China looking to become global players in the world of rugby

which won worldwide acclaim following its return to the Olympics with a stunning tournament at last year’s Rio Olympics, would be a top priority but maintained the 15-a-side game was also on the radar of the Chinese.

China has a population of 1.3 billion has just 1,000 registered players and union will face competition from other sports beside football, including American Football’s NFL, which is also trying to establish itself in China.

Wales, according to figures published last year by global governing body World Rugby, had 83,120 registered rugby players in a population of just over three million, although the number actively playing is likely to be significantly less.

Its four professional teams – Cardiff Blues, Newport Gwent Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets – operate on vastly inferior budgets to top clubs in France and England with none of them having qualified for the knockout stage of the showpiece European Cup since 2011.

And the worry is the Chinese throwing money at rugby could open another front for players and coaches to cash in.

China was absent from this week’s Hong Kong Sevens but Wang said the country would host a series of sevens competitions this year in cities including Shenzhen, which sits on the border with semi-autonomous Hong Kong.

Despite the emphasis on sevens, Wang insisted China would not “give up” on 15-a-side rugby. “We will learn from other countries to set up professional 15s clubs,” he said.

China’s rugby fan-base is small at present, Wang said, with foreign fans and university students set to provide the bulk of support.

He predicted World Rugby’s ‘Get Into Rugby’ project would help build interest among schoolchildren, and hoped that one day, homegrown rugby players would become popular heartthrobs role models.

Wang said Chinese parents were increasingly willing to let their children play the game, despite concerns about injuries on the field.

“Even though they maybe have a little concern about the strong confrontation between the players, parents hope through the game and competition children can build up the spirit of teamwork and make friends,” he said.

China’s drive may also get a boost from the 2019 World Cup in Asian neighbour Japan, where rugby has been played for more than a century.