Members of the Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR) men’s Rugby World Cup training squad are in Japan for a two-match warm-up series with Japan Select, an Japan ‘A’ equivalent side comprising players from the nation’s Top League professional competition.
The upcoming games mark the latest interaction between the two Asia rugby powerhouses with HKCR embarking on a similar two-match tour last Autumn, providing a meaningful benchmark for the programme ahead of the Nations Cup and an outing against RWC207 pool mates Chile this July.
HKCR have announced their opening 23-man squad for the first game with several fresh faces in a group that features seven changes from the 23 that faced Portugal last November.
With the ultimate purpose more about growth in performance and the team’s ability to stay competitive against a highly rated Japanese squad playing for places in their own Rugby World Cup squads, the management team are welcoming an intense summer of rugby played on three different continents in the coming 8 weeks.
“These guys in Japan Select have just now come off an 18-game top league season, in which these players would have played the vast majority of games and minutes in that, while some of our players haven’t played a premium game since March – so they are two very different prepared squads coming in,” said HKCR head coach Logan Asplin.
Emerging players like Isaac Campbell-Wu, and HKCR U20s graduates Matteo Avitabile and Max Threlkeld, have all earned places in tomorrow’s opener.
Front rowers Harry Baron, Keelan Chapman, Callum McFeat-Smith and Jude Harding also crack the final 23, alongside No.8 Jack Bartlett in the forwards. Joining Campbell-Wu is Brendon Nell who will backstop for Eric Chiu Wai Lap who will start at scrumhalf against Japan Select. Seven players are rested from the 30-man travel squad.
The tyros will be thrown into the deep end as well with captain and vice captain Josh Hrstich and Tom Hill getting some rest for the opener. Flanker Pierce Mackinlay-West assumes the captaincy once again with Hrstich starting on the reserves bench.
With 17 players in line for debuts with the Hong Kong Select squad playing in the concurrent Asia Rugby championship, opportunities like these are invaluable as Hong Kong draws its plans together for its spot on the rugby world’s biggest stage next year.
As such, the chance for intense competition schedules in short windows is exactly what the coaching team would have wanted from this warm-up tour.
“It is an interesting one because obviously we have played them twice now. They are a very good outfit, so what we need to see is a growth in our performance. They have a pretty strong line-up playing against us, with a number of capped players already, so it will be a tough encounter, and we know that. But this is a chance for us to push through.
“What is really valuable is playing the same opposition twice. We have to work out who can handle the pace at which they play at, and that’s a good litmus test. This is actually an identical test between the two games, so we can work on our combinations and define our starting and big bench roles.
“It also prepares us for the Nations Cup when we play three games on the bounce, plus one before, can learn how to live between those demanding weeks and go game to game, which we can’t do at home,” added Asplin.
The match on Friday, 22 May, kicks off at 1600 Hong Kong time in Ōita. Next Friday, 29 May kick off will be at 0930 Hong Kong time in Fukuoka. Unfortunately, we regret to inform our fans that our matches against Japan Select will only be live-streamed in Japan.
HKCR XV Tour Squad vs Japan Select (21v May 2026):
1. Sunia FAMEITAU; 2. Harry BARON, 3. Keelan CHAPMAN, 4. Lachlan DOHENY, 5. Kyle SULLIVAN; 6. Tyler McNUTT; 7. Pierce MACKINLAY WEST (Captain); 8. Jack BARTLETT, 9. Eric CHUI Wai Lap 10. Joe BARKER, 11. Harry SAYERS, 12. Isaac CAMPBELL-WU, 13. Marcus RAMAGE, 14. Guy SPANTON, 15. Matt WORLEY, 16. Jude HARDING, 17. Rory CINNAMON, 18. Calum MCFEAT-SMITH, 19. James RIVERS, 20. Josh HRSTICH 21. Brendon NELL, 22. Matteo AVITABILE; 23. Max THRELKELD.