Rugby World Cup qualification changes ‘a huge opportunity’ for Hong Kong, officials say
- Winners of 2025 Asia Rugby Championship will automatically qualify for tournament, runners up will get second chance through repechage
Hong Kong captain Josh Hrstich said reaching a Rugby World Cup would be a “dream come true” after the game’s global governing body handed the city’s team a direct route into the tournament.
On Tuesday, World Rugby announced a change to the worldwide qualification process for the 2027 World Cup, giving the winners of the Asia Rugby Championship (ARC) – which Hong Kong have dominated for the past five years – an automatic spot in the global tournament.
Officials also said they were considering linking that process to the debut season of the Nations Championship Division 2, in 2026, which would mean “an unprecedented opportunity for all qualified teams to access a high level of competition to prepare for rugby’s showcase event”.
Chris Brooke, the chairman of Hong Kong China Rugby, said his organisation “welcomed the news” and that competing in a men’s World Cup “had long been an ambition” for the city’s team.
The news marked “a huge opportunity” for all teams in Asia, he added.
The 2027 tournament in Australia will be the first to feature 24 teams, and with 12 having already qualified, the rest will be determined through a new global qualification process, with all six regions getting at least one spot.
