Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series returns with 24 teams across China and Sri Lanka

The Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series (ARESS 2026) is set to run from late August through October, with legs in Suzhou, China and Colombo, Sri Lanka forming the backbone of the continent’s premier sevens competition.

Suzhou hosts the opening weekend on the final weekend of August, before the series concludes in Colombo on 17-18 October — a schedule built around the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, which will also feature several competing nations in September.

In the women’s draw, defending champions Japan — a side that competes on the HSBC SVNS Series — enter as heavy favourites. They will be challenged by China, Thailand, Hong Kong China, Kazakhstan, India, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Uzbekistan and Iran join the field as newly promoted sides, replacing the Philippines and Indonesia, who have dropped to the Trophy Series.

On the men’s side, Hong Kong China arrive as defending champions and in strong form, having finished fourth at SVNS 3 earlier this year. Japan, China, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea and Uzbekistan complete the field, with Kazakhstan and India promoted in place of the relegated Philippines and Chinese Taipei.

“The Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Series continues to be one of the flagship competitions in our calendar, showcasing the very best of rugby sevens across our region,” said Asia Rugby President Qais Al Dhalai. “We are proud to welcome Asia’s leading men’s and women’s teams to Suzhou as they begin another exciting Series.”

Asia Rugby Competitions Committee Chairperson Asanga Seneviratne echoed that sentiment, saying the organisation looks forward to “another outstanding edition of the Emirates Sevens Series, showcasing the talent, passion, and continued progress of rugby across the region.”

The senior series is not the only action on the calendar. Qingdao will host the U18s Sevens on 5-6 September, the week after the ARESS opener, with nine teams in the women’s competition and ten in the men’s. Notably, Japan — defending men’s U18 champions — will not compete in 2026, nor will their women’s side, opening the door for China and Hong Kong China to challenge for honours at that level.