Đại Việt Rugby aims to make rugby a sporting choice for all ages and genders in Vietnam. Photo Courtesy of Đại Việt Rugby

By Alex Reeves - @afreeves23

When I’m not hammering out words for our readers, I can most often be found on campus at the school where I spend most of my waking hours. As I cast a gaze out through the staff room window and over the sports fields, looking beyond the four or five basketball courts, I’m drawn to the large and meticulously maintained astro turf football pitch.

The pitch is crowded with students and staff members running training sessions and all of the courts are full, with games at both ends. Something, though, is missing, or at least from my memories of school back home in the UK. Where are the rugby posts? A staple of sporting life back home, rugby is one of the truly global sports that hasn’t quite gained traction here, just yet.

One man is trying to change that. In 2024, Johnny Harris, from Scotland, established Đại Việt Rugby, a community-focused initiative spearheading rugby development in Việt Nam. Passionate about the sport, the community factor it brings, and both the soft and hard skills that can be developed by being involved, Johnny and his team are uniquely focused on putting down the roots for the sport to grow and flourish here, within the expat community and beyond.

Việt Nam lacks a domestic rugby league but it does have successful sports and social clubs at both ends of the country. Hanoi Dragons and arch-rivals Saigon Geckos are well stocked in members, with both clubs boasting male and female sides respectively. Unfortunately, outside of their infamous grudge matches, they have to look abroad for fresh challenges, be that packing their bags or playing host to fellow clubs from the continent.

Hanoi 10s, arguably the flagship event for Rugby in Việt Nam, is doing just that. Bangkok Bangers and Southerners will represent the capital alongside fellow Thai side ‘Chiang Mai Cobras’. The Bali Chillies are involved, as are early favourites, the semi-professional Kowloon Weredragons of Hong Kong. All of these sides will fly in to give the event some international appeal, with Hà Nội’s Japanese community entering a team of their own to boot.

The inaugural tournament started back in 2019 and despite the inevitable COVID clipping of its heels, has only grown stronger since the pandemic ended. 2024 was aligned with an impressive 30th anniversary for the Dragons, but it’s this year on March 22nd that promises to be their biggest spectacle yet. A full-day event with local vendors providing food and refreshments throughout and post-match entertainment including a vinyl DJ set and live performances featuring some of Hà Nội’s hottest current acts.

Rugby fan or not, this is an event which you should add to your calendar. On show will be talent, passion, and camaraderie. A palpably competitive sporting environment entwined with a strong sense of community, entertainment, and a family-friendly atmosphere. We should all want to see these events flourish, for the expat community of Hà Nội's stronger for them and with advanced tickets currently under VNĐ150,000k per head, there’s no excuse not to.

Visit https://hanoi10s.carrd.co/ for more details and as always, see you there. VNS