Asia Rugby Championship: World Cup spot and future of Hong Kong women’s rugby at stake in crunch Kazakhstan clash
- Hong Kong and Kazakhstan are vying for the ARC runners-up spot after both teams were beaten by Japan
- Head coach Royce Chan and captain Pun Wai-yan both played for Hong Kong at the 2017 Rugby World Cup
The health of Hong Kong women’s rugby is on the line when the city clashes with Kazakhstan in a crunch Asia Rugby Championship (ARC) match on Saturday.
Japan claimed the ARC title when they followed up an opening victory over Hong Kong with a 64-0 rout of the Kazakhs on Monday.
However, the runners-up gain entry into WXV3, the third tier of the elite global competition, which provides a pathway to the 2025 Rugby World Cup – hence the importance of this match.
The value Hong Kong have placed on WXV3 qualification is an open secret, after a host of leading sevens players skipped a Challenger Series event to prepare for the ARC.
Hong Kong’s captain, Pun Wai-yan, who played at the 2017 World Cup, said: “Reaching the World Cup is the final goal, but during the whole journey our motivation is to get a new generation involved in women’s rugby.
“This is our last chance to qualify for WXV3 … if we get there, we hope there will be more exposure for Hong Kong rugby. It will mean more game time to build our strength and confidence, then we want to get the final ticket for the World Cup. We want people to realise Hong Kong are getting to world level.”
