Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Sevens Series 2026 to Kick Off in Suzhou, China

The Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series 2026 kicks off in Suzhou, China, running from August 29 to August 30, according to official tournament announcements.

Tournament Format and Qualification Stakes

The regional circuit features an expanded format across two legs, matching last year’s structure. Following the Suzhou tournament, the series moves to Colombo, Sri Lanka, for Leg 2 from October 17 to 18, 2026. Additionally, the series provides teams with crucial competitive preparation ahead of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 scheduled for September, as noted by Hong Kong China Rugby.

Men’s Division Pools and Contenders

Kazakhstan and India enter the men’s division this season as newly promoted teams, joining the top-tier competition in Suzhou. Hong Kong China’s men’s squad arrives as strong favorites to lift the title for the sixth time, entering Group A alongside Thailand, Malaysia, and Uzbekistan. Head Coach Jevon Groves leads the defending champions, who have built significant depth through recent training camps in Portugal, appearances in the UK LIT 7s Series where they finished as runners-up, and local provincial tournaments in China. The Asian Games squad will be named after the first Asian series event, so part of next weekend is giving boys an opportunity, the guys who haven’t had many chances this year. Rugby Asia 247

Thailand brings in experienced Japan Rugby League One campaigner Ben Paltridge to bolster their squad following training camps in Japan and success in regional development tournaments. Meanwhile, Malaysia enters Suzhou looking to build on their recent gold-medal performance at the Southeast Asia Sevens in Singapore, where they defeated Thailand 10-5.

Women’s Division and Opening Fixtures

The women’s competition features a 12-team field with defending champions Japan starting their title defense alongside Hong Kong China, Thailand, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. Opening matches at the Changshu Sports Center in Suzhou feature early clashes in both divisions, with Hong Kong China’s men facing Uzbekistan and their women’s side meeting Malaysia and Sri Lanka in Group F group-stage action, according to tournament fixtures published by Hong Kong China Rugby.