The 2010 Asian Five Nations, known as the 2010 HSBC Asian 5 Nations due to its sponsorship by HSBC, was the third series of the Asian Five Nations, the flagship competition devised by the International Rugby Board (IRB) to develop rugby union in Asia. The top five teams took part in a round-robin competition held on five consecutive weekends between 24 April and 22 May 2010, with each match hosted by one of the participants. Four other divisions operating on a single-elimination basis also took place, with a system of promotion and relegation between the four divisions and the main tournament.
| Date | 24 April 2010 – 22 May 2010 |
|---|---|
| Countries | Arabian Gulf Hong Kong Japan Kazakhstan South Korea |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Japan (18th title) |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 10 |
| Website | www |
← 2009 2011 → | |
The main tournament was contested by the Arabian Gulf rugby union team, Hong Kong, Japan, Kazakhstan and South Korea. Japan maintained their unbeaten streak within the Asian Five Nations, winning the tournament for the third time in a row, with an average winning margin of over seventy points in their four games. As champions, they qualified for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. Kazakhstan, who placed second with two victories, qualified for the final place play-offs, where they were defeated by Uruguay. Hong Kong and the Arabian Gulf came third and fourth respectively, with two victories each, while Korea were relegated to Division One for the 2011 competition after failing to win a match.
Changes from 2009
edit- Singapore has been replaced with Arabian Gulf, who earns promotion from Division 1.
Teams
editThe teams involved, with their world rankings pre tournament, were:
- Arabian Gulf rugby union team (44)
- Hong Kong (39)
- Japan (13)
- Kazakhstan (26)
- South Korea (24)
Final Table
edit| Champions |
| Relegated to Division One for 2011 |
| Pos | Nation | Games | Points | Table points | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Diff | Tries | Bonus Points | Points | ||
| 1 | Japan
|
4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 326 | 30 | +296 | 50 | 4 | 24 |
| 2 | Kazakhstan
|
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 94 | 173 | −76 | 9 | 3 | 13 |
| 3 | Hong Kong
|
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 65 | 133 | −68 | 7 | 2 | 12 |
| 4 | Arabian Gulf rugby union team | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 70 | 128 | −61 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| 5 | South Korea
|
4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 65 | 156 | −91 | 9 | 3 | 3 |
Scoring System
- Win – 5 Points
- Draw – 3 Points
- Loss – 0 Points
- Bonus points for scoring four tries or for losing by no more than 7 points.
Fixtures
edit| Home | Score (Tries) | Away | Match Information | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Venue | |||||||
| Hong Kong
|
32–8 (4–1) | South Korea
|
24-Apr-2010 | Hong Kong FC Stadium, Hong Kong | ||||
| Kazakhstan
|
43–28 (4–3) | Arabian Gulf rugby union team | 24-Apr-2010 | National University Stadium, Almaty | ||||
| Arabian Gulf rugby union team | 16–9 (1–0) | Hong Kong
|
30-Apr-2010 | Bahrain Sports Club, Manama, Bahrain | ||||
| South Korea
|
13–71 (1–11) | Japan
|
1-May-2010 | Gyeongsang Rugby Stadium, Daegu | ||||
| Japan
|
60–5 (10–1) | Arabian Gulf rugby union team | 8-May-2010 | Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo | ||||
| Hong Kong
|
19–15 (2–0) | Kazakhstan
|
8-May-2010 | Hong Kong FC Stadium, Hong Kong | ||||
| Arabian Gulf rugby union team | 21–19 (2–3) | South Korea
|
14-May-2010 | The Sevens, Dubai | ||||
| Kazakhstan
|
7–101 (1–15) | Japan
|
15-May-2010 | Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo | ||||
| Japan
|
94–5 (14–1) | Hong Kong
|
22-May-2010 | Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo | ||||
| South Korea
|
25–32 (4–4) | Kazakhstan
|
22-May-2010 | Incheon Munhak Stadium, Incheon | ||||
NB:
- The Kazakhstan–Japan fixture was moved from Almaty to Tokyo.
- The Arabian Gulf–Korea match was the last Test for the Arabian Gulf team.