https://www.scmp.com/rss/322559/feed The Asia Rugby Championship 2016 is the continent’s top-level international 15s competition with a Top Three men’s division featuring Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea playing a full home-and-away round-robin tournament. All men’s matches in 2016 have full Test status with world ranking points up for grabs. The 2016 edition of the Women’s Asia Rugby Championship Top Three tournament involves only Japan and Hong Kong following the withdrawal of 2015 runners-up Kazakhstan. The defending champions... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com More player depth and a stronger domestic competition are at the top of Hong Kong coach Leigh Jones’ wish list after his side finished the Asia Rugby Championship on a high on Saturday. Hong Kong turned in their most impressive performance of the series to brush aside South Korea 41-15, but Jones was already looking forward ahead of a three-week break for the team. “We’d like more player depth, we’d like a more intense domestic competition, so this jump from club rugby to international rugby... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1965360/work-progress-hong-kong-thrash-south-korea-end-asia-rugby-championship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1965360/work-progress-hong-kong-thrash-south-korea-end-asia-rugby-championship?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jun 2016 15:30:45 +0000 When Hong Kong captain Nick Hewson starts talking about the likes of Might and Power and Ethereal, it quickly becomes clear his background in thoroughbreds is more than just a bush hobby. When Might and Power won the Melbourne Cup I was working at Windsor Park Stud [in Cambridge] Nick Hewson From a family of horse lovers, Hewson spent school holidays and any other chance he got during his teenage years working on high-profile racehorse studs in New Zealand. Born and bred in Taranaki in the North... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1964110/how-hong-kong-captain-nick-hewson-became-rugby-thoroughbred?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1964110/how-hong-kong-captain-nick-hewson-became-rugby-thoroughbred?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jun 2016 10:45:00 +0000 Hong Kong coach Leigh Jones has made five changes to his starting 15 from last week’s loss to Japan as his charges prepare to battle for second place against South Korea in the 2016 Asia Rugby Championship finale at Hong Kong Football Club on Saturday. Captain Nick Hewson returns as flanker after starting on the bench in Tokyo while lock Paul Dwyer, flanker Toby Fenn, scrum-half Jamie Hood and winger Salom Yiu Kam-shing are all back. Lex Kaleca and Finlay Field also come in and will start on the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1963190/hong-kong-push-finish-high-asia-rugby-championship-finale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1963190/hong-kong-push-finish-high-asia-rugby-championship-finale?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jun 2016 17:30:30 +0000 The new Super Rugby format has copped it from all angles this season, with every man and his dog offering their opinion on what is wrong with the current structure. It may not be perfect but it is definitely not all bad, and there are not many competitions around the world that can offer as many as nine games over a weekend without a single clash in scheduling. It’s a dream set-up for rugby mad fans, even if not all of the matches are worth waiting up for. The finals structure that looks set to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1963158/super-opportunity-under-fire-southern-hemisphere-championship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1963158/super-opportunity-under-fire-southern-hemisphere-championship?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Jun 2016 16:45:30 +0000 Hong Kong will enter next weekend’s must-win match against South Korea knowing a patchy performance like the one they delivered in Saturday’s 59-17 loss to Japan in Tokyo simply won’t cut it. We just can’t maintain the intensity for 80 minutes. We end up looking an ordinary team, with lots of errors Hong Kong coach Leigh Jones Victory against the Koreans will ensure Hong Kong finish second in the Asia Rugby Championship, a result crucial to their continued progression, but there is plenty of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1957824/hong-kong-show-early-fight-japans-class-wins-out-asia-rugby-championship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1957824/hong-kong-show-early-fight-japans-class-wins-out-asia-rugby-championship?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 May 2016 10:45:00 +0000 Japan delivered a complete all-round performance in beating Hong Kong 30-3 to capture the 2016 Women’s Asia Rugby Championship title in Tokyo on Saturday – but Hong Kong coach Jo Hull was quick to praise the “character” of her charges. Despite the final scoreline, Hong Kong showed plenty of fight and turned in a vastly improved performance to their opening 39-3 loss to the Sakura 15, and it was a lacklustre final 20 minutes that cost the visiting team dearly. “The character was there today,”... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1957338/coach-hull-praises-squads-character-hong-kong-women-concede?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1957338/coach-hull-praises-squads-character-hong-kong-women-concede?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 May 2016 06:45:00 +0000 It may sound like a strange thing to say given the opponent, but Hong Kong should enter this week’s Asia Rugby Championship match against Japan feeling less pressure than when they played South Korea two weeks ago. Of course the opposition is harder, but the situation should be one that has the players salivating. The game against South Korea was a must-win to show that indeed the elite rugby programme investment was reaping the necessary rewards. That pressure was certainly evident and at times... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1955850/all-change-japan-clash-gives-revamped-hong-kong-chance-show-how?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1955850/all-change-japan-clash-gives-revamped-hong-kong-chance-show-how?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 May 2016 13:45:30 +0000 Alex Ng Wai-shing’s sporting journey has taken him from a soccer-playing schoolboy to the front row of the Hong Kong rugby team, becoming Hong Kong’s most capped Chinese player along the way. On Saturday, Ng will record another milestone, breaking the record for games played since the 1997 handover to China, in the Asia Rugby Championship against Japan in Tokyo. It is a massive achievement for the bustling prop and has coach Leigh Jones excited. “I think it’s great for rugby and great for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1955150/chinese-trailblazer-alex-ng-puts-his-rugby-skills-test-against?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1955150/chinese-trailblazer-alex-ng-puts-his-rugby-skills-test-against?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 May 2016 07:30:15 +0000 Japan all but secured their second consecutive Asia Rugby Championship in Incheon on Saturday with a 60-3 mauling of South Korea. While Hong Kong can still mathematically level the series with bonus-point wins in their last two games, three bonus-point wins have left the Brave Blossoms with one hand firmly on the silverware. Japan entered the match with a 23 that included five debutants and a host of changes from their last outing. Interim coach Ryuji Nakatake said he was pleased with the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1949957/rampant-japan-demolish-south-korea-60-3-asia-rugby-championship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1949957/rampant-japan-demolish-south-korea-60-3-asia-rugby-championship?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 May 2016 15:15:30 +0000 Hong Kong ran in seven tries in a 40-7 away romp over Singapore on Saturday in a confidence-boosting warm-up game ahead of the second and final leg of the 2016 Women’s Asia Rugby Championship series against Japan. A hot start at Singapore’s covered National Stadium saw Hong Kong get on the scoreboard score within 60 seconds through Natasha Olson-Thorne – captain of the Hong Kong sevens squad who was playing at outside centre for the 15s team. A second try came just eight minutes later through... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1946052/red-hot-hong-kong-rebound-japan-defeat-stunning-seven-try?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1946052/red-hot-hong-kong-rebound-japan-defeat-stunning-seven-try?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 16 May 2016 13:21:39 +0000 Hong Kong got the points against South Korea in Incheon on Saturday but didn’t do enough to suggest genuinely challenging Japan is likely to happen any time soon, according to coach Leigh Jones. Unless we get consistency across the board in our set piece, we’re always going to hop, skip and jump our way to those types of victories Leigh Jones, Hong Kong coach That is the stark reality after Hong Kong gave up a 12-point lead in the second half and required a brilliant Ben Rimene try in the final... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1944744/late-ben-rimene-try-gives-hong-kong-victory-over-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1944744/late-ben-rimene-try-gives-hong-kong-victory-over-south-korea?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 May 2016 06:15:00 +0000 Hong Kong women’s coach Jo Hull has selected a largely unchanged squad from last week’s home Test against Japan for this weekend’s clash with Singapore which will serve as the opener for the Sunwolves’ final match to be played at their “other” home. Before the Japanese Super Rugby newcomers battle to avenge last month’s 19-46 loss to South Africa’s Stormers, Hong Kong will take on Singapore at the National Stadium as they prepare for round two of the 2016 Women’s Asia Rugby Championship in Tokyo... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1944594/coach-hull-keeps-faith-against-lionesses-hong-kong-women-open?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1944594/coach-hull-keeps-faith-against-lionesses-hong-kong-women-open?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 May 2016 10:30:00 +0000 It is time for Hong Kong’s newfound fitness and strength to translate into something tangible on the field after a solid, but uninspiring start to their Asia Rugby Championship (ARC) campaign. The benefits of the elite rugby programme have been well documented – players are operating to a level of professionalism never before seen in Hong Kong 15s rugby – but it hasn’t resulted in tries. We are making definite strides in terms of fitness and speed, but we also have to transfer that into direct... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1944462/hong-kong-players-must-translate-newfound-fitness-tries-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1944462/hong-kong-players-must-translate-newfound-fitness-tries-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 May 2016 16:30:15 +0000 We stuck the yardstick out and poked it in the ground. We now know the level we need to get to and we will be better for having the first game under our belts. The first test match in our 2016 Asia Rugby Championship campaign, last weekend against Japan, was a good wake-up call for the team, not only in terms of intensity but also in the dynamic of maintaining our skill levels against elite competition under pressure. The match highlighted the importance of keeping the accuracy and peak... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1944449/lessons-learned-more-cohesive-hong-kong-planning-fast-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1944449/lessons-learned-more-cohesive-hong-kong-planning-fast-start?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 May 2016 13:30:15 +0000 It’s all on the line for Hong Kong this weekend and they must be feeling the pressure on the inside, even if they aren’t showing it on the outside. Their match against South Korea in Incheon on Saturday presents the first real moment of truth for the side’s progress under the recently implemented elite rugby programme. It’s early days – they are only about six months into a plan that coach Leigh Jones wants to build on over the next two to three years – but success must start now. Jones and Hong... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1944061/its-time-deliver-elite-athletes-do?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1944061/its-time-deliver-elite-athletes-do?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 May 2016 07:45:45 +0000 WATCH: Men’s ARC round five highlights – Japan 59-17 Hong Kong (28 May in Tokyo): WATCH: Women’s ARC final round highlights – Japan 30-3 Hong Kong (28 May in Tokyo): WATCH: Men’s ARC round five preview – Japan v Hong Kong: WATCH: Women’s ARC final round preview – Japan v Hong Kong: WATCH: Men’s ARC round four highlights – South Korea 3-60 Japan (21 May in Incheon): WATCH: Men’s ARC round four preview – South Korea v Japan: WATCH: Men’s ARC round three highlights – South Korea 27-34... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/play-week/article/1942177/watch-highlights-2016-asia-rugby-championship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/play-week/article/1942177/watch-highlights-2016-asia-rugby-championship?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 May 2016 13:30:15 +0000 Hong Kong will look to next weekend’s match with South Korea with confidence after a tough Asia Rugby Championship hit-out against Japan on Saturday. The 38-3 score-line in favour of the visitors would suggest a one-sided affair, but Hong Kong’s work ethic and fight could not be questioned. “It was a contest, we can get something out of that,” said Hong Kong coach Leigh Jones. “Recent games against Japan have been nothing games. At least today it’s a contest and I think it makes the competition... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1942143/hong-kong-fall-38-3-japan-asia-rugby-championship?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1942143/hong-kong-fall-38-3-japan-asia-rugby-championship?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 May 2016 11:45:00 +0000 It’s back to the drawing board for Hong Kong women’s coach Jo Hull after her team were outmuscled and outclassed by a slick Japan outfit in the opening match of the 2016 Women’s Asia Rugby Championship on Saturday. Hosts Hong Kong entered the game looking to play with freedom and flair but were not allowed to find their groove in a 39-3 loss at Hong Kong Football Club. “This is our first game in a very long year so we’ll keep working,” Hull said. “We’ve got to go back now and we’ve got to start... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1942134/hong-kong-women-outmuscled-and-outclassed-japan-asia-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1942134/hong-kong-women-outmuscled-and-outclassed-japan-asia-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 May 2016 09:00:45 +0000 There is not a single player from Japan’s 2015 World Cup squad stepping out at the Hong Kong Football Club on Saturday for their Asia Rugby Championship test against the hosts – but that is where the differences end for Hong Kong coach Leigh Jones. Despite the new faces, Jones said he was expecting to face a side very much in the same mould as the Japan team who shocked the rugby world with a thrilling upset over South Africa last September. There needs to be a lot of credit given there to the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1941962/new-look-same-threat-hong-kong-coach-leigh-jones-wary-japans?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1941962/new-look-same-threat-hong-kong-coach-leigh-jones-wary-japans?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 May 2016 11:30:30 +0000 With the exhilaration of his Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens debut behind him Valley wing Ryan Meacheam is itching to take the field ahead of his 15-a-side bow for Hong Kong. After a dominant season out wide for HKRU Premiership league and Grand Championship winners Societe Generale Valley, Meacheam will add another dimension to a Hong Kong side who tackle Japan in the Asia Rugby Championship (ARC) at Hong Kong Football Club on Saturday. It’s my second home now and it will be good to chuck... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1941572/hong-kongs-ryan-meacham-itching-hit-ground-running-his-15s-debut-against?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1941572/hong-kongs-ryan-meacham-itching-hit-ground-running-his-15s-debut-against?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 May 2016 12:45:00 +0000 Hong Kong head coach Jo Hull on Wednesday named a 28-member squad loaded with players from the HKRU Premiership’s top two clubs as preparations heat up for the truncated 2016 Women’s Asia Rugby Championship (WARC) which kicks off this weekend. This year’s regional Top Three competition will involve only Hong Kong and Japan – playing a home-and-away series – after perennial contenders Kazakhstan withdrew from the competition for reasons which are still unclear. The Hong Kong women kick-off their... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1941398/hong-kong-womens-coach-jo-hull-picks-experienced-squad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1941398/hong-kong-womens-coach-jo-hull-picks-experienced-squad?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 May 2016 14:30:30 +0000 A significant increase in fitness, power and strength is what it will take for Hong Kong to be consistently competitive against the best, according to coach Leigh Jones. We will certainly become more professional as a group and that will be added to by the influx of players Hong Kong coach Leigh Jones This is just one of the things that has become evident to Jones in his return to the Hong Kong coaching role after a stint in Japan as Eddie Jones’ assistant. “We have talked about needing to be... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1941385/fitness-power-and-strength-key-hong-kong-being-competitive-top-flight?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1941385/fitness-power-and-strength-key-hong-kong-being-competitive-top-flight?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 May 2016 12:15:00 +0000 Another Asia Rugby Championship has begun with Japan picking up where they left off last November after their most successful Rugby World Cup under the directorship of Eddie Jones and Hong Kong’s recently returned head coach Leigh Jones. The 85-0 scoreline against South Korea on the opening weekend was a big surprise to everyone involved with Hong Kong. Japan, arguably selecting a “B” team fielding 17 new caps with front-line players committed to Super Rugby with the newly formed Sunwolves and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1941118/fresh-japans-history-making-world-cup-campaign-leigh-jones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1941118/fresh-japans-history-making-world-cup-campaign-leigh-jones?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 May 2016 08:15:30 +0000 ARC Top Three 2016 standings Pos Team P W D L PF PA PD TB LB Pts 1 Japan 4 4 0 0 242 23 219 4 0 20 2 Hong Kong 4 2 0 2 95 139 -44 2 0 10 3 South Korea 4 0 0 4 45 220 -175 1 1 2 KEY: P-played; W-win; D-draw; L-loss; PF-points for; PA-points against; PD-points difference; TB-tries bonus (1 point for scoring four or more tries in a match); LB-losing bonus (1 point for a loss by seven points or better); Pts-competition points (W-4, D-2, L-0) ARC Top Three 2016 fixtures &... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1940258/asia-rugby-championship-2016-results-standings?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1940258/asia-rugby-championship-2016-results-standings?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Apr 2016 15:45:45 +0000 Rampant Japan pulverised South Korea 85-0 in their Asian Rugby Championship opener on Saturday, giving the national set-up a boost after stuttering progress since last year's World Cup heroics. Dubbed "Baby Japan" with 17 uncapped players drafted in and not one member of their World Cup squad available due to club commitments overseas, the new-look Japanese side romped to a record victory over the Koreans with embarrassing ease. All the players were quick out of the blocks and we managed to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1940168/moustache-rebel-yamanaka-orchestrates-12-try-romp-japan-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1940168/moustache-rebel-yamanaka-orchestrates-12-try-romp-japan-over?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Apr 2016 08:30:30 +0000 Japan will use the Asia Rugby Championship to try to regain some lost momentum since last year’s Rugby World Cup heroics, beginning with Saturday’s home opener against South Korea. The Brave Blossoms, who sensationally won three pool matches at the 2015 RWC in England, have drafted in several players from Tokyo-based Super Rugby side the Sunwolves for a game they will be expected to win comfortably. Openside flanker Taiyo Ando, involved in last weekend’s 36-28 victory over the Jaguares, will... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1940165/faltering-japan-look-asia-rugby-championship-jump-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1940165/faltering-japan-look-asia-rugby-championship-jump-start?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Apr 2016 07:30:30 +0000