PUBLISHED ON 24 OCT 2025
An impressive performance by the Japan XV overcame Hong Kong China Men in the first ever rugby 15s match to take place at Kai Tak Stadium, in front of an energetic home crowd of 7,702.
Video Highlights and Photo Gallery
Fans can watch the highlights of the match via the Hong Kong China Rugby YouTube channel. Selected images from the match are shown below, with a full photo gallery - including the best fan snaps loaded to our Digital FanZone - to follow.
Match Report and Reaction
It was a challenging day at the new office for the recently professional Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR) Men’s XV squad as they lost 59-14 to a lightning quick Japan XV last night in the first fifteens match ever at Hong Kong’s new Kai Tak Stadium. Kernels of what the HKCR XV is trying to implement were seen but the moments were too few and far between for the hosts under the spotlights of Kai Tak in front of an announced crowd of 7,702.
The match capped a day-long festival of rugby preceded by the city’s corporate kick-off for the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, the Long Lunch, which was held on the South Terrace at Kai Tak. That was followed by showcase matches from the revived HKCR Dragons development teams, and then the headline match and the debut of a squad drawn from players recently centrally contracted by HKCR to prepare for its first appearance at the Men’s Rugby World Cup in 2027.
Having qualified for RWC as winners of the Asia Rugby Championship (which does not include Japan) HKCR will become the second Asia Rugby union to feature at the men’s World Cup in two years’ time. That privilege comes with a pressing need for the team to play enhanced competition, a result that was well achieved against a Japan side that arrived smarting, but battle hardened from a 71-7 loss to Australia ‘A the weekend prior in Osaka.
They took out those frustrations on Hong Kong China with a nine-try, seven conversion explosion as Japan raced out to a 26-0 lead after 20-minutes, pushing the margin to 33-7 by half-time. Hong Kong China made Japan work harder in the second stanza but once again a lot of the rugby was played in their own half as Japan unleased waves of high-speed attacks on the hosts’ tryline.
Andrew Douglas, HKCR head of Technical Rugby and Coach Development, was forthright in assessing his team’s rough day at the office: "Disappointing, to be perfectly honest.
“We had a good week and training camp in Japan and played against Japanese teams, not quite of this calibre but I was expecting better tonight, and certain individuals will be reflecting on that game. Possibly the bright lights of Kai Tak got to us, but whatever the case it shows that we still have a fair way to go to be where we want to be in the next two years.
“We’ll learn from this. You never like it, of course, we are all competitive player and have a great deal of pride in what we do, but for sure we will learn from this and reflect on it. It has exposed a few areas of our game where we need to be better,” added Douglas.
Hong Kong China started positively with an early foray into Japan’s 22, but the final pass between fullback Matt Worley and flanker Tyler McNutt – with only the wing defence between him and the Japanese try line – went to ground. Coming away with something from that attack may have changed the complexion of the game, but instead Japan methodically moved ball into Hong Kong China’s half for their first try, a simple effort beneath the posts. From there, it was almost all Japan with the hosts having limited time in possession or territory as they were left defending their half for swathes of the game.
Hong Kong China’s tries came from forward play with captain Josh Hrstich managing to crash over for a short-handed score in the 37th minute from in close, after prop Zac Cinnamond was sent to the sinbin. That score came off of a lineout attack by Hong Kong China inside the Japan 22. Dylan McCann, one of five players in the team who made their senior squad debuts in the last fortnight, added the conversion.
The second try came in the 66th minute when hooker Calum Scott barreled over near the posts from second phase play, with flyhalf Gregor McNeish adding the conversion.
“There is still a lot of rugby to play before the Rugby World Cup, but this is an important lesson for us,” said Hong Kong China lock Kyle Sullivan after the match.
“I loved the fight from the boys; we can’t fault that, but we are definitely disappointed in not being able to slow their momentum and get our own momentum established. Some decisions were poor and as a very good and organised team, Japan capitalised on those tonight.”
It doesn’t get easier with the squad’s next match on Saturday 8 November against Brumbies ‘A’ at Hong Kong Football Club, followed by a November Test Match against Portugal in Lisbon on Saturday 15 November.
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