Taiwan are to play in Singapore in the Asian Rugby Under-19s Championship from Sunday through Sunday next week, with the tournament winners to represent Asia at the World Rugby Under-20 Trophy in Zimbabwe next year.
Yio Chu Kang Stadium is to see Taiwan, hosts Singapore, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka vie for the lone Asia spot at the second-tier world event, with Taiwan to play Hong Kong at 2:30pm on Sunday, Singapore at 4:30pm on Wednesday and Sri Lanka at 2:30pm on Saturday next week. The remainder of the games are to be played on the same three days.
“I do not know if we can be No. 1 [in Singapore], but we will do our best,” Taiwan hooker Chiang Ren-an said on Wednesday. “We will put on our best performance.”
Chiang picked prop Ye Cheng-you as their side’s best player.
The team leaves for Singapore tomorrow.
Hong Kong are to play for a third consecutive Asian title. Hong Kong have qualified for the past two Under-20 world tournaments, while the world’s top-tier nations are to play in England next year at the Under-20 Championship.
Singapore were promoted from Division I to replace last year’s bottom-ranked side, South Korea. As defending champions, Hong Kong are seeded No. 1 this month.
Hong Kong coach Peter Drewett, who previously coached the England Under-21 side, said the tournament is about development.
“The lovely thing about age-grade rugby is that we get to focus as much on player development as on results,” Drewett said. “Our primary role is to help these players unlock their potential and advance to [Hong Kong] Premiership rugby and ultimately into the [Hong Kong] national team, and that seems to be working.”
However, “rugby is about winning things and it is important for us to reach the World Rugby Under-20 Trophy, so we make no bones about that being our goal,” he added.
Separately, international French bank Natixis is to bring French Top-14 league contenders Racing Metro 92 to Hong Kong for the third time in three seasons to play against defending Super XV champions the Otago Highlanders in the Natixis Rugby Cup next year.
Organized by the Hong Kong Rugby Union and SL Events, the Natixis Rugby Cup is to be held on Feb. 6 at the 11,800-seat Siu Sai Wan Stadium.
“We are delighted to announce the third edition of the Natixis Rugby Cup, which reflects our commitment to supporting rugby and its development in Hong Kong and Asia, and to helping to spread the positive values of rugby,” Natixis CIB Asia Pacific chief executive officer Francois Riahi said.
Racing might include two-time Rugby World Cup champion Dan Carter, who joined the Paris club a few weeks ago. Fresh from winning his third World Rugby Player of the Year award, Carter would prove a major attraction if he makes the trip.
Four Highlanders also played for the All Blacks at the World Cup in halfback Aaron Smith, fullback Ben Smith, winger Waisake Naholo and center Malakai Fekitoa.
Additional reporting by Grant Dexter
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