News and Features
Teams announced for Cable & Wireless Hong Kong Women’s Rugby Sevens 2010
04 Mar 2010
The twelve participating teams for the Cable & Wireless Worldwide Hong Kong Women’s Rugby Sevens 2010 (HKWRS) have been announced today by the tournament organizers. The event will be held on Friday March 26, 2010 at the Hong Kong Football Club with the Cup final being played at 7.04pm in the Hong Kong Stadium as part of the Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens 2010.
Pools and match schedule set for IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy 2010
08 Feb 2010
With just over 100 days to go until the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy 2010 kicks off, the International Rugby Board has announced the Pools and Match Schedule for the key age grade tournament at a launch in Moscow today.
Teams announced for Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens 2010
29 Jan 2010
The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union today announced the 24 international teams taking part in the Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens 2010.
Invictus
11 Jan 2010
Released last month in the United States and coming to a screen near you soon, wherever you live, ‘Invictus’ is the 2009 biographical drama film based on Nelson Mandela’s life during the 1995 Rugby World Cup Finals in South Africa.
Japan snatch victory from the jaws of defeat
08 Dec 2009
Japan edged Hong Kong 26-24 in a thrilling men’s gold medal match at the 2009 East Asian Games in Hong Kong this afternoon. In the women’s competition, China continued its run of impressive results beating Japan 34-12 in the gold medal match to finish the competition undefeated.
SA Vipers reign supreme
10 Nov 2009
South African Vipers took the top spot in the Albitt Cup as the reigning champions after edging out Fiji’s Davetelavu in a thrilling finish to the 62nd Singapore Cricket Club Rugby 7s 2009. They beat the Fijians in a score of 24-0 when the final whistle blew.
Welcome to Rugby in Japan. Japan is Asia’s stronghold in men’s rugby with their national team being ranked 16th in the world (12th June 2009). The game has been played in Japan since the late nineteenth century.
Since 2003 there has been a semi-professional league in Japan (called the Top League) and many full-time foreign professionals have played for its teams. Rugby is also widely played in schools and universities throughout the country and there are more than 3,600 clubs with over 120,000 active players.
The national women’s team has played international games since 1991, qualifying for the Women’s Rugby World Cup on all but one occasion.
Japan is hosting the I.R.B. Junior World Championships in 2009 and is currently bidding to host either the 2015 or 2019 Rugby World Cup Finals.
Follow the links to discover more about rugby in Japan.
Other News
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Kazakhstan Completes Women’s Rugby World Cup 2010 Field
Kazakhstan is the 12th and final team to qualify for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2010 after beating Japan 43-5 today in Singapore. Hong Kong beat Singapore 16-3 in the curtain-raiser to take third place overall in the Asian Women’s XVs.
09 Nov 2009
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Sherer bags four as Kazakhstan and Japan advance
The fight to determine Asia’s sole entry to the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England in 2010 has narrowed to two teams after today’s first round of the Women’s Rugby World Cup Quarterfinals 2010 in Singapore. Japan the second seeds in the qualification tournament, eased by the hosts 35-11 in the opener today, while Kazakhstan routed Hong Kong 58-14.
05 Nov 2009
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Kazakhs are the team to beat
The qualifying games for the twelfth and final place in the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2010 will start today in Singapore. Two semi-finals will take place at the Republic Polytechnic, with the winners playing each other on Friday at the Padang, for the honour of representing Asia in England next August.
04 Nov 2009
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Japan lift cup, while minnows impress
Japan gained revenge over Shanghai Sevens champions Korea, in a tight cup semi-final and then gave a polished performance against an injury ridden Hong Kong in the final to lift the Borneo Sevens Cup and top the Asian Rugby Sevens Series ranking table after the two qualifying tournaments.
03 Nov 2009
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A passage to the Hong Kong Sevens?
The Asian Rugby Sevens Series road-show moves on to the Malaysian city of Kota Kinabalu this weekend for the Borneo Sevens.
30 Oct 2009
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Bledisloe in Tokyo
Of all rugby fans, few people know, or even care who Englishman Charles Bathurst was. For the record, he was the Governor General of New Zealand from 1930 to 1935 and was a very important figure in the history of race relations between the native people of the New Zealand islands, the Maori, and their colonial counterparts, the Pakeha (Europeans). But rather than Charles Bathurst, the name people best remember this good man for is "Lord Bledisloe", the title bestowed upon him in 1935 that took the name of a rugby match that he organized in 1931 (won incidentally by his "home" side, New Zealand). Ever since, his name has been writ in rugby lore.
22 Oct 2009
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Partner with Rugby in Asia
Rugby in Asia is actively seeking partner companies in order to sustain the growth of the site and thereby give rugby union the publicity, in the Asia / Middle East region, that it richly deserves. This is an opportunity to receive wide-ranging promotion of your company whilst, also showing solid support for the game you love.
19 Oct 2009
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Japan finish preparation for World Cup Qualifiers
The Japan women’s rugby side have returned from their mini-tour of Canada which was designed to help them prepare for November’s Asian World Cup Qualifiers. The winner of Japan versus Singapore and Hong Kong versus Kazakhstan in November will play for the lone qualifying position for the 2010 Women’s World Cup. The 11 teams already qualified are England, New Zealand, France, South Africa, Canada, USA, Ireland, Wales, Sweden, Scotland and Australia.
06 Oct 2009
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Korea steals the show
Korea beat its fiercest rugby rival Japan twice in the past 24 hours to take the gold medal at the first ever Asian Rugby Sevens Series event, the Shanghai Sevens, held yesterday and today at the Shanghai Rugby Club. In the 3rd/4th place decider Hong Kong topped Chinese Taipei 24-10.
14 Sep 2009
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Two years to go
Exactly two years today the Rugby World Cup 2011 will kick off in Auckland, New Zealand with the first game being the hosts taking on Tonga.
09 Sep 2009
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More than rugby at this year’s SCC 7’s
The Singapore Cricket Club International Rugby 7s Tournament may be in its 62nd year but the SCC organising committee is not resting on its laurels. Although the annual event is widely known amongst those in the rugby fraternity, the committee this year has sought to expand the SCC 7s to beyond the sport alone. With lifestyle and entertainment additions, the weekend promises a carnival-like atmosphere that has something for everyone.
27 Aug 2009
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The fatter the better
There are not many sports in the world where being as fat and as heavy as possible can give you the edge. One of them is sumo and although power, technique and balance are all prerequisites to reach the top echelons of the ancient Japanese sport, weight is considered to be hugely advantageous.
26 Aug 2009
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Olympic return is within touching distance
Rugby seems set to return to the Olympic Games in 2016. The International Olympic Committee’s executive board voted to include rugby sevens and golf at its Berlin executive board meeting yesterday.
14 Aug 2009
