Hong Kong is famous for rugby because of the enduring appeal of the iconic
Sevens tournament, which attracted more than 110,000 fans this year. But excitement is now being generated by the city’s performance in the more traditional 15-a-side game. Hong Kong has qualified for the men’s Rugby World Cup for the
first time. It is a big achievement.
Hong Kong produced an impressive display in the Asia Rugby Championship, winning all three matches comfortably. Qualification for the World Cup in 2027 was sealed this month with a
70-22 victory over South Korea. The team narrowly missed out on reaching the Rugby World Cup, the pinnacle of the sport, in
2018 and 2022. This time, with the tournament expanded to 24 teams, the long-awaited objective has been reached. Hong Kong does not often feature in major global tournaments for team sports. The women’s rugby team made the
World Cup in 2017 and the men’s cricket team has twice progressed to the T20 World Cup.
Preparations must now begin for the Men’s Rugby World Cup to be held in Australia in October and November 2027. Hong Kong’s players, ranked 23rd globally, will need to be at their best. They will be performing on rugby’s biggest stage. The last world cup in France in 2023 drew 2.5 million spectators and 1.3 billion viewing hours for broadcasts around the world. There were 425,000 international visitors.
Hong Kong’s presence among the elite at the world tournament should give a substantial lift to the game locally, encouraging more to take up the sport and attend matches. There is much potential to draw visitors to the city. It comes as the shorter – sevens – form of rugby has seen a
disappointing reduction in the number of top teams competing in the elite global series, although it will feature in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
The Hong Kong 15s team and all those involved in helping it qualify for the Men’s Rugby World Cup deserve credit and congratulations. They have worked extremely hard to make the dream come true. Now, they should receive full support as they look to do the city proud in 2027.
