The 2018 Asia Rugby Championship was the fourth annual rugby union series for the top-level Asia Rugby nations. The Asia Rugby Championship in 2018 formed part of the World Cup qualifying process and, as such, did not include Japan who had already qualified as the 2019 Rugby World Cup host. Hong Kong and South Korea were joined by Malaysia, promoted from Division 1, to compete in the 2018 series. Other Asian nations played in the lower division tournaments.
The format of the tri-nations series is a double round-robin where the three teams play each other twice on a home and away basis. The team finishing on top of the standings at the end of the series is declared the winner. The 2018 series winner Hong Kong advanced to a cross-regional play-off series against Oceania 4, Cook Islands, to earn a berth in the repechage tournament.
Teams The teams involved, with their world rankings prior to the 2018 tournament in brackets: NationHome stadiumCityHead coachCaptain (22)Hong Kong Football Club StadiumHong Kong Leigh Jones James Cunningham (31)Incheon Namdong Asiad Rugby FieldIncheon Choi Changryul Lee Yong-seung (45)National StadiumKuala Lumpur Lee Nyuk Fah Mohd Syahir Asraf Rosli
Standings Advances to Cross-regional play-off series PosNationGamesPointsBonuspointsTotalpointsPlayedWonLostDrawnForAgainstDiff1440022744+1833192 422012891+372103404040260-22000Points were awarded to the teams as follows:Win - 4 pointsDraw - 2 points 4 or more tries - 1 point Loss within 7 points - 1 pointLoss greater than 7 points - 0 points
Fixtures Source: asiarugby.com
Week 1
FB 15 Muhamad Amirul Aqil KamsolRW 14 Mohamad Aiman JamaluddinOC 13 Vatimio RabebeIC 12 Sakiusa Terence GavidiLW 11 Mohd Azmir Zanul AbdinFH 10 Mohd Syahir Asraf Rosli (c)SH 9 Muhd Nur Ikqwan NordinN8 8 Timoci VunimokuOF 7 Mohamad Amin JamaluddinBF 6 Sae FaalupegaRL 5 Nathanael Tan Aik MingLL 4 Aporosa DuwaileaTP 3 Mohd Aliff Al Hafiz Abdul KariHK 2 Amirul Mukminim AmizanLP 1 Amirul Sani Replacements:16 Mohd Nurazman Ramli17 Mohd Farid Sujari18 Lawrence Petrus19 Syarif Nurhidayat Muzhaimey20 Mohamad Syarif Saiful Aazwan Bin Sudin21 Mohammad Rosmanizam Roslan22 Aliff Sazrie Bin Azmi23 Mohamad Sofian Mohd KamilCoach: Lee Nyuk Fah FB 15 Lee Jae-bokRW 14 Jang Jeong-minOC 13 Lee Jin-kyuIC 12 Kim Nam-ukLW 11 Kang Jin-guFH 10 Oh Youn-hyungSH 9 Lee Myung-junN8 8 Lee Yong-seung (c)OF 7 Jang Seok-hwanBF 6 Kim Hyun-sooRL 5 Lee Jin-seokLL 4 Kim Ho-bumTP 3 Kang Tae-hyeonHK 2 Kim JeepLP 1 Na Kwan-youngReplacements:16Seok Dong-hee17Kim Kwang-sik18Park Jong-yeol 19Cha Sung-kun20You Ji-hoon21Shin Ki-cheol22Kim Jin-hyeok23Jang Seong-minCoach: Choi Chang-ryul
Week 2
FB 15 Samuela TamanisauRW 14 Mohd Azmir Zanul AbdinOC 13 Vatimio RabebeIC 12 Sakiusa Terence GavidiLW 11 Mohamad Aiman JamaluddinFH 10 Mohd Syahir Asraf Rosli (c)SH 9 Muhd Nur Ikqwan NordinN8 8 Etonia Vaqa SaukuruOF 7 Syarif Nurhidayat MuzhaimeyBF 6 Timoci VunimokuRL 5 Sae FaalupegaLL 4 Aporosa DuwaileaTP 3 Mohd Aliff Al Hafiz Abdul KarimHK 2 Amirul Mukminim AmizanLP 1 Amirul Sani Replacements:16 Mohd Nurazman Ramli17 Mohd Farid Sujari18 Lawrence Petrus19 Mohamad Amin Jamaluddin20 Syahmi Afiq Edan21 Mohamad Syarif Saiful Aazwan Bin Sudin22 Aliff Sazrie Bin Azmi23 Asyraf NorudinCoach: Lee Nyuk Fah FB 15 Jack NevilleRW 14 Salom Yiu Kam ShingOC 13 Tyler SpitzIC 12 Max WoodwardLW 11 Max DenmarkFH 10 Matthew RossleeSH 9 Liam SlatemN8 8 Thomas LamboleyOF 7 Toby FennBF 6 Nicholas HewsonRL 5 Jamie PincottLL 4 James Cunningham (c)TP 3 Dylan RogersHK 2 Benjamin RobertsLP 1 Daniel BarlowReplacements:16Alexander Harris17Adam Fullgrabe18Jack Parfitt 19Kyle Sullivan20Michael Parfitt21Conor Hartley22Robert Keith23Jamie LauderCoach: Leigh Jones
Week 3
FB 15 Lee Jae-bokRW 14 Jang Jeong-minOC 13 Kim Jin-hyeokIC 12 Kim Nam-ukLW 11 Kang Jin-guFH 10 Oh Youn-hyungSH 9 Lee Myung-junN8 8 Lee Yong-seung (c)OF 7 Jang Seok-hwanBF 6 Cha Sung-kun RL 5 Lee Jin-seokLL 4 Kim Ho-bumTP 3 Kang Tae-hyeonHK 2 Kim JeepLP 1 Na Kwan-youngReplacements:16 Seok Dong-hee17 Kim Kwang-sik18 Park Jong-yeol19 Han Kun-kyu20 Kim Jeong-min21 Shin Ki-cheol22 Park Hong-sik23 Jang Seong-minCoach: Choi Chang-ryul FB 15 Jack NevilleRW 14 Salom Yiu Kam ShingOC 13 Tyler SpitzIC 12 Max WoodwardLW 11 Max DenmarkFH 10 Matthew RossleeSH 9 Liam SlatemN8 8 Thomas LamboleyOF 7 Toby FennBF 6 Nicholas HewsonRL 5 Kyle SullivanLL 4 James Cunningham (c)TP 3 Dylan RogersHK 2 Benjamin RobertsLP 1 Daniel BarlowReplacements:16Alexander Harris17Adam Fullgrabe18Jack Parfitt 19Jamie Pincott20Kane Boucaut21Conor Hartley22Ben Rimene23Jamie Lauder24Michael ParfittCoach: Leigh Jones
Week 4
FB 15 Lee Jae-bokRW 14 Jang Jeong-minOC 13 Kim Jin-hyeokIC 12 Jang Seong-minLW 11 Kim Nam-ukFH 10 Oh Youn-hyungSH 9 Shin Ki-cheolN8 8 Lee Yong-seung (c)OF 7 Hwang In-joBF 6 Cha Sung-kunRL 5 Jang Seok-hwanLL 4 Kim Ho-bumTP 3 Park Jong-yeolHK 2 You Ji-hoonLP 1 Na Kwan-youngReplacements:16 Noh Ok-gi17 Seok Dong-hee18 Kang Taehyeon19 Lee Kwang-ho20 Kim Jeong-min21 Lee Myung-jun22 Kim Kun-hui23 Shin Min-suCoach: Choi Chang-ryul FB 15 Muhamad Amirul Aqil KamsolRW 14Mohamad Aiman JamaluddinOC 13 Samuela TamanisauIC 12Vatimio RabebeLW 11Mohd Azmir Zanul Abdin (c)FH 10Mohd Syahir Asraf RosliSH 9 Muhd Nur Ikqwan NordinN8 8 Etonia Vaqa SaukuruOF 7 Syarif Nurhidayat MuzhaimeyBF 6 Timoci VunimokuRL 5 Sae FaalupegaLL 4 Muhammad Danial Noor Hamidi TP 3 Mohd Aliff Al Hafiz Abdul KarimHK 2 Amirul Mukminim AmizanLP 1 Lawrence PetrusReplacements:16Mohd Nurazman Ramli17Mohd Farid Sujari18Nas Affie Mohd Salleh19Mohamad Amin Jamaluddin20Hamizan Rosli21Mohamad Syarif Saiful Aazwan Bin Sudin22Aliff Sazrie Bin Azmi23Asyraf NorudinCoach: Lee Nyuk Fah
Week 5
FB 15 Robert KeithRW 14 Conor HartleyOC 13 Tyler SpitzIC 12 Matthew RossleeLW 11 Max DenmarkFH 10 Ben RimeneSH 9 Jamie LauderN8 8 Kane BoucautOF 7 Philip WhitfieldBF 6 Nicholas HewsonRL 5 Jack DelaforceLL 4 Jamie PincottTP 3 Jack ParfittHK 2 Jamie Tsang (c)LP 1 Adam FullgrabeReplacements:16Edward Soppet17Callum McFeat-Smith18Ronan Donnelly19Thomas Lamboley20Michael Parfitt21Cris Pierrepont22Henry Poon Yau Him23Jack Neville24Kyle SullivanCoach: Leigh Jones FB 15Mohamad Aiman JamaluddinRW 14 Samuela Tamanisau OC 13Vatimio RabebeIC 12Atunasia Lacadamu TakubuLW 11Mohd Azmir Zanul AbdinFH 10Mohd Syahir Asraf Rosli (c)SH 9 Aliff Sazrie Bin AzmiN8 8 Etonia Vaqa SaukuruOF 7 Mohamad Syarif Saiful Aazwan Bin SudinBF 6 Timoci VunimokuRL 5 Sae FaalupegaLL 4 Mohd Aliff Al Hafiz Abdul Karim TP 3 Lawrence PetrusHK 2 Amirul Mukminim AmizanLP 1 Mohd Farid SujariReplacements:16Mohd Nurazman Ramli17Hamizan Rosli18Nas Affie Mohd Salleh19Syarif Nurhidayat Muzhaimey20Mohamad Amin Jamaluddin21Muhammad Danial Noor Hamidi22Muhamad Amirul Aqil Kamsol23Asyraf NorudinCoach: Lee Nyuk Fah
Week 6
FB 15 Robert KeithRW 14 Salom Yiu Kam ShingOC 13 Jack NevilleIC 12 Max WoodwardLW 11Conor HartleyFH 10 Matthew RossleeSH 9 Liam SlatemN8 8 Thomas LamboleyOF 7 Toby FennBF 6 Nicholas HewsonRL 5 Kyle SullivanLL 4 James Cunningham (c)TP 3 Dylan RogersHK 2 Ben RobertsLP 1 Daniel BarlowReplacements:16Jamie Tsang17Adam Fullgrabe18Jack Parfitt19Michael Parfitt20Kane Boucaut21Cris Pierrepont22Jamie Lauder23Max Denmark24Tyler SpitzCoach: Leigh Jones FB 15 Lee Jae-bokRW 14 Jang Jeong-minOC 13 Jang Seong-minIC 12 Kim SeonguLW 11 Kim Nam-ukFH 10 Oh Youn-hyungSH 9 Shin Ki-cheolN8 8 Lee Yong-seung (c)OF 7 Hwang InjoBF 6 Cha Sung-kunRL 5 Lee Jin-seokLL 4 Jang Seok-hwanTP 3 Kang Tae-hyeon HK 2 You Ji-hoonLP 1 Na Kwan-youngReplacements:16Noh Ok-gi17Seok Dong-hee18Park Jong-yeol19Lee Kwang-ho20Kim Jeong-min21Lee Myung-jun22Park Hong-sik23Kim JinhyeokCoach: Choi Chang-ryul
References