WXV CHALLENGER SERIES CREATES LASTING LEGACY FOR WOMEN'S RUGBY IN HONG KONG

The hosting of the inaugural World Rugby WXV Global Challenger Series in Hong Kong has delivered a lasting impact on women's sport in Hong Kong. 

Hong Kong China Rugby supported the successful staging of this debut women’s rugby event with a comprehensive legacy programme focused on participation, development, leadership and visibility.

On the pitch the Hong Kong China Women’s team did the city proud battling to fourth overall in a tough field of international teams.

“In the WXV we've learnt what we're capable of,” said Tanya Dhar, the team’s leading scorer in the WXV Global Challenger. 

“If you saw us three months ago, I don't think you would have thought that we would even put up a fight against teams like this. The way we've come along, and the fight we show - we're really a never say die team - we might not be the biggest, or the fastest, but we are a bunch of girls that are willing to put their body on the line and work for each other and we can get through a lot together,” Dhar added.

That impact is being felt off the pitch as well, with large numbers of the over 8,000 cumulative spectators consisting of young girls from Hong Kong’s thriving mini and youth communities. 

In keeping with HKCR’s vision that hosting major events should leave benefits far beyond the final whistle, the programme engaged players, coaches, analysts, content creators and community leaders across a range of targeted initiatives over the three-week tournament.

Key achievements included:

• 250 girls aged U9-U12 participating in the Mini WXV festival, designed to support retention during a critical stage of the rugby pathway. 
• 80 coaching and strength & conditioning shadowing opportunities, providing local coaches with access to international team environments.
• 13 club content creators receiving professional training to strengthen storytelling and community engagement across Hong Kong rugby. 
• Four local performance analysts gaining hands-on experience with six international teams across 25 training and match sessions. 
• A successful Women in Rugby Summit, which brought together leaders and advocates to discuss equity, governance, leadership and women's health. 

The programme also extended the visibility of women's rugby beyond the stadium through city-wide promotion across Hong Kong's MTR and tram networks, and received almost 4M views on their social content, helping introduce the sport to new audiences. 

"This legacy programme demonstrated how international events can strengthen the local game by creating meaningful opportunities for participation, learning and leadership," said Jamie Farndale, General Manager of Club Development and Sustainability, Hong Kong China Rugby. 

"The experiences and connections created through WXV will continue to benefit the rugby community long after the tournament has ended,” he added.

The most immediate benefit for the HKCR representative team is a chance to be back in action in front of the team’s rabid home support.  On 21 November, the HKCR Women’s XV will play Tonga in the first of a doubleheader against the Pacific Island rugby powerhouse at the Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground.

World Class Rugby Returns to Hong Kong on 21 November

The Tonga match on 21 November will be a doubleheader with the HKCR Men’s and Women’s XVs both in action.  The women will play their fourth test of the year at home after their successful participation in the WXV Global Series Challenger in September. Hong Kong Rugby fans can purchase their tickets via the public sale beginning at 10:00am on 2 November 2026. 

Diehard fans can now purchase tickets for this exciting fixture at hkrugby.com. Reserved seating for the matches is HK$250, with Adult prices at $180, Students at $140, Children at $100.  It always pays to play rugby, as registered members of HKCR clubs are eligible for a HK$50 discount across all ticket classes.

The initiatives surrounding the hosting of the WXV Global Series Challenger were supported by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Community Programme, alongside World Rugby, participating teams, the Education University of Hong Kong, clubs, coaches, volunteers and community partners.

The World Rugby WXV Challenger Hong Kong 2026 is proud of being an “M” Mark event that helps enhance the image of Hong Kong as Asia’s sports event capital. The “M” Mark awarded by the Major Sports Events Committee, symbolising intense, spectacular and signature event in the territory sports calendar.