PUBLISHED ON 04 DEC 2025
Hong Kong China Men’s XVs will face All Blacks, hosts Wallabies and Los Condores with the schedule revealed on 3 February.
The Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR) Men’s XVs will be in the spotlight after being drawn into a high-profile Pool A with perennial rugby powerhouses New Zealand, host nation Australia, and Chile for its debut appearance at a Men’s Rugby World Cup in 2027 in Australia.
“It is a massive task and a massive opportunity at the same time. If you could script it to play the All Blacks, but also play the hosts within your pool, as daunting a task as that is, said HKCR Head Coach Logan Asplin after last night’s draw.
“We kind of put stake in the claim around being memorable at the World Cup, and the opportunity to represent Hong Kong China for the first time is massive. It’s a significantly tough pull, but there's not many pools that aren't tough, none if we're honest, so to draw New Zealand and Australia, and to play in front of fairly significant crowds and against teams that are so highly ranked, there's literally no better way to test yourself,” he added.
Hong Kong China is the second Asian team to take part in a Men’s Rugby World Cup after Japan and qualified after winning the Asia Rugby Championship for a sixth straight time in July. Since then, HKCR has initiated a professional player programme and contracted an initial group of 36 players to prepare for their debut tournament appearance.
“The challenge that we have ahead is huge, and there is some serious excitement around it,” said Captain and No. 8 Josh Hrstich.
“The boys can't wait to get to work and try and close that gap between us and those powerhouses. We'reunder no illusions that it's going to be a massive task, but what an opportunity for us to show our unique rugby culture to the world,” he added.
With multiple Rugby World Cup winners in the pool, Hong Kong China will target Chile as its best chance for a result. The two sides are familiar with each other having last met in Talca, Chile in 2024 with the hosts claiming a narrow 22-17 win.
“Chile is one that we think we can have a real good crack against, and we've got some prior exposure against as well. We are under no illusions that it’s going to be a tough fixture. That and our test in Portugal three weeks ago were the two games we’ve played in the last 500 days against opponents that are ranked higher than us, so we are really chasing that exposure to play more meaningful games and more games, essentially, against those band four and band three teams in the World Cup draw.”
That wish will be fulfilled as HKCR ramps up preparations with hopes of playing 10-12 high-quality fixtures per season in the build-up to the Rugby World Cup in 2027. That starts with the Hong Kong China’s qualification for the Nations Cup next June.
Those added competitive opportunities are vital for short-term growth but also for long-term positioning said Asplin:
“It’s important for us that we stake a claim for 2027 but that we also prepare a playing group that can go beyond that into 2031, and beyond. We don't want it to be a one stop shop; we want to build a programme that is resilient enough to continue into future cycles.”
Key to that long-term growth are players like Eric Chui Wai Lap. The 20-year-old scrum-half was one of six players to earn first caps in HKCR’s Test Match last month against Portugal. The talented athlete has only been playing rugby for five years and is staring down the barrel of playing at a Rugby World Cup.
“It’s an amazing feeling. I’ve only been playing awhile, and now I have a chance to represent my home in the biggest event of its kind in the world. Putting on the Hong Kong China jersey for the first time against Portugal was an incredible experience and I’m really proud. I want to make my family and my teammates and all Hong Kong people proud when we get to Australia. We have an opportunity to inspire people with our spirit and our performance and that means a lot to me,” said Chui.
That sentiment was shared by Hrstich, a veteran campaigner for HKCR who earned his 20th cap (all as captain) against Portugal:
“To wear that jersey and represent Hong Kong China on the world stage with a group that's been through so much together you know, Hong Kong's not a huge place and the guys that I go to war with, they're my best mates, so I'm incredibly, incredibly lucky.
“Now that we understand what’s ahead, we can feed off that excitement and carry the momentum forward. Nations Cup into a World Cup, you would have torn your arm off a few years ago to just even get a chance at that, so to be here now with all of this in front of us, I’m very proud of our achievement, and super excited. I can't wait.”
The Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 schedule will be announced on 3 February 2026.
