'A draw would seal the bottom spot': South Korea's rugby national team conducts intensive training and off-site camps ahead of the final Asian Championship match on the 13th

*This content was translated by AI.

The Republic of Korea rugby national team has begun its final preparations ahead of the decisive match.

The Korea Rugby Union announced on the 12th that "the men's rugby national team has officially commenced intensive training in preparation for the '2026 Asia Rugby Emirates Men's Championship (AREMC)'."

The squad, consisting of four national team coaches and 23 players, was selected through the '2026 National Corporate Rugby League' held in April and May. The team is composed of veteran players from major domestic corporate teams including POSCO E&C, KEPCO, Hyundai Glovis, and OK eMan Rugby Club, along with promising university players from Korea University, Yonsei University, and Kyung Hee University, forming a roster aimed at generational transition.

This intensive training is being conducted with financial support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korea Sports Promotion Foundation, and the Korean Olympic Committee. The national team conducted off-site training for four days from May 15 at the Seoul Army Academy's Eulji-gu training ground and KEPCO's Talent Development Center. From May 18, the team held intensive training for 18 days at Taereung Athlete Village.

Subsequently, the national team departed for Hong Kong on June 4 to participate in the 2026 AREMC. The AREMC is Asia's premier 15-a-side national team competition organized by Asia Rugby. In this tournament, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), originally scheduled to participate, withdrew due to the Middle East conflict, leaving only South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong to compete in a round-robin format to determine rankings.

The national team lost 45-9 to Hong Kong in an away match. They will face Sri Lanka in the 2nd/3rd place decider at the Incheon Namdong Asian Rugby Stadium, starting at 3:30 p.m. on June 13. The final standings will be determined by the result; in case of a draw, Sri Lanka will take 2nd place and South Korea 3rd based on the points difference.

Hong Kong secured the championship with two consecutive victories: first defeating Sri Lanka 15-14 on May 24, then crushing South Korea 45-9 on June 7, thereby clinching the title regardless of the remaining match outcomes.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.