Hong Kong aren't going to get better
Watching them play against Samoa (the next-worst team in the RWC and who fielded a B team nonetheless) really got me thinking.
If Hong Kong get more known for playing rugby, the result will be more Australians, South Africans, and Brits moving to HK to play rugby for them.
It isn't going to result in more HKers playing rugby and it isn't going to result in more HKers watching rugby.
There's no diaspora to watch either - mainland China don't do rugby so none of them would watch an increasingly-better HK either. Nowhere else in Asia will be inspired by HK's success.
South Korea, meanwhile, have good avenues of growth if only they can Japan themselves into a good domestic setup. Equally places like Belgium and Germany.
I think the decision to award a spot to the next-best Asian team (after Japan) isn't really going to work, and I think we're in for some record-breaking routs in 2027.