The qualifying process for the 2027 Men's Rugby World Cup for Asian teams commenced in April 2024, with eight teams competing for one qualification spot (Asia 1) and one spot in a play-off match (Asia 2).[1]
The Asian qualifying process concluded in July 2025, with Hong Kong China qualifying for the World Cup (as Asia 1) for the first time, becoming the second Asian nation to appear in the World Cup.
Format
The Asia Rugby Championship, governed by Asia Rugby, was the regional qualification tournament for Rugby World Cup 2027, with the top two divisions in the region acting as the process, and eight teams entering (Japan, who compete in the Pacific Nations Cup and are pre-qualified for the World Cup, did not enter).
Qualification took place over three rounds with a single repechage match between the second and third rounds;
Round 1 was the 2024 Asia Rugby Men's Division 1 competition, the second tier of Asian men's international rugby. A single elimination tournament for four teams which saw the winner advancing to a repechage match at the beginning of round 3.
Round 2 was the 2024 Asia Rugby Championship, which acted as a seeding round for the third round of the qualification process (the 2025 Asia Rugby Championship), with the top three teams following a round-robin competition, preserving their status in the top tier for Round 3 in 2025. The bottom placed team in Round 2 enters the pre-round 3 repechage match against the Round 1 winner; essentially a promotion/relegation play-off, with the winner progresses to the 2025 Asia Rugby Championship as the fourth seeded team in the final round of qualification, the loser is eliminated from World cup qualification.
Round 3 was the 2025 Asia Rugby Championship, with the winner of a round-robin competition qualifying for the World Cup as Asia 1, and the runner-up (Asia 2) advancing to a play-off match against Africa 2 to decide who progresses to the Final Qualification Tournament.
Entrants
Eight teams competed during the Asian qualifiers for the 2027 Men's Rugby World Cup, with Japan the only team qualified from the Region prior to the qualification process.
(Rankings as of first qualification match in this region)
Try: Doray 10' m Weerathunge 18' m Nanayakkara 24' c Ratwatte 31' c Ekanayake 36' c Jansen 41' c S. Silva 75' c Con: Ratwatte (4/6) 25', 32', 38', 42' Sampath 76' (1/1) Cards: de Silva 61'
The 2024 Asian Rugby Championship was contested between four teams in a round-robin format held over three rounds.
Malaysia finished bottom to see them drop down to the Round 3 repechage match against the winner of Round 1 (Sri Lanka), whilst the remaining three teams progressed to the third round.
Source: [citation needed] Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won; 2) Difference between points for and against; 3) Total number of points for; 4) Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams; 5) Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled.
Try: McCormick-Houston 16' c Laidler (2) 19' c, 23' m Hill (2) 33' c, 43' c Altier 48' c Post 74' c Higson-Smith 77' m Con: Hill (5/7) 17', 34', 45', 50', 76' Sawyer (1/1) 20' Cards: McCormick-Houston 50'
Try:Jin Kyu (2) 7' m, 71' c Hyeon Je 14' c Jeong Wook (3) 24' c, 30' m, 39' c Yong Un 26' c Chan Ju 45' m Yeon Sik 66' m Con: Seung Jae (5/9) 15', 25', 27', 40', 72'
Try: Post 7' c Penalty try 17' Altier (2) 20' c, 33' c McNutt 21' c Hrstich (2) 36' c, 57' c Penesa 44' c Scott 67' c Pincott 69' c Con: Altier (6/7) 8', 22', 35', 36', 46', 59' Avitabile (2/2) 68', 70'
Try: Hill 3' c van der Smit (3) 23' c, 66' c, 69' c Altier 29' c Sayers 40' c Avitabile 48' m Hrstich 55' c McNutt 79' c Con: Altier (7/8) 4', 24', 31', 40', 56', 67', 70' McNeish (1/1) 80' Cards: Avitabile 53'
The 2025 Asian Rugby Championship was contested between four teams in a round-robin format held over three rounds.
Hong Kong won the 2025 Asia Rugby Championship to qualify for the World Cup, whilst runners-up the Unite Arab Emirates advanced to the cross-regional play-offs. South Korea and Sri Lanka were eliminated.
Source: [citation needed] Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won; 2) Difference between points for and against; 3) Total number of points for; 4) Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams; 5) Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled.
Try: Post 13' c Denmark 25' m Chapman 37' c Worley 47' c Penalty try 61' Scott 73' c Con: De Thierry (4/5) 14', 39', 48', 74' Pen: De Thierry (1/) 4' Cards: Hrstich 66'
Try: Scott 11' c van der Smith (3) 16' c, 63' c, 77' m Worley (3) 19' m, 55' c, 80' c Hrstich 23' c Altier (2) 30' c, 43' m MacKinlay-West 67' c Sayers 70' c Con: De Thierry (2/3) 11', 16' Altier (7/8) 14', 30', 56', 64', 67', 71', 80'
Try:Worley 2' c Post (2) 13' c, 28' c Hrstich (2) 21' c, 54' c Altier 24' c Sawye 40' c Sayers 45' c Denmark 61' c van der Smith 78' c Con: De Thierry (9/9) 3', 14', 21', 25', 29', 40', 46', 55', 62' Altier (1/1) 79' Cards: Axten-Burrett 37'
With this result, Hong Kong China qualified for the World Cup for the first time, and the United Arab Emirates advanced through to the play-offs for the first time.
Notes: There was no qualification for the 1987 World Cup as places were given by invitation only.
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Hong Kong China 
India 
Kazakhstan 
Malaysia 
Qatar 
South Korea 
Sri Lanka 
United Arab Emirates 
