Sri Lanka to host South Korea in AR Top 4 opener

Hong Kong have won the championship on five previous occasions

By Shamseer Jaleel

The 2025 Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship, with a direct qualification spot for Rugby World Cup 2027 on the line, will kick-off in Colombo at the Racecourse ground on June 13 when hosts Sri Lanka meet South Korea.

With Japan already qualified, the championship winner will secure their place at the global event. The runner-up will continue their World Cup qualification journey, facing Africa 2 in July, with hopes of advancing to the final qualification tournament in Q4 of 2025. Hong Kong, champions on five previous occasions, are favoured for the direct qualification for RWC 2027 in Australia.

The Sri Lanka national squad reduced to 34 players are under intense training in Colombo under the leadership of its Rugby Director Inthi Marikar. 

In last year’s event Hong Kong were the champions with UAE placed second and South Korea ending third. Malaysia placed fourth lost out to Sri Lanka in the promotion/ relegation encounter which put Sri Lanka into Asia Rugby Top 4 in 2025. Reigning champions Hong Kong China will aim for their sixth consecutive title, while United Arab Emirates, last year’s runners-up, will look to challenge for the top spot. Korea, a perennial contender, will also be a strong competitor in the tournament.

2025 Emirates Men’s Championship Schedule

June 13: Sri Lanka vs South Korea (Colombo)
June 14: UAE vs Hong Kong China (UAE)
June 21: South Korea vs UAE (Incheon, South Korea)
June 22: Hong Kong China vs Sri Lanka (Hong Kong, China)
July 4: Sri Lanka vs UAE (Colombo)
July 5: South Korea vs Hong Kong China (Incheon, South Korea)