Sri Lanka Rugby says operational and administrative issues during the final stages of squad preparations led to the cancellation of its Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship 2026 match against South Korea, which has now been recorded as a 20-0 defeat.
Asia Rugby announced that the fixture, scheduled to be played at the Namdong Asiad Rugby Stadium in Incheon on Saturday (13), would not go ahead after Sri Lanka failed to secure the necessary travel visas in time.
Under competition regulations, South Korea has been awarded four competition points, with the match officially recorded as a 20-0 victory for the hosts.
In a statement issued on Friday, Sri Lanka Rugby apologised for the cancellation and said an internal review had found that the separation of the Men’s Sevens and Men’s Fifteens programmes resulted in additional player selections and a revised squad list, leading to delays in approvals and visa processing.
The union said it had worked closely with Asia Rugby, the Korea Rugby Union, the Ministry of Sports and relevant authorities to explore all possible options, including alternative travel arrangements and dates, but was unable to complete the required documentation within the available timeframe.
Asia Rugby said a review of the international rugby calendar, travel requirements, venue availability and team commitments found no suitable window to reschedule the fixture within the 2026 competition cycle.
The championship featured two matches before the cancelled fixture, with Hong Kong China edging Sri Lanka 15-14 in Colombo before defeating South Korea 45-9 in Hong Kong.
Those results secured a seventh consecutive Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship title for Hong Kong China.
Asia Rugby said the official standings will be updated to reflect the awarded result and any further decisions will be communicated through its official channels. (Newswire)
