China

Article on movements to make Rugby big in China

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37836744

How will we find enough Pacific Islanders to go around?

There's probably rich bankers' children from UK and Aus growing up there too, more big guys for them.

I played in Hong Kong for a few years, it's really big there obviously. Lots more women playing than I ever saw in the UK, with each club fielding several ladies XVs.

A lot of kiwi/aus/islanders playing in the HK leagues but the Chinese can breed some homegrown monsters. The PLA team were absolutely massive, got crunched by them a few times.

Shouldn't Hong Kong and China merge? They are one country.

Shifty wrote:Shouldn't Hong Kong and China merge?  They are one country.  

They do in 2047.

The problem with team sports in China, is that the way they spot talent for things like the olympics isn't effective for spotting talent in the same way for football and rugby. They basically get millions of children to do athletic tests and measure their physiques and then direct them into various sports. In football that doesn't work in the same way (see Messi etc as players you would miss with such tests) the great players emerge from constant play from a young age. Rugby it might work a bit better as some positions have clear physical minimum requirements (prop VS lock) but I think they will struggle to produce home grown halfbacks without alot of youth rugby developed.

The Chinese run their sports in a manner similar to the Soviet Union. If they can't breed them, they will make them. The problem is to manufacture Rugby brains, or the thought processes for any sport, especially one which requires instant read-recognition in the team concept. Very difficult to do.

The HK population will not merge with the Chinese mainland until forced to do so at the barrel of a gun. So likely not until 2047. Shame that.