RUGBY FOR GOOD HEADLINES HONG KONG PREMIERSHIP

[Hong Kong, 14 October 2026]: Hong Kong China Rugby (HKCR) officially launched the 2026/27 Rugby For Good Premiership this evening at Pick & Match at AIRSIDE in Kai Tak, with players and club representatives gathering ahead of this Saturday’s season kick-off.

Rugby For Good, HKCR’s Official Charity and social impact partner, becomes the naming partner of both the Men’s and Women’s Hong Kong Premierships for the first time this season, while Nan Fung Group | AIRSIDE continues its support as secondary partner. Going beyond a traditional title sponsorship, this purpose-led partnership links Hong Kong’s premier domestic competitions to Rugby For Good’s mission to help people and communities build resilience through sport. Throughout the Premiership season, Rugby For Good will steer the mental wellbeing initiative, co-created with HKCR and supported by MindHK, designed to promote mental wellbeing, resilience and connection alongside competitive rugby in the community. 

HKCR have worked with amazing individuals and corporations to cover the partnership costs to make it possible for Rugby For Good to provide the mental health support, from matchday engagements to mental health webinars, individual wellbeing check-ins and club capacity-building workshops.

The Season Launch featured the traditional captains’ photoshoot, with players from all six men’s and six women’s teams showcasing their clubs’ 2026/27 playing kits. A player Q&A also gave guests and members of the media the opportunity to hear about each team’s preparations and ambitions for the season ahead. 

Through rugby and play-based programmes, Rugby For Good empowers young people to develop social and emotional skills and realise their potential through sport and education. Rocky Chow, Executive Director of Rugby For Good, welcomed the new partnership:

“Rugby is a vehicle for lasting change. It brings people together, builds confidence and helps young people develop valuable life skills. We are delighted to support the Hong Kong Premiership as its new title sponsor and connect the highest level of the domestic game with our work in the community, building stronger, healthier communities both on and off the field.

“Working alongside HKCR, the clubs and our partners, we look forward to creating more opportunities for people from different backgrounds to connect with the sport, share its values and extending its positive impact beyond the pitch.”

12 TEAMS, A NEW SEASON

The 2026/27 Rugby For Good Hong Kong Premiership will once again feature six men’s teams and six women’s teams. The Men’s Premiership will see Admiralty Asia USRC Tigers, DLA Piper Kowloon Rugby, HKFC Natixis Club, Janus Henderson Sandy Bay, Milwaukee Hong Kong Scottish and Societe Generale Valley RFC compete throughout the season, while Admiralty Asia USRC Tigers, Causeway Sandy Bay, Clement Shield/VetiVa Gai Wu Falcons, DLA Piper Kowloon Rugby, HKFC Natixis Ice and Societe Generale Valley RFC will contest the Women’s Premiership.

The Premiership remains a key part of the pathway to the Hong Kong China representative teams. In 2026, 31 of the 32 players who represented Hong Kong China in the Asia Rugby Men’s Championship had featured in the previous season’s Men’s Premiership. All 26 players selected for the Women’s Asia Rugby Championship squad, along with 28 players in the recent WXV Global Series Challenger squad, had also competed in the Women’s Premiership.

With the Hong Kong China Men’s 15s preparing for their historic first appearance at the Men’s Rugby World Cup in 2027, and the Women’s 15s working towards qualification for the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2029, the Premiership will continue to provide an important platform for players to compete and develop.

High-level domestic competition week in week out, is where the players of the future hone their skills.

Dean McLachlan, HKCR’s Executive Director, Domestic Rugby, said:

“A connected and competitive domestic ecosystem is essential for developing talent. Our youth pathways, community clubs and lower senior grades play a vital role in introducing, developing and retaining players, with the Premiership then providing the platform for them to hone their skills, and push for representative honours.

“As our men’s team builds towards Rugby World Cup 2027 and our women’s team works towards qualification for 2029, we want that momentum to be felt throughout our clubs. That means helping younger players see their next step and encouraging more supporters to come along and watch local rugby. Rugby For Good’s involvement also gives us an opportunity to connect the competition with a wider community and show what our sport can offer beyond the pitch.”

NAN FUNG IMPACT LEAGUE

Alongside the Rugby For Good Premiership, HKCR’s impact work continues through the Nan Fung Impact League, an off-field initiative launched last season by HKCR in partnership with Nan Fung Group and SEWIT Consultancy, supporting Premiership clubs in delivering community, mental health and sustainability programmes. Eight clubs received sponsorship and mentoring, with their programmes assessed on their impact beyond the pitch.

In its inaugural season, the initiative reached more than 4,000 people, including 350 participants in mental health programmes. More than 1,000 items of kit were redistributed and over 1,000kg of waste collected. USRC Tigers were named the inaugural champions at an awards ceremony hosted at AIRSIDE.

 “We thank Nan Fung Group for partnering with HKCR to launch the Nan Fung Impact League and for supporting our clubs in delivering meaningful community initiatives. The inaugural season showed what clubs can achieve beyond matchday, from supporting mental wellbeing to reducing waste and making rugby kit more accessible.

“Congratulations to USRC Tigers on being named the inaugural champions, and thank you to all the clubs, volunteers and leaders who contributed to the programme. We look forward to building on this work in the season ahead,” said McLachlan.

The season kicks off on Saturday 17 October, with three men’s and three women’s fixtures in the opening round. Each team will play against every other team three times across 15 rounds of action, with the League Winner determined by the final standings.

The top four teams will then advance to the knockout stage, with the first-placed team facing fourth place and the second-placed team taking on third place in the semi-finals. League matches will conclude on 6 March 2027, with the Grand Championship Finals scheduled for 20 March 2027.

Looking back at last season, HKFC men completed the double, securing both the League title and Grand Championship. In the Women’s Premiership, Valley claimed the League title, while USRC Tigers lifted the Grand Championship trophy for the first time since 2019.

McLachlan concluded:

 “We are hugely excited about what promises to be a very competitive season in both the men’s and women’s leagues. On behalf of everyone at Hong Kong China Rugby, I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all the players, coaches and referees involved the very best for the season ahead, while acknowledging the tireless efforts of our club officials and volunteers who make the domestic game possible.”

HOW TO FOLLOW

All Rugby For Good Premiership games will be streamed live on the HKCR YouTube Channel, and can be watched back at any time. Asphodel Fitness will also continue its support and will once again bring its popular Player of the Round initiative to the Premiership.

The leagues’ traditional Super Saturdays return to King’s Park Sports Ground, bringing all six teams in each competition together for three back-to-back matches. The men’s event takes place in round two on Saturday 24 October 2026, followed by the women’s event in round three on Saturday 31 October 2026.
●          Men’s results and standings will be updated throughout the season HERE
●          Women’s results and standings will be updated throughout the season HERE