Asian 5 Nations & Asian rugby discussion

[Ser Podrick of Payne Profile]

[Osmanperalta Profile]

According to the Malaysia facebook page they will play the ARC 2018 matchets at Stadium Bukit Jalil (87.000).
I dont know how fast the popularity of rugby is going up there but I just hope doesnt look so empty

[olivier Profile]

Spain, look at this !

[thatrugbyguy Profile]

Where do they normally play? Seems an ambitious venue to play in.

[Osmanperalta Profile]

I only find their last test match against sri lanka this year and yes seems a very ambitious venue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aFPpkytxu4

[victorsra Profile Website]

Indo-Bhutan Youth Rugby Tournament in Bhutan https://www.facebook.com/siddhivinayaks ... mDwQoeUgrs

And Afghan 7s national teams, seniors and U19s, training together https://www.facebook.com/afgrugbyaz/?hc ... Bs&fref=nf

[Canalina Profile]

The Malaysian federation published the dates of all their fixtures in the ARC premier division 2018
Four matches in a row for the "hibiscus"

28 april, Malaysia v South Korea
5 may, Malaysia v Hong Kong
12 may, South Korea v Malaysia
19 may, Hong Kong v Malaysia

The remaining two matches of the Championship (Hong Kong v South Korea, South Korea v Hong Kong) must be just before or/and just after these four games

[victorsra Profile Website]

I bet just after, because Hong Kong vs Korea is the climax.

[victorsra Profile Website]

https://www.asiarugby.com/2017/11/01/rugby-india/

Rugby introduced in the India University Games

[Canalina Profile]

Asia Rugby is slowly inserting the 2018 ARC pools: in division 1 we will have, in a may round-robin tournament, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Arab Emirates and Singapore (this last promoted from div.II)

So at the moment we know

Top: Hong Kong, South Korea, Malaysia
Div. I: Sri Lanka, Philippines, Arab Emirates, Singapore

Japan is not competing because already qualified for the RWC and because of blatant superiority

In division II we could suppose Taiwan, Thailand, India (if not relegated) and Lebanon (promoted from div.III). Maybe Kazakhstan, returning from the suspension period.

Division III is a question mark: in 2017 just one pool (Leb, Uzb, Irn) was played
The list of nations once playing and now not taking part has been so long this season: China, Mongolia, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Guam, Brunei, Qatar, Pakistan

I like the fact that the man inserting data in the Asia Rugby website is this iconic former competitor in "Masterchef Pakistan"

[Canalina Profile]

Palestine wants to apply for an Asia Rugby membership in 2018.
I wonder if this could lead to some complaints by Israel.
Do you know if Palestine is playing as national team in other sports?

[Armchair Fan Profile]

Yes, in football or basketball. As long as Israel is in Rugby Europe and Palestine in Asia Rugby there shouldn't be any issues.

[victorsra Profile Website]

Palestina is FIFA's and IOC's member. They've been playing the FIFA World Cup qualy since the 2002 Qualy and the Olympics since 1996. They were in Rio 2016.

[Canalina Profile]

I'm a bit (a lot) ignorant, I didn't know they are already included in the Olympics. Good for them

[victorsra Profile Website]

AFAIK Israel can''t do anything because rugby is an Olympic sport and Palestine is already IOC member. This means when Palestine is ready they'll be Wolrd Rugby members.

[Canalina Profile]

From Asia Rugby, the news of an interesting under-age tournament in a rugby-weak big area

Kyrgyzstan Rugby Host Historic First Ever Central Asia Junior 7s tournament
The First of what is planned to be an Annual tournament Kyrgyzstan Rugby Hosted Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan u18 Men and women’s Teams. Askaraly Naraliev President of Kyrgyzstan Rugby “Next year we have planned to hold three such sports events (in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan) and invite the countries of the Central Asia zone (Afghanistan, Iran, Mongolia, Tajikistan, the Chinese province of Urumqi and the part of Russia border with Asia) to take part in them.”

Final placing

Boys
Gold Uzbekistan
Silver Kazakhstan
Bronze Kyrgyzstan

Girls
Gold Uzbekistan
Silver Kazakhstan
Bronze Kyrgyzstan

[Canalina Profile]

And the new Asia calendar has been edited, with several interesting infos

https://www.asiarugby.com/calendar-2018/

Lower ARC divisions are

II: Taiwan India Thailand Laos

III west: Iran Qatar Lebanon Jordan
III central: Kazakhstan Pakistan Uzbekistan Mongolia
III east: China Guam Brunei

[victorsra Profile Website]

Top: HK, Korea and Malaysia
I: Sri Lanka, Philippines, UAE and Singapore
II: Taiwan India Thailand Laos
III west: Iran Qatar Lebanon Jordan
III central: Kazakhstan Pakistan Uzbekistan Mongolia
III east: China Guam Brunei

Why Laos was promoted instead of Lebanon?

______
Another news is the new rugby field in Jakarta for the Asian Games. I guess Indonesia is out of the XVs competitions (could be playing the Div III East) because they will focus on sevens?

countries of the Central Asia zone (Afghanistan, Iran, Mongolia, Tajikistan, the Chinese province of Urumqi and the part of Russia border with Asia)

This means yes there is rugby in Tajikstan and (wow) there is rugby in Urumqi, but there isn't rugby in Turkmenistan?

[4N Profile]

Big blow for Malaysia as their best player Duke Krishnan is ruled out of the ARC.

http://www.asierugby.net/dineshvaran-kr ... onship.php

[victorsra Profile Website]

In Vietnam early this month they played a Vietnam Residents vs Vietnam Barbarians.

Vietnam Residents shirt:

[Canalina Profile]

In Vietnam early this month they played a Vietnam Residents vs Vietnam Barbarians.
Vietnam Residents shirt:
https://scontent.fcgh11-1.fna.fbcdn.net ... e=5AB7C030

Nice! The thing most similar to a Viet Nam national team we've ever seen, even if just four of them seem local people according to their somatic features

III east: China Guam Brunei

Areas
China 9,596,961 sq km
Brunei 5,700 sq km
Guam 541 sq km

This means yes there is rugby in Tajikstan and (wow) there is rugby in Urumqi, but there isn't rugby in Turkmenistan?

China is incredible: I've never heard of Urumqi and it's bigger than all the italian cities a part Rome. They have 2,1 millions inhabitants, like Milan and Naples together. China has so many millionaire cities that you can't know them all

Another news is the new rugby field in Jakarta for the Asian Games.
https://scontent.fcgh11-1.fna.fbcdn.net ... e=5AFDB148

They are not expecting a big crowd : )
There's a little stand for the basketball field but almost no room for a rugby stand

[victorsra Profile Website]

Basketball? You mean hockey? Yes, sad... I hope this is the training field and that rugby will be in a football stadium.

China is incredible: I've never heard of Urumqi and it's bigger than all the italian cities a part Rome.

It is the capital of Xinjiang, which is the regional of the separatist East Turkestan. The majority of the population used to be Uyghurs, Central Asian turkish people like de Uzbeks and the Kazakhs.

[nick511 Profile]

Speaking of China I read an interesting article about rugby in Suqian in Jiangsu province just north of Shanghai. Just as Catalina said earlier it is amazing how many cities in China have above 1 million people, this city has the more people than all of NZ (5.3mill).

There is a sister city relationship between Invercargill NZ's most southern city and Suqian. And they have asked for help to develop their rugby, so they have formed a relationship with the Southland rugby union, so I hope that can lead to better rugby in that area! And it also provides a nice insight into how its going to be hard to develop the sport with the culture, so that group that is investing all that money in china certainly going to have its work cut out to achieve much.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times ... -for-rugby

[RugbyLiebe Profile]

In Vietnam early this month they played a Vietnam Residents vs Vietnam Barbarians.
Vietnam Residents shirt:
https://scontent.fcgh11-1.fna.fbcdn.net ... e=5AB7C030

Nice! The thing most similar to a Viet Nam national team we've ever seen, even if just four of them seem local people according to their somatic features

I found some more information: "Residents will be players from Hanoi and Saigon living in Vietnam for more 2.5 years and Vietnamese players." So yeah this could nearly make up a national side. Not sure how long the game went as it was played after Hanoi played Saigon.
Funwise an old rugby buddy of mine is on the picture. He played for the "Barbarians".

[Canalina Profile]

Japanese final live on https://mov3.co/en/nhk/
They should be at half time