Hong Kong brace themselves for hostile Chile Rugby World Cup dress rehearsal
City team ready for Vina del Mar encounter with South Americans, with both sides due to do battle again at World Cup in Australia next year
Fifteen months before they encounter Chile in a monumental Rugby World Cup fixture, Hong Kong have been told to brace themselves for a “hostile” dress rehearsal when the teams meet in Vina del Mar on Sunday.
Chile lost all four matches on their first World Cup appearance in 2023, while Hong Kong are poised for their tournament debut next year, and both sides have earmarked their October 2027 encounter in Townsville as an opportunity for a groundbreaking victory.
Joining them in the group are hosts Australia and perennial powerhouses New Zealand.
First, though, Hong Kong have to dust themselves down following a 66-19 crushing by Samoa in their opening Nations Cup match last week, then find a way of taming the Chileans in their intimidating Sausalito Stadium home.
Chile, the world No 17 team, began their campaign with a 48-31 victory over 22nd-ranked Romania last Saturday.
Logan Asplin, Hong Kong’s head coach, who will welcome back captain Josh Hrstich from injury this weekend, said: “When you watch Chile, they are really cohesive. You pair that with South American passion and then probably what is going to be a sold-out crowd … 25,000 people would be pretty hostile, so it’s a massive challenge for us to take on.”