Rugby World Cup 2023 with an expanded 24-team line-up will boost Hong Kong’s hopes of qualifying
World Rugby chief Brett Gosper says the body is looking to enhance the tournament in France as long as teams can be competitive
The Hong Kong’s men’s rugby team would be among the major beneficiaries of an expanded Rugby World Cup, with World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper suggesting the tournament could feature 24 teams for the 2023 edition in France.
However, expectations must be tempered by the need to ensure that teams who have qualified for the finals are of a certain standard to prevent lopsided scores.
Hong Kong are ranked 21st in World Rugby’s latest men’s rankings and will take part in a repechage in Marseille in November against Canada, Germany and Kenya with the winners becoming the 20th and final qualifiers for the Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan.
“Hong Kong has made significant investment in performance rugby over the past few years, and qualification for both the men’s and women’s World Cups is one of our strategic plan objectives, so we certainly welcome the suggestion of an expanded competition,” Hong Kong Rugby Union chief executive Robbie McRobbie said.
“As Brett says, though, it’s critical that all participating teams are competitive, so building a framework that facilitates performance development year round must go hand in hand with an enlarged RWC, or we will inevitably see more blowouts.”