Hong Kong ready to finally make Rugby World Cup dream a reality, says skipper Josh Hrstich
The 35-year-old and a few others say it will be ‘a dream come true’ to qualify for Australia in 2027, having missed out on 2019 and 2023
Hong Kong have come through a final training session in South Korea unscathed, and go into their final game of the Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship on Saturday at full strength.
There is no hiding what is at stake. Win, and they qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Australia, and captain Josh Hrstich said it was something he had been dreaming about for a long time.
The 35-year-old called the prospect of reaching the pinnacle of the sport “a dream come true” and said it was “really hard to put into words” what it meant.
“I dream about it all the time … working really hard to make sure it can become a reality, and the guys are all doing the same thing,” he said.
He is not the only one dreaming, and some have been at it for longer. Alex Post, the hooker, made his debut for the team against Kenya in 2016 and will earn his 23rd cap in Incheon, while centre Ben Axten-Burrett will claim his 22nd.
Both know what it is like to miss out, having been members of the squads that fell short at global qualifiers in 2019 and 2023.