The International Rugby Board (IRB) has announced the introduction of a new international tournament to the calendar with the inaugural HSBC (title sponsor) Asian Five Nations scheduled to take place in April and May this year. The competition will involve Japan, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Korea and the Arabian Gulf, and "will play an important role in the ongoing development of the game across the region," according to the IRB. Rugby union's world governing body has provided a US$500,000 grant to support the competition, which will be organized by the Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU).
"The Asian Five Nations will be the flagship tournament for Asia, serving to promote and raise awareness of the game in the region at all levels, while also providing a competitive competition and development structure for all participating unions," said IRB Head of Rugby Services Mark Egan. "In addition to providing annual competition for each union, the tournament will serve to provide the platform as an ongoing development tool for players, officials and administrators with an ultimate goal of providing a pathway for entry into world-class competitions such as the Rugby World Cup."
ARFU Honorary Secretary General Ross Mitchell said that the new Asian Five Nations is an exciting development for the game in Asia. "The tournament is vital for the development and expansion of rugby throughout Asia and will give our elite players the chance to perform in front of a significantly expanded TV audience, whilst providing a platform for development at all other levels." The tournament will feature a round robin format with test matches held on five consecutive weekends throughout April and May 2008. The last placed team in the Asian Five Nations in 2008 will be relegated to the 2009 Division One competition and the top team in Division One will gain promotion to the Asian Five Nations. This year's Division One competition will be played amongst China, Chinese Taipei, Singapore and Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile, the IRB will discuss plans to stage a one-off match between the RBS (title sponsor) 6 Nations and Tri-Nations champions when the governing body meets with rugby union's leading nations in Hong Kong on Sunday. The idea will be the main focus of talks between IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset, Deputy Bill Beaumont and the four home unions, France, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand at the Tier One CEOs' meeting, but the possibility of a global tournament to run in between World Cups is also expected to be explored. Hong Kong, which is set to host a test match between Australia and New Zealand in the autumn, has already indicated it would be extremely interested in staging any 'best of the best' clash.
"We believe Hong Kong would be an excellent venue for such a game," Allan Payne, Hong Kong Rugby Football Union Executive Director, told the South China Morning Post. "Part of our strategic plan is to look at hosting international matches and it would be a tremendous honor if we were asked to host this match."
