https://www.scmp.com/rss/320167/feed The 2019 Rugby World Cup will be the ninth edition of the tournament and will be hosted by Japan from 6 September to 20 October 2019. Matches will take place in 12 cities – from Sapporo in the north to Kumamoto in the south – with the RWC final now scheduled to take place in Yokohama after the Japanese government scrapped plans for a costly new stadium in Tokyo. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com If arguably the toughest thing to crack in international rugby is a glass ceiling, few are better qualified to give career advice than Michael Leitch, of Japan. Whether aiming to join Europe’s top table, or outwit a southern hemisphere giant, or graduate from whipping boys to knockout kings, it pays in union’s global game to know your place. But the Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo flanker intends to keep shaking up the world order with club and country, and sees admission to elite competitions as the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3176760/could-japan-join-rugby-championship-michael-leitch-talks-tier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3176760/could-japan-join-rugby-championship-michael-leitch-talks-tier?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 May 2022 06:59:56 +0000 Hong Kong international Alexander Post will tick off a lifelong dream when he lines up for Oxford in the Varsity Match against Cambridge at Twickenham on Saturday. The 26-year-old Hong Kong-born hooker left for the University of Oxford after the Hong Kong Rugby Union’s full-time Elite Rugby Programme (ERP) closed last summer. “I had three aspirations when I was growing up,” Post said. “One was to be a full-time athlete; the second was to play in a World Cup – that’s not gone yet, so fingers... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3172751/oxford-v-cambridge-winning-blue-varsity-match-dream-come-true-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3172751/oxford-v-cambridge-winning-blue-varsity-match-dream-come-true-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Apr 2022 00:30:23 +0000 Japanese rugby star Kazuki Himeno is leading the charge to reawaken the Asian scene after what he described as a lull during the Covid-19 era. The 27-year-old Toyota Verblitz forward is considered one of the best in the world in his position. He was named last year’s Aotearoa Rookie of the Year after an impressive stint with Super Rugby side Highlanders, and also bagged Japan’s Player of the Year. Back in his familiar Japan Rugby League One (JRLO), the man teammates call “Mr. Passion” hopes the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3172482/japan-responsible-representing-asia-amid-covid-impacted-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3172482/japan-responsible-representing-asia-amid-covid-impacted-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Mar 2022 00:30:17 +0000 Japan’s Brave Blossoms will take on France in two fixtures in July when the teams meet for the first time since 2017, Japan’s Rugby Football Union announced Monday. Union chairman Shigetaka Mori said the matches would help build excitement before the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, at a time when much of the world is still struggling with the coronavirus pandemic. “It doesn’t take a genius to imagine that many rugby fans will hotly anticipate the arrival of the French team, given how it’s riding... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3168700/japans-brave-blossoms-face-france-two-games-july?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3168700/japans-brave-blossoms-face-france-two-games-july?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Feb 2022 11:06:42 +0000 Magical Fiji defended their Olympic gold medal after overpowering New Zealand 27-12 in the men’s rugby sevens final at the Tokyo Stadium on Wednesday. Gareth Baber’s side maintained their 100 per cent win record at the Games – continuing former coach Ben Ryan’s Rio 2016 campaign – to capture the country’s second-ever gold medal. Captained by legend Jerry Tuwai, they remain the only team to have done the “Sevens Treble” (Olympics, World Rugby Sevens Series and Rugby World Cup Sevens winners). The... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3142887/tokyo-olympics-fiji-win-second-consecutive-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3142887/tokyo-olympics-fiji-win-second-consecutive-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jul 2021 10:49:47 +0000 Two strangers cycled from London to Tokyo in 2019 and now a film depicting their epic journey premieres on December 2 in Hong Kong, and will later be available online for a worldwide audience. The film, called Everything in Between, shows the countless acts of kindness the pair experienced day in, day out, and the riders hope it will shed light on the good nature of people, no matter their culture or country. “In some ways, the experiences were similar to what I’ve had before, it was just... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3110990/adventure-film-everything-between-helps-restore-faith?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3110990/adventure-film-everything-between-helps-restore-faith?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Nov 2020 07:07:58 +0000 For Victoria Wong Ching-hei, not being able to play rugby since February has given her some extra free time. Wong, who works as an aircraft mechanic and plays fly-half for the DAC Management LLC Kowloon Rugby Club premiership squad, headed out to Sai Kung to put her spare time to good use. “I have seen the huge amount of trash that is dumped in our oceans and washed ashore every day,” said Wong, who is the squad’s captain and has been playing rugby for nearly a decade. “So some teammates and I... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3102097/beach-clean-ups-spanish-lessons-and-home-workouts-kowloon-rugby-players?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3102097/beach-clean-ups-spanish-lessons-and-home-workouts-kowloon-rugby-players?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2020 00:00:20 +0000 Japan’s 2019 Rugby World Cup was worth an estimated US$5.39 billion to the hosts, according to a report released on Wednesday. The report comes as Tokyo braces itself for the financial impact of its delayed 2020 Olympic Games and days after the Japanese Football Association pulled out of its bid to host the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup. Ernst & Young’s report claimed that 2019 saw the highest ever economic impact in Rugby World Cup history, with an economic spillover impact of US$5.39 billion and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3090373/japan-rugby-world-cup-worth-us539-billion-hosts-report?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3090373/japan-rugby-world-cup-worth-us539-billion-hosts-report?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jun 2020 05:52:41 +0000 As coronavirus restrictions begin to ease across the world, athletes find themselves inching towards the ultimate goal – a return to play and competition. Hong Kong’s men’s 15s squad, who have their sights set on the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, have been training together for a few weeks since the Hong Kong government relaxed its social distancing measures. Liam Slatem, who co-captains the team with James Cunningham, said they are working out indoors in groups of six. Slatem said some of the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3088772/hong-kongs-15s-rugby-team-get-back-business-small-training-groups-2023?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3088772/hong-kongs-15s-rugby-team-get-back-business-small-training-groups-2023?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jun 2020 07:59:14 +0000 World Rugby has announced the France 2023 Rugby World Cup qualifying process, by which the final eight spots will be determined, and the Hong Kong men’s team could have two bites at the cherry via a play-off and a final qualification tournament. There are 12 teams who have already secured their places by finishing in the top three of their pools in the 2019 Rugby World Cup. They are Ireland, South Africa, England, New Zealand, Wales, Japan, France, Australia, Scotland, Italy, Argentina and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/play-week/article/3088210/2023-mens-rugby-world-cup-qualifiers-explained-how-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/play-week/article/3088210/2023-mens-rugby-world-cup-qualifiers-explained-how-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jun 2020 01:19:48 +0000 When it comes to rugby in Hong Kong, Doris Chow Pui-kwan has done it all. The Hong Kong native is a capped sevens and 15s player, has refereed at international level, was a national team manager, has served on multiple rugby committees and is one of the community’s most well-known and respected members. But for Chow, who is now the Hong Kong Rugby Union’s chairperson for women’s rugby, it’s all been pretty simple. She started playing rugby as a child, at the Kowloon District Centre at Tai Hang... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3085986/doris-chow-her-illustrious-hong-kong-rugby-career-its-friendships-have?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3085986/doris-chow-her-illustrious-hong-kong-rugby-career-its-friendships-have?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 May 2020 04:23:16 +0000 New Ospreys director James Davies-Yandle thinks that rugby has the potential for growth by innovating its products for fans and aligning the global calendar. Davies-Yandle said rugby is behind other professional sports in appreciating how fans consume sport but that gap in knowledge creates commercial opportunities for expansion. “The reason you get involved in any sport organisation is the same – you believe you can grow the business, and that the business from a commercial standpoint is... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3085465/ospreys-new-asia-based-owner-james-davies-yandle-y11-sports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3085465/ospreys-new-asia-based-owner-james-davies-yandle-y11-sports?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2020 02:00:17 +0000 Soon after Hong Kong Football Club beat Valley 15-12 to claim the Grand Championship on February 8 to end the men’s rugby premiership season, a new campaign promptly kicked into gear. Hong Kong men’s 15-a-side head coach Andrew Hall gathered 30 players to start training for what they hoped would be the first full season of Global Rapid Rugby. The South China Tigers, spearheaded by the Hong Kong Rugby Union, got in three solid weeks of workouts before heading off to Perth, Australia, for the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3082092/tiktok-and-zoom-banter-sessions-hong-kong-mens-rugby-squad-embracing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3082092/tiktok-and-zoom-banter-sessions-hong-kong-mens-rugby-squad-embracing?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Apr 2020 02:31:42 +0000 Agustin Pichot believes rugby has missed massive opportunities for growth in Asia and Africa and part of his bid to become World Rugby chairman involves building pathways for those regions to blossom. “I have a lot of optimism in Asia,” the former Argentinian scrum-half said. “It is a massive place for growth. I think the future [for rugby] long term is in Asia and Africa. If you look at the numbers there are countries we haven’t explored and I think it will be great to look at how we can be... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3080865/agustin-pichots-world-rugby-chairman-bid-targets-tier-two?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3080865/agustin-pichots-world-rugby-chairman-bid-targets-tier-two?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Apr 2020 12:00:23 +0000 One of Hong Kong rugby’s most respected architects of the sport is heading back home after more than a decade. Dai Rees, the Hong Kong Rugby Union’s chief rugby officer, will be returning to Shrewsbury, England, which is the hometown of his wife Sarah. Rees helped take Hong Kong rugby to new heights with the men’s 15s squad coming within a win of the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, the men’s sevens one win away from the World Rugby’s Sevens Series while the,women’s 15s squad reached the 2017... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3078654/veteran-coach-dai-rees-leave-hong-kong-rugby-union-after-more-decades?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3078654/veteran-coach-dai-rees-leave-hong-kong-rugby-union-after-more-decades?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2020 11:13:39 +0000 Abby Gustaitis remembers having a rather unpopular conversation with her parents in 2015. Set to graduate from the University of Maryland, a short drive northwest from Washington, D.C., she was primed to enter medical school in the hope of becoming a doctor. Instead, she decided to play sevens rugby, which at that point was about as fringe as sports in the US could get. Gustaitis, 28, said her mum was anything but happy. “She was not pleased,” Gustaitis said with a chuckle. “I was the first... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3053059/tokyo-2020-emergency-medical-technician-turned-us-womens-rugby-captain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3053059/tokyo-2020-emergency-medical-technician-turned-us-womens-rugby-captain?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Mar 2020 14:00:16 +0000 Sophia Floersch, the teenage driver who suffered severe injuries in a crash at the 2018 Macau Grand Prix, has won the Laureus Comeback Award for her return to racing. The 19-year-old Formula Three driver described it as “a dream come true when she picked up her award in Berlin at the 20th anniversary Laureus World Sports Awards on Monday. She also thanked the Laureus Academy, her family and her doctor. “I started this sport when I was four and loved it from the first moment onwards. I had this... https://www.scmp.com/sport/motorsport/article/3051085/sophia-floerschs-macau-gp-crash-return-wins-laureus-comeback-award?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/motorsport/article/3051085/sophia-floerschs-macau-gp-crash-return-wins-laureus-comeback-award?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Feb 2020 03:28:21 +0000 Passion is guaranteed when Scotland play England but it may take more than raw emotion to secure a win in the latest edition of rugby union’s oldest international match. In the build-up to Saturday’s fixture at Murrayfield, the latest chapter in a 149-year-old rivalry, Scotland centre Sam Johnson declared “no one likes England”, a sentiment the Queensland-born player would have been familiar with growing up in Australia. Meanwhile England flanker Lewis Ludlam, who had never been to Scotland... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3049443/six-nations-scotland-and-england-search-calcutta-cup-revival?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3049443/six-nations-scotland-and-england-search-calcutta-cup-revival?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Feb 2020 03:26:37 +0000 Natixis Hong Kong Football Club had to earn their second straight Saxo Markets Premiership title on Saturday against a stubborn Societe Generale Valley club, who they beat 15-10 at Happy Valley. Fans had to wait until the 78th minute for a try to be scored, as full-back Whiria Meltzer gave Valley a fighting chance, but they were unable to close the gap and could not muster a final goal line push as the seconds wound down on the game. HKFC coach Jack Wiggins, who has now won two titles in as many... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3046687/hkfc-hang-beat-valley-take-mens-rugby-premiership-second-straight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3046687/hkfc-hang-beat-valley-take-mens-rugby-premiership-second-straight?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Jan 2020 11:21:24 +0000 If you’re trying to find Rebecca Wong Chi-ling, her weeks are designed and orchestrated around the sport she loves: touch rugby. On Mondays and Wednesdays, the Hong Kong native can be found at King’s Park training with the Hong Kong national touch team. On Tuesdays and Thursdays you will find her with her Education University of Hong Kong team at the Pak Shek Kok Sports Grounds, and on Thursday and Sunday nights she is either in Happy Valley or the Po Kong Village with the Raven Touch Football... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3045315/some-people-may-think-touch-rugby-was-not-good-choice-girl-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3045315/some-people-may-think-touch-rugby-was-not-good-choice-girl-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jan 2020 00:00:07 +0000 Our writers look back at the year just gone and the one ahead. Look out for part two of this roundup from our team later. John Moore’s final months with boom youngster Aethero The rise of John Moore’s boom sprinter Aethero has been a sight to behold in recent months and although he didn’t get the chocolates at Group One level in the Hong Kong Sprint, he was only a neck behind Beat The Clock in third and the future knows no bounds for this horse. Making things all the more interesting is that... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3044083/hong-kong-protests-tokyo-2020-rugby-failure-and-john-moores-aethero?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3044083/hong-kong-protests-tokyo-2020-rugby-failure-and-john-moores-aethero?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Jan 2020 01:00:16 +0000 Hong Kong Rugby Union chief executive Robbie McRobbie has been awarded a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the New Year’s Honours List for his services to philanthropy and UK-Hong Kong relations. The list recognises Britons for their outstanding contributions to their fields. “People joke that it stands for ‘many buggers’ efforts’,” McRobbie, 47, said. “And I do feel it is a reflection on all the people I’ve been lucky enough to work with. I’m very proud to be awarded... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3044039/new-year-honours-mbe-awarded-hong-kong-rugby-union-chief-executive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3044039/new-year-honours-mbe-awarded-hong-kong-rugby-union-chief-executive?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Dec 2019 04:54:02 +0000 A year in which New Zealand’s invincibility cracked revealed unprecedented competition in the international game: having led the world rankings for a decade, they were succeeded by four rivals in a matter of weeks. As meaningless a prize as the No 1 tag is, its rotation proved how fine the margins were becoming. Several contenders outdid themselves after a foreign coach altered their mindset – signposted from the year’s first major test. Tight at the top When Wales kicked off the Six Nations by... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3043526/best-rugby-world-cup-sees-2019-kick-exciting-new-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3043526/best-rugby-world-cup-sees-2019-kick-exciting-new-era?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Dec 2019 01:00:18 +0000 Once again, the year in sports produced some pretty memorable moments. The Toronto Raptors took their first NBA title ever, Liverpool won the Uefa Champions League and South Africa rumbled to a Rugby World Cup trophy. Aside from the best of the best, how about the most viral of the viral? Some of the top sporting moments this year did not happen on the pitch, field or court, and did not even feature humans, and one took a shot at a sitting US president. For your viewing pleasure, enjoy the top... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3042804/watch-best-viral-sports-videos-2019-megan-rapinoe-jorge-masvidal-and-nfl-cat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3042804/watch-best-viral-sports-videos-2019-megan-rapinoe-jorge-masvidal-and-nfl-cat?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Dec 2019 01:00:09 +0000 New Zealand’s dual-code rugby star Sonny Bill Williams has tweeted his support for the ethnically Muslim Uygurs in China in a tweet posted early on Monday.  “It’s a sad time when we choose economic benefits over humanity #Uyghurs”, Williams wrote. The message accompanied an image depicting Chinese oppression against the Muslim minority group, which is alleged to include millions being held in re-education camps. The 34-year-old, who retired from the All Blacks after the Rugby World Cup in Japan... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3043206/sonny-bill-williams-follows-mesut-ozil-support-uygurs-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3043206/sonny-bill-williams-follows-mesut-ozil-support-uygurs-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Dec 2019 04:30:55 +0000 Despite the cancellation of the Hong Kong Football Tens, World Rugby has given its stamp of approval for the Cathay Pacific/HSBC 2020 Hong Kong Sevens to go forward from April 3-5, while ticket sales are reminiscent of another crisis the city endured some 16 years ago. World Rugby’s head of competitions and performance Mark Egan said they conducted a site visit in November and had a number of operational meetings with the Hong Kong Rugby Union, government representatives and other stakeholders... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3042596/world-rugby-gives-2020-hong-kong-sevens-green-light-ticket-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3042596/world-rugby-gives-2020-hong-kong-sevens-green-light-ticket-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Dec 2019 06:54:53 +0000 Rugby Australia and Israel Folau reached a settlement on Wednesday that will end the former Wallaby’s multimillion dollar lawsuit over his sacking for anti-gay comments. Rugby Australia apologised for “any hurt or harm” caused to Folau as part of a joint statement confirming the confidential agreement after two days of mediation aimed at avoiding a drawn-out and expensive court case. Folau, an ardent Christian, was fired in May over a social media post warning “hell awaits” gay people and others... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3040510/israel-folau-rugby-australia-reach-settlement-anti-gay-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3040510/israel-folau-rugby-australia-reach-settlement-anti-gay-social-media?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Dec 2019 04:32:05 +0000 While e-sports, which is basically competitive video gaming, has had an uphill struggle to become accepted as a ‘physical sport’ there is less debate over the similar commercial and marketing opportunities it offers compared to some of the world’s biggest sporting teams, such as football team Manchester United and the NBA’s LA Lakers. In the face of the doubters and sceptics who cried “nerds” and ‘it’s not a real sport”, and just like snowboarding and skateboarding which have made the Olympics... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3040381/denmarks-astralis-set-join-man-united-listed-firm-e-sports-chases?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3040381/denmarks-astralis-set-join-man-united-listed-firm-e-sports-chases?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Dec 2019 22:45:11 +0000 Each year, lads around the world head into November clean shaven with one goal in mind: to grow a spectacular moustache for a great cause – Movember. The international movement, which helps raise funds for and awareness of prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health and suicide prevention, is no stranger to Hong Kong’s men and women. This year, the Hong Kong Rugby Union Community Foundation has partnered with Phenomenally Pink (the combined campaign is known as Phenomenally Mo) as well... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3039557/movember-moustaches-abound-hong-kongs-rugby-lads-and-ladies-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3039557/movember-moustaches-abound-hong-kongs-rugby-lads-and-ladies-show?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Nov 2019 06:59:42 +0000 Typhoon Hagibis wreaked havoc on the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan in what was, other than that, a tournament filled with beautiful underdog stories. Heart-warming videos of some strapping Japanese forwards carrying fellow Cherry Blossoms through Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium's flooded grounds for a training session soon made the rounds – and we consumed them from the comfort of our own homes. Japan were due to play Scotland in Yokohama the following day and it was touch-and-go before brave... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3039031/typhoons-university-flatmates-and-head-injury-assessments?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3039031/typhoons-university-flatmates-and-head-injury-assessments?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Nov 2019 00:51:53 +0000 When South African captain Siya Kolisi recently lifted rugby union’s World Cup trophy in Yokohama, it wasn’t just a significant moment in his country’s history. It was also an important one in the history of the tournament’s host nation, Japan. Not only was this the first time that an Asian nation had hosted rugby’s showcase event, it was also something of a coming-out party for Japan’s year of sport. Japan will next be in the global sporting spotlight in 2020 when Tokyo hosts both the Olympic... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3038392/explosion-japans-commercial-partnerships-shows-soft-power-offer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3038392/explosion-japans-commercial-partnerships-shows-soft-power-offer?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Nov 2019 00:00:12 +0000 The fairy-tale journey of South African rugby’s first-ever black captain Siya Kolisi – from playing with bricks as a child to lifting the 2019 World Cup this month – has warmed the hearts of all sports fans. When asked where he was the last time the Springboks lifted the Webb Ellis Cup 12 years ago, the 28-year-old Kolisi revealed he had watched the game in a tavern as his household did not have a television. In a country rife with sociopolitical instability for what feels like time immemorial,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3038238/rugby-world-cup-winner-siya-kolisi-has-become-leader-south-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3038238/rugby-world-cup-winner-siya-kolisi-has-become-leader-south-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Nov 2019 00:00:10 +0000 Jamie Joseph said on Monday he will stay on as head coach of Japan through the next Rugby World Cup in 2023, a decision that rules him out of the vacant All Blacks coaching role. Joseph, who led Japan to their first World Cup quarter-final last month, said in a statement: “I have great expectations for rugby in Japan and I’m very honoured that I can lead the team towards the next World Cup.” Joseph was among 26 New Zealanders invited by the All Blacks to replace Steve Hansen, who stepped down at... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3038223/jamie-joseph-take-japan-next-rugby-world-cup-ruling-out-all-blacks-role?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3038223/jamie-joseph-take-japan-next-rugby-world-cup-ruling-out-all-blacks-role?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Nov 2019 07:54:04 +0000 Hong Kong proved their worth in the World Rugby rankings as they downed Belgium on their home soil on Saturday 36-17. The men’s 15-a-side squad, ranked 24th in the world, beat the European side, who are ranked 27th, at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Brussels in frigid temperatures that got close to freezing. Hong Kong burst to a 29-0 lead by half-time and never looked back, getting scores from fly half Gregor McNeish, who opened the scoring on a penalty while getting his first cap, captain and scrum... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3038113/hong-kong-mens-rugby-team-top-belgium-brussels-during-international?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3038113/hong-kong-mens-rugby-team-top-belgium-brussels-during-international?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Nov 2019 10:24:18 +0000 Hong Kong’s South China Tigers will kick off the first full season of Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest’s Global Rapid Rugby in March on home soil. The Tigers will play Manuma Samoa, a team put together for GRR, most likely at the Aberdeen Sports Ground, where the Tigers played their games last season. The first weekend of matches will take place from March 13-15. A GRR release describes the Tigers’ opponent as an “exciting, homegrown squad capable of anything, particularly on a redeveloped... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3037716/south-china-tigers-will-face-manuma-samoa-hong-kong-global-rapid-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3037716/south-china-tigers-will-face-manuma-samoa-hong-kong-global-rapid-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Nov 2019 08:18:26 +0000 They’ll be turning cartwheels in rugby league’s northern English strongholds after Sonny Bill Williams’ move to Super League was confirmed. The All Black is returning to league by joining Toronto Wolfpack, the Canadian club that gained promotion to the top division last season in only their third year. Make no mistake, Sonny Bill coming “home” is a very big deal for the 13-man-code, and the fact that Toronto went public early in their pursuit of one of rugby union’s biggest names and weren’t... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3037115/sonny-bill-williams-can-live-his-megabucks-toronto-wolfpack-deal-can?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3037115/sonny-bill-williams-can-live-his-megabucks-toronto-wolfpack-deal-can?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Nov 2019 00:00:11 +0000 Winners Japan in bloom It’s no surprise that Japan excelled as host and had a team to build on their 2015 upsets. Some of the Brave Blossoms’ play, however, had to be seen to be believed. The likes of wings Kenki Fukuoka and Kotaro Matsushima made cases for inclusion in a tournament XV, while the showing against Scotland – stuck on fast-forward – was as thrilling as anything you’ll see in a sporting arena. Japan were made to wait for this after the last World Cup was awarded – again – to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3036184/kolisis-rainbow-boks-and-australians-except-eddie-jones-winners-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3036184/kolisis-rainbow-boks-and-australians-except-eddie-jones-winners-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Nov 2019 04:42:35 +0000 It’s a hard old game. That’s been a familiar refrain from coaches to players and commentators to fans over the past six weeks of the Rugby World Cup. Few can debate that either, and this hard old game is not one where you will age particularly well. The players who were on the pitch for the final on Saturday when South Africa beat England 32-12 will carry the physical residue of this match for the rest of their life. FULL-TIME in #RWCFinal @EnglandRugby 12 @Springboks 32 SOUTH AFRICA ARE... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3036055/japan-2019-officially-kicked-touch-now-its-france-2023-rugby-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3036055/japan-2019-officially-kicked-touch-now-its-france-2023-rugby-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Nov 2019 01:00:09 +0000 South Africa sprang the surprises yet turned up to the party very much on time as they claimed rugby’s greatest prize in Yokohama on Saturday. England, caught in headlights on unforgiving full beam, cast shadows of last week’s men. The game plans played out as winning head coach Rassie Erasmus imagined they ought to, trapping England in a nightmare of having played their final seven days early. They were left rubbing their eyes at full-time after the wake-up call of their lives. How, they were... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3036062/england-caught-south-africas-headlights-during-rugby-world-cup-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3036062/england-caught-south-africas-headlights-during-rugby-world-cup-final?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Nov 2019 13:21:17 +0000 Wingers Makazole Mapimpi and Cheslin Kolbe scored South Africa’s first tries in a World Cup final as the Springboks outgunned England 32-12 to win the trophy for the third time and reassert the supremacy of the southern hemisphere on Saturday. Superb game management, set piece dominance, brutal defence and almost flawless placekicking looked like being enough to see off an England side that had dismantled the double defending champion All Blacks in the semi-finals last week. Mapimpi has been in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3036054/south-africa-beat-england-win-rugby-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3036054/south-africa-beat-england-win-rugby-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Nov 2019 11:14:56 +0000 Ben Smith scored two vintage tries before halftime, Keiran Read did a power of work and Sonny Bill Williams produced a pair of trademark offloads as three veteran All Blacks went into retirement with a bronze medal to add to their previous Rugby World Cup titles. Six days after a semi-final loss to England ended New Zealand’s bid for a third straight world championship, the All Blacks beat Wales 40-17 on Friday in the third-place playoff. No surprises there. The All Blacks hadn’t lost... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3035968/all-blacks-veterans-finish-bronze-after-win-over-wales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3035968/all-blacks-veterans-finish-bronze-after-win-over-wales?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Nov 2019 11:38:27 +0000 It only seems like it’s been raining for 40 days and 40 nights. It might even be longer, but who’s counting. When the Rugby World Cup opened six weeks ago, the oppressive humidity gave way to hazardous rain and floods. Now in the home stretch with the final only a day away, the appearance of sunlight has become cause for celebration and nowhere is that festive spirit more prominent than in Ueno Park. Located in the north of Tokyo, Ueno Park was opened in 1873 and is a massive, sprawling green... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3035748/exploring-tokyos-iconic-ueno-park-during-rugby-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3035748/exploring-tokyos-iconic-ueno-park-during-rugby-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Nov 2019 01:00:19 +0000 Melody Li Nim-yan has played in some big tournaments. The Hong Kong women’s rugby sevens captain has run out on to the field amid deafening cheers at the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens and travelled to many countries and dealt with various climates, conditions and opponents. But next weekend in Guangzhou, amid little fanfare, the Hong Kong women’s sevens programme faces arguably its biggest tournament ever at the University Town Sports Centre Stadium from November 9-10. The winner will... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3035565/tokyo-2020-olympics-beckon-do-or-die-tournament-womens-rugby-sevens-you?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3035565/tokyo-2020-olympics-beckon-do-or-die-tournament-womens-rugby-sevens-you?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Oct 2019 01:00:16 +0000 For Hong Kong Rugby Union national team member Cathy Wong Sze-man, rugby is much more than a sport. At the age of two, Wong was taken under the wing of Po Leung Kuk, a charity organisation that runs a number of schools and orphanages in Hong Kong, because her parents couldn’t afford to put her in school. Wong said when growing up, conversing with people was hard and finding her way alone was even harder. “As a kid growing up, meeting people and talking with friends was hard,” said the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3035173/i-never-thought-i-could-represent-hong-kong-po-leung-kuks-cathy-wong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3035173/i-never-thought-i-could-represent-hong-kong-po-leung-kuks-cathy-wong?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Oct 2019 00:00:19 +0000 One week after England coach Eddie Jones told the world no one was giving his team a chance to beat New Zealand in the World Cup semi-finals, he was back at it again. Only this time, he had the air of the hunted, as opposed to the hunter. “The players understand they haven’t done anything yet,” he said in Tokyo, two days after his side administered a thorough and clinical beating on the vaunted All Blacks 19-7. England are set to play South Africa on Saturday in Yokohama in their first final... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3035177/our-players-understand-they-havent-done-anything-yet-england-coach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3035177/our-players-understand-they-havent-done-anything-yet-england-coach?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Oct 2019 08:06:25 +0000 South Africa will play England in the Rugby World Cup final after Handre Pollard scored 14 points to steer Rassie Erasmus’ team to a hard-fought 19-16 victory over Wales in Yokohama on Sunday. Pollard nervelessly kicked the decisive penalty with four minutes to go as the tense game threatened to go to extra time with the scores locked at 16-16. “We’re in the final of the World Cup ... but that’s only half way there. We’d love to win the World Cup,” said South Africa coach Rassie Erasmus. “We... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3034765/rugby-world-cup-south-africa-edge-wales-semi-final-thriller-yokohama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3034765/rugby-world-cup-south-africa-edge-wales-semi-final-thriller-yokohama?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Oct 2019 10:53:23 +0000 “No one thinks we can win,” England coach Eddie Jones said earlier this week in Tokyo about their Rugby World Cup semi-final clash with the all-conquering All Blacks. Well, clearly he did and so did his players because in what has to be their best performance since winning the finals in 2003, England totally outclassed and outplayed New Zealand in a convincing 19-7 victory. An early exit from the 2015 Rugby World Cup, on home soil no less, meant four years of heartache for England rugby fans.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3034735/rugby-world-cup-all-hail-england-fans-japan-left-awe-after-huge-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3034735/rugby-world-cup-all-hail-england-fans-japan-left-awe-after-huge-win?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Oct 2019 04:28:53 +0000 Fly half George Ford led the way as England ended New Zealand’s eight-year reign as champions with a superb 19-7 World Cup semi-final win in Yokohama on Saturday. Ford, restored at 10 by coach Eddie Jones, took over goal-kicking duties after England captain Owen Farrell took a knock but he landed four penalty attempts after Manu Tuilagi stunned the All Blacks with an early try. This was just England’s eighth win in 42 tests against New Zealand and meant the All Blacks had lost their first World... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3034704/eddie-jones-england-charges-stun-new-zealand-all-blacks-make-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3034704/eddie-jones-england-charges-stun-new-zealand-all-blacks-make-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Oct 2019 10:09:58 +0000 England, well they invented rugby while New Zealand currently own it. South Africa are two-time champions who many claim was liberated by rugby. And, because you need four teams to fill out two Rugby World Cup semi-finals, there is also Wales. The biggest weekend on the rugby calendar is here in Yokohama with two huge semi-finals, although one most certainly seems huger than the other. England playing the All Blacks on Saturday has seemingly sucked all the air out of the room. But not for the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3034580/rugby-world-cup-wales-looking-historic-victory-cement-their-place-among?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3034580/rugby-world-cup-wales-looking-historic-victory-cement-their-place-among?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Oct 2019 08:48:15 +0000 There’s talk at this Rugby World Cup of a New Zealand three-peat, but if England or Wales were to silence it – at least dispute it to the bitter end – the tournament as a whole could benefit. Is it so far-fetched to picture a northern hemisphere winner as England face the All Blacks and Wales take on South Africa this weekend? No, because of the fluid nature of modern sport and this configuration of semi-finalists. And most of all, timing. Strange though it seems to cast mainstays of rugby... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3034567/never-mind-new-zealand-three-peat-rugby-world-cup-needs-shock-new?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3034567/never-mind-new-zealand-three-peat-rugby-world-cup-needs-shock-new?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Oct 2019 08:05:29 +0000