The Korea Super Rugby league (, formally the Korea Rugby League and Korea Spring League) was a semi professional rugby union league based in South Korea. It is run by the Korean Rugby Union.
History In 2003 with Japan, South Koreas creates rival, having a much larger player pool and the possible liquidation on Koreas largest club, KEPCO, the South Korean rugby federation decides to merge the corporation and university championships to form a single league: The Korea Rugby League. The announcement was made on the 29th of April 2003 with the championship launching in May that year. With 7 teams with a single round robin format Samsung SDI became inaugural champions of the Korea Rugby League.
In 2008 the Korea Rugby League merged with the National Spring League, to for the Korea Spring League. Unfortunately in 2010 Daesim rugby (joined in 2007) filed for bankruptcy causing them to leave the league, POSCO Rugby (formally Pohang Steel) replaced them as the 4th team in the 2010 season.
In January 2015, Samsung SDI decided to dissolve its rugby team after record losses from the parent company. Samsung SDI was the backbone of South Korea's national team and was composed of many professional players.
The club had an annual budget of 1.5 million euros. Its loss caused great difficulty for South Korean rugby, which was then on the verge of disappearance. In December 2015 there was the launch of the Hyundai Glovis. The latter will primarily recruit many players from the missing Samsung SDI rugby team. However it was not enough and the league was suspended for 2 years.
The championship returned three years later in 2017 with three teams: KEPCO, POSCO and Hyundai Glovis. KEPCO won its 4th title, the 3rd consecutive. From 2018, the championship was renamed once again the Korea Rugby League.
From 2020, South Korean rugby is hit like all of Asia by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Korea Rugby League will be reduced to two games, a semi final and a final since POSCO was forced to forfeit. Hyundai Glovis won its 3rd title.
In 2021 Korean Rugby Union President Choi Yoon decides to create a new league: The Korea Super Rugby League.
The season takes place over six days, with each club playing six games (regular round trip phase). The numbers of the teams increase to at least 30 players (with the reinforcement of university players) to ensure the smooth running of the championship.
The new league will also be able to rely on the mass return from Japan of South Korean internationals such as Na Kwan Young and Chang Yong Heung who signed for KEPCO.
President Choi Yoon announced that the Korea Rugby Union, now with a large budget thanks to nearly 30 major sponsors of major national companies, will issue the package financially in 2023.
Season overview YearChampions Teams2003Samsung SDI(1)Samsung SDI, Pohang Steel, KAFAC, Korea University, Yonsei University, Kyung Hee University and Dankook University2004Samsung SDI(2)2005KAFAC (1)Samsung SDI, Pohang Steel, KAFAC, KEPCO, Korea University, Yonsei University, Kyung Hee University and Dankook University2006Tournament not played, to allow the national team to focus on 2007 RWC qualification.2007KAFAC (2)(Pool A) Daesim, Korea University and Yonsei University(Pool B) KAFAC, Dankook University and Kyung Hee University2008Samsung SDI(3)KAFAC, Samsung SDI, KEPCO, Pohang Steel and Daesim2009KEPCO (1)KAFAC, KEPCO and Daesim2010POSCO (2)KAFAC, KEPCO, POSCO and Samsung SDI2011POSCO (2)2012Samsung SDI(4)Incheon City Sports Association, KAFAC, KEPCO, POSCO and Samsung SDI2013KEPCO (2)Samsung SDI, KEPCO and POSCO2014KEPCO (3)2015Tournament not held, due to financial difficulties20162017KEPCO (4)Hyundai Glovis, KEPCO and POSCO2018Hyundai Glovis (1)KEPCO, Hyundai Glovis, KAFAC and POSCOKEPCO (5)KAFAC (3)2019Hyundai Glovis (2)POSCO (3)2020Hyundai Glovis (3)KEPCO, Hyundai Glovis and KAFAC2021POSCO (4)KEPCO, Hyundai Glovis and POSCO2022KEPCO (6)KEPCO, Hyundai Glovis, POSCO and KAFAC2023Hyundai Glovis (4)POSCO, OK Financial Group Okman, KEPCO, Hyundai GlovisKEPCO (7)Korea University, OK Financial Group Okman, KAFAC, Hyundai Glovis2024Hyundai Glovis (5)
Clubs
Current clubs
ClubEstablishedJoinedCityStadiumCapacityTitles (Last)Hyundai Glovis20152017IncheonIncheon Namdong Asiad Rugby Field5,0785 (2024)Ok Financial Group Okman20232023Gwangju0KAFAC19842003MungyeonKAFAC Sports Compex10,0002 (2007)Korea University19292003Seoul0
Note: Capacity listed for rugby union games may differ from official stadium capacity
All time A total of 12 clubs have been involved in the top-flight since the league's inception in the 2003 season. The most recent club to make its debut in the competition was OK Financial Group Okman, which made their top flight debut in 2023.
Below, the 2024 clubs are listed in bold; ever-present clubs are listed in bold italics. SeasonsTeamDates3Daesim 2007–20094Dankook University2003–20078Hyundai Glovis2017–20241Incheon Sports Association201212KAFAC2003–2011, 2018–2020, 2022–202414KEPCO2008–20236Korea University2003–2007, 2023–20244Kyung Hee University2003–20072OK Financial Group Okman2023–202415POSCO2003–2005, 2008, 2010–2019, 2021–20239Samsung SDI2003–2005, 2008, 2010–20144Yonsei University2003–2007
References