South Korea Men's Rugby Sevens Finishes 5th in ARESS Overall... Up Four Spots from 9th Place Last Year

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The South Korean men's rugby sevens national team finished 5th overall in the 2026 Asian Rugby Emirates Sevens Series (ARESS), gaining experience on the Asian stage with a roster that included players ranging from high school students to university and club athletes.

The Korea Rugby Union announced on the 21st, "The South Korean men's rugby sevens national team finished in 8th place at the 2026 ARESS second tournament, held over two days starting on the 17th in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and has returned to the country."

ARESS is the top-tier international rugby sevens competition in the Asian region, with the overall series ranking determined by combining the results of the first and second tournaments. A total of 12 countries participated in this second tournament, including South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, China, Malaysia, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Singapore, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, India, and Sri Lanka.

The Lee Beon (CEO) team was composed of a diverse age range, featuring not only club players from teams such as Hyundai Glovis, but also university athletes affiliated with Dankook University, Yonsei University, and Wonkwang University, as well as high school players from Incheon Machinery Engineering High School. While providing practical opportunities for young players who have limited international experience, the roster was also intended to broaden the national team's player pool in the future.

South Korea started off on a positive note by defeating Singapore 26-21 in its first group stage match. It then followed up with a decisive 33-0 victory over Kazakhstan to secure two consecutive wins. However, it lost to China 12-26 in the final group stage match, advancing to the quarterfinals as the second-place team in its group.

Disappointment set in from the quarterfinals onward. South Korea lost to Thailand 7-40, dropping to the 5th–8th place classification matches, and also fell to Malaysia 7-42. In the final match for 7th and 8th place against the UAE, it lost 0-40, finishing the second tournament in 8th place.

In the previous first tournament, South Korea finished 4th, securing 14 points. By adding six points from its 8th-place finish in this second tournament, it reached a total of 20 points, confirming its 5th-place overall standing in the 2026 ARESS. This represents a four-spot improvement compared to its 9th-place overall finish in the 2025 ARESS last year.

Although there was variability in performance during the second tournament, with three consecutive losses in the tournament stage following two wins in the group stage, it was meaningful that young players gained experience on an international stage featuring major Asian nations such as Hong Kong, Japan, and China.

In particular, high school students, university students, and club team players coordinated as a single unit, sharing match experience beyond age and affiliation. The Korea Rugby Union expects that the rookie players who gained experience through this tournament will grow into resources that broaden the national team's player pool and enhance its competitiveness in future international competitions.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original