At the inaugural Asia Pacific Rugby League Championships in Manila, Hong Kong Rugby League lost 44-10 to a solid, well-drilled Philippines side.
The scoreline doesn’t reflect the performance, with Hong Kong featuring 8 debutants. Hong Kong go again on Saturday and hope to come away with 3rd place!
This year’s Cyclethon has been cancelled to allow the government and rescuers to focus their resources on rescue and relief efforts.
Cyclothon
Date: 30 November 2025
Venue: West Kowloon
Tickets: free
More info: registration www.discoverhongkong.com/cyclothon
The rides finish at the Jordan Road Flyover, and a Cyclothon carnival will be held at the West Kowloon Cultural District
WTT Finals
Date: 10-14 December 2025
Venue: HK Coliseum
Tickets: $2,200, $1,500, $1,350, $1,180, $850, $750, $640, $530, $430, $320 from Urbtix
Hong Kong conceded a late equaliser as Bangladesh grabbed a share of the points at the Kai Tak Stadium in front of over 45,000 fans.
Matt Orr scored for Hong Kong, who remain top of the group after 4 games.
Hong Kong v Bangladesh – AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers
Date: 8pm, 14 October, 2025
Venue: Kai Tak Stadium, Hong Kong
images: HKFA
Raphaël Merkies completed his hat-trick in the 11th minute of added time to give Hong Kong all three points with a 4-3 victory over Bangladesh in the AFC Asian Cup qualification game in Dhaka.
Bangladesh v Hong Kong – AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers
Date: 8pm, 9 October, 2025
Venue: Bangladesh National Stadium, Dhaka
images: HKFA
The Black Ferns came into the RWC2025 Semi-Final as defending World Champions and on a massive unbeaten run… Canada, who crowdfunded their World Cup campaign, played a sublime game and handed New Zealand rugby its second thrashing of the week.
Ahead of the game fans and pundits alike expected a close game… Canada dominated in all areas of the pitch and although New Zealand scored a couple of tries midway through the second half to narrow the scoreboard the final score of 34-19 understated Canada’s dominance. Canada head to the final at a sold-out Twickenham on 27 September.
Watch the highlights here
Photos: copyright Simon Durrant/bcmagazine
The popularity, both in-person and among TV viewers, of the ongoing Women’s World Cup has seen World Rugby announce the launch of a new WXV Global Series.
World Rugby, national member unions and the International Rugby Players Association hope the new WXV Global Series will transform the global women’s rugby calendar.
The WXV Global Series introduces a new format featuring the top 18 national teams in the world and looks to increase “meaningful competition and calendar harmony, driving long-term performance and commercial sustainability in the women’s game”.
The top 12-ranked teams (Australia, Canada, England, France, Italy, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, USA, Wales) will compete in a home-and-away, cross-regional touring model within a new September – October international window.
Meanwhile, teams 13-18 (Brazil, Fiji, Hong Kong China, Netherlands, Samoa, Spain) will play their fixtures in a single destination in 2026 and 2028, funded by World Rugby. Rankings to determine positions in the Series were set at the end of WXV 2024 and teams will remain fixed in these through the 2026–28 cycle, as agreed with participating unions.
The structure of the 2027 season will allow teams to face new opponents, with additional fixtures for unions not involved in the British and Irish Lions Women’s Tour to New Zealand.
WXV Global Series overview
Qualification for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2029 in Australia will be determined through a combination of: RWC 2025 standings (with Canada, England, France and New Zealand having qualified after making the semi-finals), eight teams through 2027 regional competition results, two teams through world rankings at the end of the 2027 Global Competition Window, and one final spot decided by the WXV Global Series 2028 centrally hosted competition for teams 13-18, which will function as a Final Qualification Tournament (FQT).
World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson said: “The launch of the WXV Global Series marks another landmark moment for the women’s game, following what will be an era-defining Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, that will change the global landscape for women’s rugby.”
“It delivers on our commitment to raise standards, provide consistent and competitive fixtures, a clear international calendar that prioritises welfare, and create sustainable commercial outcomes for the women’s game globally. Working closely with players and unions, this model creates the platform for women’s rugby to reach its full potential on and off the field.”
Images: Simon Durrant/ bc magazine
Additional reporting: World Rugby
Hong Kong gave Sri Lanka a scare, but a slew of dropped chances meant they could not pull off the upset as Sri Lanka beat Hong Kong by 4 wickets (with 7 balls remaining) in the Men’s T20 Asia Cup.
Nizakat was not out at the crease on 52 off 38 balls at the end. It was his 12th T20I half-century, and his first against a Full Member (ICC or ACC), plus Hong Kong’s second ever fifty at this event. He’d been reprieved twice in the 17th over, bowled by Nuwan Thushara, but with so many wicket left, he was perhaps right to try low-percentage shots. Rath had fallen two runs short of 50, and struck at 104.34. He scored almost exclusively in front of square.
Sri Lanka may have hoped to blow Hong Kong away when they asked them to bat first, but they didn’t have a lot of luck in the early overs. Zeeshan Ali scored boundaries off the outside and inside edge, and Dushmantha Chameera dropped off Thushara’s bowling.
In two disciplines, Hong Kong were valiant. Anshy Rath batted with determination to score 48, and Nizakat Khan with verve to make 52 not out off 38, the pair driving Hong Kong to a total of 149 for 4.
The bowlers then created chances right through the innings. They never allowed Sri Lanka to truly dominate a phase, then took three quick wickets, Yasim Murtaza and Ehsan Khan striking to have Sri Lanka at 127 for 6, needing more than a run-a-ball to win.
But their catching was poor. Nissanka was dropped no fewer than three times – twice by Ehsan, who couldn’t hold sharp return chances. Kusal Perera was also dropped twice in the same Ayush Shukla over, though one of those chances was exceedingly difficult. Had some of those stuck, though, Hong Kong could truly have made Sri Lanka sweat.
In the end, Hong Kong’s bowlers made too many mistakes at the death, and Sri Lanka had the depth to capitalise, Hasaranga making his presence felt from No. 8. He made 20 not out off eight balls. Nissanka had struck 68 off 44.
Men’s T20 Asia Cup
Date: 9-28 September 2025
Venue: Abu Dhabi, Dubai
Scorecards and additional reporting: Cricinfo
