Hong Kong China Men and Japan Women have both defended their Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series titles after a thrilling final weekend of action in Colombo, Sri Lanka, which locked in Asia’s top rugby sevens sides for 2026.
Hong Kong China did enough to top the overall men’s table in their title defence, but they will likely leave Sri Lanka’s largest city disappointed. They went down 28-14 in the final to the Japan Men, who joined the women to complete a Sri Lanka sweep for the land of the rising sun.
Japan Women hold off China in the final
The Sakura 7s arrived as heavy favourites given their HSBC SVNS Series status, but they had to work hard to claim their title. China pushed them all the way in the final.
The Chinese eventually went down 14-7 and had a chance after the siren to draw the score level, but they ultimately fell short. Yue Sun scored all of their points in a performance that showed significant improvement overall.
However, Japan’s SVNS class shone through. Captain Rinka Matsuda and S. Ohashi scored a try apiece to keep the Chinese at bay.
Despite the disappointment, China finished second overall on the table behind Japan. That result will see them qualify for the HSBC SVNS 3 tournament at the end of November in Dubai.
The final qualification tournaments ahead of the 2027 HSBC SVNS Series are set to get underway in the coming weeks.
“We are truly happy to have been able to finish the series with a championship,” Matsuda said to RugbyAsia247. “From the pre-tournament training camp, we focused on each player showcasing their strengths.
“In the tournament, all the players were able to demonstrate their strengths, and as the matches progressed, the team’s cohesion improved, allowing us to grow as a team.”
“We began building our team for this tournament just four days after the Asian Games, and we entered this tournament with 13 players from diverse backgrounds, including five players making their debut,” Sakura 7s Head Coach Yuka Kanematsu added.
“This tournament also presented many first-time experiences for the players, but they displayed high levels of concentration from the very first match and grew into a fantastic team with each game.
“I am truly proud of the players who contributed to our three victories in this Asian series.”
Elsewhere in the women’s competition, Hong Kong China Women defeated Kazakhstan 14-5 in the third-place play-off to win bronze. The Kazakhs made their first semi-final appearance in several years.
Nakagawa double seals men’s title for Japan
The men’s tournament was a tighter affair. Hong Kong China Men got over the line to achieve SVNS 3 qualification thanks to previous results and a better series points differential, but Japan’s men were deserved winners in Colombo.
Hong Kong China had held the balance in recent clashes between the two sides. This time, two tries from Yuma Nakagawa helped seal the 28-14 win for the Japanese, who survived scores from Max Denmark and Matt Worley. Denmark was the top try-scorer of the weekend.
“This victory in the tournament is valuable because it demonstrates the team’s ability to adapt to different situations and the success of this program, which provides opportunities for young players to shine,” Phil Greening, Head Coach of Japan Men’s Sevens, added.
“Although the Asian Games ended in disappointment, the players learned from that experience, remained united, and continued to trust in our preparation and coaching philosophy.
“They fought as one, demonstrating the skill and will to win, maintaining a consistently high standard, and delivering results when opportunities arose.
“The next challenge is to make this the standard, not an exception.”
Groves reflects on a tough campaign
“Obviously, we’re disappointed with the loss,” Hong Kong China men’s sevens coach Jevon Groves said, speaking to hkrugby.com. “The boys looked pretty fatigued. It’s been quite a tough campaign for them, and I think the contact area was probably the difference.
“They were just a little bit better at that; they got a few kickoff bounces, and I think it was an accumulation of things, it’s been a tough campaign.
“I think it’s good for us that we’ve had a loss in this way. It’ll make us reflect and think a little bit deeper about our game and how we can get better.
“We need to have a week off now, and then we’ll regroup and get ready to prepare for the challenger [SVNS 3], which will be an exciting prospect and an opportunity for other boys to step up and grow, which is exciting for the depth of the programme.”
Thailand make history, four sides relegated
Hong Kong China defeated Thailand 21-12 to claim third place in the men’s tournament. It still proved a strong campaign for the Thai men, whose fourth-place finish is the highest in their history so far.
Iran and Sri Lanka’s women’s sides, and Uzbekistan and India’s men’s sides, finished in the bottom two positions of their respective tables. They have been relegated to the Trophy Series as a result.