Asia Rugby 2025: A Season of Growth, Challenges and New Frontiers As rugby continues its steady rise in Asia, the months of September and October 2025 promise to be pivotal.
Asia Rugby has rolled out a three-tier competition framework that blends youth development, elite sevens competition, and opportunities for emerging nations to climb the ladder. From Inner Mongolia to Hangzhou, Colombo, and Muscat, the calendar reflects both ambition and the realities of building a continental sport across vast, diverse regions. The action begins on September 13–14 in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China, with the Asia Rugby Emirates U18 Boys and Girls Sevens Championship.
More than just another youth competition, it is a pathway event feeding directly into qualification for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
The choice of Hohhot is symbolic. By taking the event to a culturally rich but relatively untapped region, Asia Rugby is aiming to spread the game beyond traditional hubs like Hong Kong, Japan, and the UAE. Looking back at 2024, the UAE’s boys’ side thrashed Hong Kong China 43–0 in the final, while Hong Kong’s girls emerged champions. Those results underscored a growing imbalance the UAE’s dominance in boys’ rugby versus Hong Kong’s balanced strength across genders. This year will be a chance to see if other nations can close the gap and challenge the established powers.
Raising the Stakes: The Expanded Sevens Series
Just a week later, on September 20–21, the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series gets underway in Hangzhou, China, before moving to Colombo, Sri Lanka on October 18–19. This competition is the crown jewel of Asian sevens rugby and has been expanded from eight to 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams. The move reflects a deliberate push towards inclusivity and competitiveness. Importantly, the Series now serves as a direct qualifier for the HSBC SVNS Division 3, part of World Rugby’s revamped global structure. Every try, every conversion, could decide not just regional bragging rights but also a place on the global stage.
Hangzhou’s Normal University Stadium, a legacy venue from the 2023 Asian Games, offers cutting-edge facilities. By contrast, the Colombo leg at the historic Racecourse Stadium reconnects with one of Asia’s oldest rugby traditions. The blend of modernity and heritage highlights Asia Rugby’s vision: expansion without losing identity.
Opportunity in Muscat: The Sevens Trophy
For developing rugby nations, the Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Trophy is the vital gateway. But 2025 has already underlined the hurdles Asia Rugby faces. Originally scheduled as a two-leg event in Mongolia and Oman, the Mongolian leg was cancelled due to spiraling travel costs, leaving Muscat as the lone host on October 25–26. The consolidated tournament at the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex will feature 21 teams from 17 nations 14 men’s and 7 women’s sides. For many, this is the only realistic route towards promotion into the Sevens Series.
Among the entrants is India, competing in the men’s draw. India finished as a Cup semi-finalist in Nepal last year before placing seventh overall. Their target this time is simple: push for promotion and prove they can sustain competitiveness at a higher tier. Yet the cancellation of the Mongolian leg is a sobering reminder: while Asia Rugby’s vision is ambitious, the practicalities of cost and logistics in such a vast region can easily derail plans. Flexibility, as shown by the shift to Oman, is now a key survival trait for organizers.
Asia Rugby’s calendar highlights three big priorities:
- Youth Pathways – structured competition from U18 to U20 ensures athletes develop in a continuous pipeline.
- Elite Growth – the expanded Sevens Series ties directly to global competitions, incentivizing national unions to invest more.
- Inclusivity and Expansion – Muscat hosting its first major rugby event reflects a deliberate attempt to tap new markets in West Asia.
The results are visible. Participation in Asia Rugby sevens competitions has jumped from 36 teams in 2019 to 45 in 2025, with women’s involvement growing from 12 to 19 teams. Yet challenges remain. The cost of travel, uneven funding across unions, and the logistical sprawl of the continent mean even well-designed strategies face obstacles.
The outcomes in September and October won’t just be about medals. They will answer deeper questions:
- Can Asia Rugby’s tiered model create a sustainable talent pipeline?
- Will teams promoted from the Trophy compete credibly in the Series?
- Can the Series winners make their mark in HSBC SVNS Division 3?
If the answers trend positive, Asia Rugby will have proven that its ambitious framework can withstand real-world pressures. If not, it may need to rethink how to balance vision with viability.
The Asia Rugby calendar for September–October 2025 is more than a schedule; it is a stress test of the sport’s future in the continent. From youth tournaments in Hohhot to the expanded Sevens Series in Hangzhou and Colombo, and the Sevens Trophy in Muscat, Asia Rugby has laid out a bold blueprint for growth. But ambition must wrestle with reality. The cancellation of Mongolia’s leg shows how fragile the ecosystem can be. Success will depend not only on the quality of rugby on the pitch but on the federation’s ability to adapt, sustain, and expand.
In many ways, the coming months will determine whether rugby in Asia takes a landmark leap forward or whether it remains a sport of potential yet to be fully realised.
