China Lions Explained

Teamname:	China Lions
Union:	Bay of Plenty Rugby Union
League:	Global Rapid Rugby

The China Lions is a professional rugby union team that was formed in 2020 to compete in the Global Rapid Rugby competition across the Asia-Pacific region. It is a joint venture between the China Rugby Football Association and New Zealand's Bay of Plenty Rugby Union.

History

For their first season in 2020 the Lions intended to host three of their home games in China at Shanghai and two in New Zealand at the Rotorua International Stadium. Due to health concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the Lions only played one match in the schedule, a 29–22 away win over the Fijian Latui in Suva.^[1]

Records

Head coaches

• Mike Rogers (2020)

Captains

• Hugh Blake (2020)

Squads

• Greg Pleasants-Tate
• Nic Souchon

• Nico Aandewiel
• Haereiti Hetet
• Tevita Mafileo
• Solomona Sakalia
• Tevita Sole
• Apitoni Toia
• Viliami Leo Tosi

• Li Haitao
• Iosefa Maloney-Fiaola
• Ray Tatafu
• Stan van den Hoven

• Hugh Blake (c)
• Kohan Herbert
• Joe Johnston
• Liu Luda
• Hoani Matenga
• Abraham Papali'i
• Gao Yinghao

• Luke Campbell
• Leroy Carter
• Te Aihe Toma

• Dan Hollinshead
• Solofa Silipa
• Dwayne Sweeney

• Joe Johnston
• James Little
• Mathew Skipwith-Garland

• Declan Barnett
• Tyler Campbell
• Dan Changshun
• Fa'asiu Fuatai

• Pryor Collier
• Liam Coombes-Fabling

Notes:

Bold denotes player is internationally capped.

See also

• Rugby union in China

External links

• China Lions

Notes and References

1. Web site: Lions surprise Fiji in season-opener . Rapid Rugby . 14 March 2020 . 17 February 2021 . 18 January 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210118014914/https://www.rapid.rugby/lions-surprise-fiji-in-season-opener/ . dead .