The Korea Rugby Association announced that the final match of the '2025 Asia Rugby Emirates Championship (Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship, hereinafter AREMC)', in which the Korean national team participates, will be held on July 5 at Incheon Namdong Asia Rugby Stadium against Hong Kong.
AREMC is the highest-level national competition in Asia, hosted by the Asia Rugby Federation, and the winner of this tournament will secure a spot in the finals of the 'Rugby World Cup' to be held in Australia in 2027. The 2025 AREMC will feature four countries: Korea, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, and the UAE, competing in a round-robin format.
Korea won 38-34 against Sri Lanka in an away game on June 13, but lost to the UAE 36-38 on the 21st. Currently, Korea is ranked second in the group with 7 points, while Hong Kong is in first place with 10 points.
If Korea wins the final match against Hong Kong, the final ranking will be determined by the match points (4 points) and bonus points (1 point for scoring 4 tries or more). A win in this tournament can yield a maximum of 5 additional points, and Korea is once again aiming for victory.
In particular, the Rugby World Cup has proven to be of global interest, attracting a total of 2.4 million spectators and 1 billion cumulative TV viewers at the '2023 Rugby World Cup' held in Paris, France. It is reported that starting from the '2027 Rugby World Cup', the number of World Cup finals tickets allocated to Asia will increase from the current 0.5 to 1.5.
Additionally, Korean rugby is continuing its efforts to leap into a recognized sport. Following the Netflix series 'Ultimate Rugby: Die or Win', Korea's first rugby drama 'Try' is set to air on SBS on July 25, raising expectations among rugby fans.
Meanwhile, this home game will be broadcast live with Korean commentary on the Korea Rugby Association SOOP channel.
Shin Young-bok, president of the Korea Rugby Association, noted, "The Korean rugby national team has prepared for this tournament with constant challenges and passion despite difficult circumstances," and added, "Each game, each moment is a valuable challenge and an opportunity for growth for us, so we will give our all until the end." He continued, "We ask for warm support and much interest so that we can get closer to rugby fans and the national team can do its best until the very end."
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