The opening month of the 2026 Nations Cup brought a series of competitive, high-intensity games, several outstanding tries and vital battles, and some great moments and memories that made July a successful start to the newly formed competition.
However, for Hong Kong China, their victory Uruguay trumps everything else, because it came down to the final game. With no time left on the clock, the visitors drew a penalty and there was only one way forward: call on Paul Altiero and ask his sharpshooter to send the ball through the post.
With the shot placed 40 meters from the Los Teros goal, the winger put the ball on the tee and, without an iota of doubt, successfully smashed the pill, sending him, his teammates, staff and supporters into raptures.
However, were his teammates as confident as Paul Altier at the time? According to Alexander Post and Matt Worley, yes.
“Paul’s confidence was the highest it’s ever been, after that game against Chile in which he basically got every shot right. “We had confidence that he would deliver,” Worley said.
Nations Rugby World Cup
Pool A
P
W
L
D
PF
Well
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
In total
1
3
3
0
0
14
2
3
2
1
0
10
3
3
1
2
0
7
4
3
1
2
0
7
5
3
0
2
1
7
6
3
1
1
1
7
Pool B
P
W
L
D
PF
Well
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
In total
1
3
3
0
0
14
2
3
2
1
0
12
3
3
1
1
1
9
4
3
1
1
1
9
5
3
1
2
0
5
6
3
0
3
0
2
“French Paul doesn’t miss,” said Alexandre Post. “And I was just wondering what kind of celebration they were going to have. The moment we got that pen, I was pretty sure they were going to throw it in.”
Hong Kong China managed to end their July Cup of Nations campaign in style after a slow start against Samoa, with ex Northampton Saints and Bedford Blues player Matt Worley reveals how the team felt before that final match.
“I don’t think many people expected us to win at all, but we went in there with nothing to lose. Morale wasn’t where we wanted it to be before the game, but we came out, played our game plan with a little more freedom and things started to work. We used the momentum and ended up winning!”
After finally achieving their dream of qualifying for the men’s Rugby World Cup As it turned out, Hong Kong China’s senior national team opened a new chapter in their high-performance program as the union reintroduced a full-time program for more than 30 players.
Alexander Post, who has played for Richmond for the past few seasons, was among those returning to Hong Kong China under the new programme.
“The full-time program has been reintroduced, which I think has been key to our latest development. Having qualified for the Men’s Rugby World Cup, the program was put in place, allowing players like Matt and myself, who had been playing overseas, to come back to Hong Kong China and play full-time. It allows us to focus on the details and push the team to take the next step up.”
Post, who was born and raised in Hong Kong, China, is feeling more positive about Hong Kong China’s future in the game as recent events have finally come to fruition with a win against Uruguay, hopefully the first of many.
“You always aim to win every game you play. Our head coach (Logan Asplin) says that we don’t know where our ceiling is, and I agree, because some of our teammates were not permanent players before, and others played abroad,” said the 30-year-old whore.
“However, now that we are working together week in week out and putting in the hard work, we can go further in our goals and performances.”
Post and Worley have returned home after successful spells abroad, both playing in the English Championship in recent years. Worley, who wore the Bedford Blues mantle for more than 100 games, has special memories of the club that played a big part in his career.
“I have great memories of Champ and Bedford because I stayed with them for six years and grew as a rugby player there. It’s a great league that was a bit overlooked in the past but not so much anymore because I feel it’s getting more attention. When I left we were pretty close to full-time, completely different to when COVID hit.”
However, the utility quarterback left out a vital piece of information about his impact on Bedford, prompting the Post to step in and add.
“There’s a reason they call Matt the King of Bedford!” reveals experienced frontrunners.
“The champions are definitely overlooked. It’s a tough league full of serious and great players. I’ve learned a lot, and I can only thank Richmond for what they’ve done for me. I’ve loved every minute.”
While in England, the two faced off several times, each enjoying their share of victories, and Post vividly remembers one encounter in particular.
“We hosted the Blues and were 33 points down at half-time but managed to come back from 36. I was on the bench and came on at half-time. I’m not saying I had anything to do with it, but it was nice to get one through Matt and Bedford! The clash with Scotland in London on New Year’s Day was a pretty special memory too.”
For Worley, however, that shared story has all but faded from his memory, although the champion’s color and character are still very much alive in his mind.
“I actually forgot about that game. I don’t remember it ever happening. Seriously, our trips to Cornish Pirates were always pretty great, as was the seven-hour bus journey, and we bonded as a team over that. Beating Ealing at home is another great memory too.”
With Champ Rugby serving as a platform to prepare both players for the Test match arena, they also explained that not everyone understood why they were always available to represent Hong Kong China, and Worley shared the past episode.
“When I was inside France and came back for the U20 stuff, people often asked why I was playing for Hong Kong China because they had a stereotypical idea of what a player from there should look like. Hong Kong China has a diverse culture and a huge rugby community. But that feeling is less widespread now.”
As the Post reveals, they are no exception to the way rugby players from Hong Kong China used to work, with players having to go overseas to develop as senior players. Fortunately, with participation in the Cup of Nations and the World Cup and a constant program, Post expects a new chapter for them.
“You only have to look at Matt and I, two players who did things for our age in Hong Kong China, before we went overseas when we became seniors. Now we can come back home and bring that international experience to add value to our work. It’s not easy to keep those expat kids, but if we stay connected and keep the path open for them to come back, it can only be positive for our game.”
As November approaches, they are already gearing up for what is expected to be another exciting month of Nations Cups, with Worley setting his sights on matches against the United States of America, Canada and Tonga.
“We’re just hoping to put in a good performance in the next three games. We want to play our exciting brand of game, make it competitive and show we can keep going.”
Like Hong Kong, China is preparing to host Tonga in the final game of their campaign, Post shares the team’s biggest ambition ahead of their men’s Rugby World Cup debut, now just 11 months away.
“We want to be memorable. We want to be everyone’s second team and for people to recognize that we tried to play an exciting style of rugby.”
