Hong Kong will play host for the WXV Global Series Challenger 2026 from 13 September to 26 September 2026, with the tournament’s nine matches to be played as three triple-header matchdays all to be held at the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground. The announcement comes on the morning of the final day of a spectacular 50th Anniversary edition of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, giving fans more top-level representative rugby to look forward to in the city later this year.
World Rugby’s single-destination tournament features the women’s 15s rugby teams who are ranked from 13th to 17th in the world, alongside Brazil who qualified through competing in the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. It is part of the recently announced WVX Global Series, designed to transform the women’s international calendar from 2026 to 2028.
Results on the Series will help shape the qualification pathway to the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2029 in Australia, with Hong Kong China hoping to return to the biggest stage in world rugby, which they appeared on at the Women’s World Cup 2017 in Ireland.
Hong Kong China earned their place on the WXV Global Series as the 16th-placed team in World Rugby’s global rankings when the seedings were set at the conclusion of WVX 2024, and will remain fixed through the 2026-28 cycle. They will welcome Brazil, Fiji, the Netherlands, Samoa and Spain to Hong Kong for a festival of rugby comprising nine matches spread over three weekends. Brazil, Fiji, Samoa and Spain all played at the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, a testament to the quality of rugby fans in Hong Kong can expect later this year.
The 2025 Policy Address by Hong Kong Chief Executive Mr John KC Lee pledged to continue supporting elite sports and to maintain Hong Kong as a centre for major international sports events. Hong Kong China Rugby CEO, James Farndon, commented:
“Building on the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens move to Kai Tak Stadium in March 2025, the successful delivery of the Rugby Sevens competition at the 15th National Games in November 2025, and now an incredible 50th Anniversary of the Hong Kong Sevens – this event presents another great opportunity to entertain rugby fans, engage new fanbases and inspire people to play our sport. These events also bring a significant economic impact, with the 2025 Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens reporting this at $97 Million USD to the Hong Kong economy, as well as paving the way for us to bring more events to Hong Kong in future.
“I’d like to thank World Rugby for the opportunity to bring what should be a wonderful tournament to Hong Kong. We are also grateful for the support we receive from the Hong Kong government each year, as well as to Kai Tak Sports Park, which makes hosting major events like the WXV Global Series Challenger possible.”
Hong Kong China appeared at WXV 3 in 2024 (the previous WXV format had three divisions of six teams), in doing so narrowly missing out on qualification for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in England. Since then, the team came runners-up in the Asia Rugby Championship 2025 in Japan before winning the 3 Lander Cup invitational tournament in Germany in November 2025. Farndon continued:
“Playing top-level representative rugby on home soil presents a fantastic focal point for the women’s and girls’ game in Hong Kong. In addition to our men’s XVs qualifying for Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia, this tournament will enable us to maintain a positive strategic emphasis on both men’s and women’s rugby.”
Hong Kong China Rugby Hall of Famer Royce Chan, who was the Head Coach of the Women’s XVs from 2022 to 2024 and now leads several HKCR development programmes for women, looked ahead to the WXV event:
“There is nothing quite like playing in front of a home crowd. I remember in 2024 when our Women’s 15s played at home to qualify for the WXV3 competition, the raw emotion on the field and the smiling faces in the stands were incredible. For our players – most of whom balance elite rugby with full-time jobs – playing three representative matches at home against world-class opponents will be a real highlight.
“A strong domestic season is the engine room for our representative team, supported by HKCR’s investment in Women’s Club Coaching Officers at each team. In 2024/25 we’ve seen lots of overseas talent join the Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE Premiership, which helped our local players step up physically and tactically. The Asia Rugby Women’s Championship in Kazakhstan will also help springboard the team into WXV.
“Seeing the senior team compete on a global stage in Hong Kong makes the dream feel ‘real’ and attainable for future stars across Hong Kong. Our development programmes are all about building a bridge, including our new Dragons programme which provides opportunities for both emerging players and female coaches to elevate their game, preparing us for the next level of league and international competitions.”
