ambition and potential here, which makes it an exciting environment to be part of.”

HKFC Natixis Club

Last season’s Head Coach, Logan Asplin, has stepped up to coach the HKCR Men’s XV team, but will still lead the Men as they look to appoint a new Men’s CCO for the season.

They have as many as 14 HKCR contracted players (including returning players), and have had to recruit for this season, signing players from England, Australia, and New Zealand.

The players signing to play for or returning to the club but have contracts for HKCR include: Calum Scott, Matt Worley, and Max Murphy, who all have good overseas experience and played in the RFU Championship.

Other signings include:

• James Holmes – The front rower joins from Kowloon and has both Premiership and international experience.
• Bryan Byrne – A hooker has experience at Newcastle Falcons, Bristol Bears, Leinster, Ireland U18s, U19s & U20s.
• James Pollard – A prop who has represented Cardiff University RFC, Gloucester, England and U19s.
• Josiah Lewis – Prop with experience at Bay of Plenty Development, Cook Islands 7s, NZ Marist Colts
• Quintony Ngatai – Scrumhalf/Flyhalf who has played at Hautapu Sports Club, Waikato Rugby (NPC)
• Jack Bartlett – Signed on after having a taste last season, the Hong Kong-qualified back-rower has England U18 and U20s experience as well as club stints with Gloucester, Coventry, and Cambridge.
• Teddy Leatherbarrow – Re-signed to play in the back row after joining the tail end of last season from the UK. He has experience with Sale Sharks and Scarlets (as well as England U18s and Scotland U20s).
• Callum Mcfeat-Smith – Another returnee as the HKFC Centurion rejoins after playing with Bouroughmuir Bears and Glasgow Warriors.

Societe Generale Valley RFC

CCO Augustine Leger is heading into his third season with the club, and hopes to improve on last season, where they finished third in the Prem and lost to the eventual champions in the semifinal playoff. He said that not too many players retired or stepped away, and they have also promoted from within the club.

Laurence May will captain with Nyasha Tarusenga and former Wales 7s international Luke Treharne as co-vice captains.

• James Sawyer – The national HKCR team contracted player has signed from Kowloon.
• Isaac Campbell-Wu – The Hong Kong-qualified player joined with high expectations and has come through the Bristol Bears program. He was part of the HKCR U20s and previously selected for the England U18s.
• Asepeli Ve’a – The young Kiwi comes from Kelston Boys’ High School.
• Levi Hazelton – The New Zealand prop joins from Hautapu in Hamilton.

Milwaukee Hong Kong Scottish

The only club with a confirmed new CCO thus far for this season, Ngatai Walker has held high-level coaching roles with the New Zealand Māori XV, NZU85kg National Team, Hurricanes Poua Super Rugby Women, Manawatū Turbos NPC, and NZ Secondary Schools.

The Men’s side has a number of HKCR XV representatives, including James Christie, Faizal Solomona Penesa, Alessandro Nardoni, Harry Baron, Gregor McNeish, Jamie Pincott, and Alex Allan, but they have made several additions to the squad this season, including a trio from Cardiff Met University.

• Lachie McGowan – Joined from Cardiff Met University, playing in the BUCS Super rugby league and Welsh Premiership.
• Tom Hughes – Backrow joined from Cardiff Met University.
• Harry Rice – The third recruit from Cardiff Met University, also has time at the Harlequins Academy DPP.
• Marcus Ramage – The former Nottingham and Cardiff Uni player also has Premiership Cup appearances for Leicester Tigers. He is Hong Kong qualified and previously was at the club in 2018.
• Jack Breen – The Irish player (Old Belvedere in Dublin) has been playing in Australia most recently with Port Douglas Reef Raiders in Queensland.
• Patrick Parker – Hails from Taranaki and played for Inglewood Rugby Club in the TRFU Premiership. He has represented Taranaki Māori and Taranaki 7s
• Trinity McQueen – Played at Northland in the NPC and is a loosehead prop. He has played with the Western Sharks and Thames Valley in Heartland Rugby.
• Kai Tiltman – The Hong Kong-qualified player was previously with the Junior Crusaders in New Zealand and plays as a number 8.
• Ollie Quirk – Was called a standout player for the Chicago Lions high school team and has spent time at Nelson College in New Zealand.
• George Brosch – Plays in the centres and joins from London, where he represented Wimbledon RFC over the past three seasons. He also spent three years at the University of Nottingham playing for their 1st XV

Kroll USRC Tigers RFC 

A coach who is used to winning, the legendary NZ school coach Nigel Hotham, enters his second season in Hong Kong on the back of a debut season in which the side mustered one win and finished bottom of the log. That has not dampened his passion or aspirations. 

You can see his NZ connections in signing players for the Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Hong Kong Premiership 2025-2026 season.

He said one to watch is captain Jamie Williams, who qualifies for Hong Kong next year, and was previously with Swansea and Swansea University. Other HKCR capped players are: Jack Combes, Cado Ka To Lee, Liam Herbert, Shiv Dukhande, and Kyle Sullivan, as well as the emerging Joe Knight. 

• Henry Mortimer – Rejoins from the UK as a halfback, where he played in the National League 1 for Esher RFC.
• Hakaraia Richards-Coxhead – Born and raised in Waikato, New Zealand, he is a former Hamilton Boys’ High School rep.
• Mosese McGoon – Born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand, another to have attended Hamilton Boys’ High School and played club rugby with the Lincoln University Rams.
• Darius Mafileo – Exciting tighthead from Palmerston North who has played in the Shute Shield.
• Mone Ma’afu – Centre from Sunnybank and has played with Souths in Australia.
• Benji Audry – The French-born and raised player, Genji played 10 years for his hometown club RC Sucy before moving to Toronto in 2023, where he joined the Toronto Nomads. He has been described as a versatile 15s and 7s player
• Tevita ‘Asi – The Dunedin-born flyhalf has Tongan parents, and he joins from Kia Toa Rugby Club in Palmerston North. He has also represented Manawatu Turbos Development and High Performance sides.
• Paula Maama – The utility back was raised in Auckland, and he has represented both Pakuranga United Rugby Club and the Howick Hornets Rugby League Club.
• Lindo Ncusane –  The South African has played for Lions Rugby Company.
• Dean Jacobs – Another South African signing, the scrumhalf joins from the Shenzhen Pirates, where he played for two seasons.
• Jon Howells – From Newport, Wales, the Hong Kong-qualified player returns to the Tigers after playing with Newport High School Old Boys (NHSOB) in Division 1.

Hong Kong China Rugby News

• 2025/26 Nan Fung Group | Airside Hong Kong Premiership Season Launch.
• Rugby World Cup 2027 Draw Date, Tournament Format & Ticketing Confirmed – What You Should Know.
• Hong Kong China Men’s XVs Representative Team Set For Debut at Kai Tak Stadium Against Japan XV in October 2025.
• Tickets for the 50th Anniversary Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2026 From October.