Pro league in pipeline

China could soon have its own professional rugby union league as the nation looks to make an impression in the sport at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The Chinese Rugby Football Association (CRFA) recently unveiled a plan to establish a national league of 15-a-side teams by 2018 and to expand the current seven-a-side competition, which has been an Olympic sport since the last Games in Rio.

“Our goal is to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, both men’s and women’s teams, and try to achieve decent results,” Cui Weihong, secretary general of CRFA, said at a recent World Rugby conference in Beijing.

“A sound league system, in which our players could improve by competing regularly while gaining consistent exposure, is the key.”

China currently has an annual cup tournament and a national championship for rugby sevens, but nothing for 15-a-side competition — the sport’s traditional format.

However, thanks to support from the international rugby family and significant corporate funding, that is now the dream.

E-commerce giant Alibaba’s sports arm, Alisports, last year signed a 10-year, $100 million deal with World Rugby and the CRFA aimed at building a professional league system, educating 30,000 coaches and 15,000 referees and marketing the game.

Launching a 15-a-side pro league next year seems unrealistic given the lack of Chinese playing that format, but Cui is upbeat.

“We don’t have enough players on our own to establish even four clubs for a league in the 15s game. But we can borrow talent from overseas with funding from our partner,” she said.

Ross Mitch, general manager of Asia Rugby, said importing players could be a stumbling block.

“What we need to do with China now is to put in place the match officials, the facilities and the administration that is needed to do a 15-a-side program,” he said.

“There are other unions out there, such as in Japan, that can help with resources that can build that. It won’t be a problem getting players in; the problem will be can you get the visas for them.”

Meanwhile, Fiji, a rugby stronghold and the reigning Olympic men’s sevens champion, is keen to help China.

Ratish Singh, counselor of the Embassy of the Republic of Fiji in China, said: “If China is looking to prepare itself for the Olympics, Fiji wants to help. We have good players, coaches and referees that we can send to China.”