Eurosport has acquired the rights to broadcast the 2008 HSBC Asian Five Nations (A5N), a newly formed rugby tournament featuring five 15-a-side Asian teams. Teams competing in the inaugural event include the Arabian Gulf, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan and Korea. Select matches will be broadcast LIVE on Eurosport for four weekends, starting with tomorrow’s opening match between Korea and Japan.
| Date |
Time (HK)
Match
26 April
13:00
Korea vs. Japan
3 May
12:00
Japan vs. Arabian Gulf
18 May
13:00
Japan vs. Hong Kong
24 May
16:00
Hong Kong vs. Korea
Japan and Korea are the two top teams in Asia, ranking #18 and #23, respectively, on the IRB World Rankings. Hong Kong ranks at #30, followed by Kazakhstan at #32 and the Arabian Gulf at #36.
According to Japan’s head coach, John Kirwan, the team will utilize the A5N to train up younger players. The Korean team includes several veterans playing in Japan’s corporate league.
Two players on the Hong Kong team, captain Semi Lafeta and vice-captain Colin Bisley, will miss the opening game due to injuries, but head coach John Walters has stated that he believes the depth in the team will cover for the two vacancies. The last time Hong Kong played against the Arabian Gulf was in May 2004 for a warm-up match to the 2007 World Cup Asian qualifiers. Hong Kong won the game 12-5.
The last placed team in the 2008 A5N will be relegated to the 2009 Division One competition, and the top team in Division One will be promoted to the A5N for next year.
The A5N is part of the four newly formed tiers of elite competition involving 25 Asian rugby teams. It is governed by the Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) and sanctioned by the International Rugby Board (IRB), which provides the A5N with an annual grant of US$500,000.
The A5N is considered a key channel for promoting, developing and expanding the sport of rugby throughout Asia. It will give players in this region the chance to perform in front of a significantly expanded TV audience.
“Rugby is a key sport in the Eurosport program line-up, and we actively promote rugby in markets where we broadcast,” said Arjan Hoekstra, Managing Director of Eurosport in Asia. “We continue to bring to viewers in Asia the best games available. The Asian Five Nations complements our extensive rugby coverage, including the Heineken Cup and the French Top 14.”