China's youth rugby team to tour New Zealand

China's 15-a-side national rugby union youth team will visit the home of the All Blacks in June to hone their skills and experience the atmosphere surrounding one of most anticipated events in the game.

The team has been invited to New Zealand between June 18 and 26 to play against Hamilton Boys High School in Auckland and to visit the Rotorua Boys High School Academy and the Bay of Plenty Steamers in Tauranga, the Chinese Rugby Football Association announced on May 2.

With the trip deliberately timed to coincide with the 2017 edition of the famous British and Irish Lions tour, China's young hopefuls will have the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the biggest stars in the rugby world.

The Lions, a team formed every four years, is made up of players from England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland. The composite squad has been touring the Southern Hemisphere's "Big Three" rugby nations of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa since 1888.

The Lions will play seven warm-up games against regional teams and three Tests against the All Blacks in New Zealand between June 3 and July 9.

The Chinese youth squad will attend the Lions' match against the Chiefs, a professional team based in Hamilton, on June 20 to observe world-class rugby players in action.

David Hope, deputy head of mission at the New Zealand embassy in Beijing, expects the Chinese youth team to have an unforgettable experience.

"We want to support rugby in China. We expect the Chinese team to have a successful tour of New Zealand, and hope it will help the sport to grow here," said Hope.

"They will be exposed to New Zealand's immense rugby culture, which will help them feel a passion for the sport and keep them engaged in the sport," he added.

"New Zealand is keen to help China through our coaching expertise. There is a desire in many of the world's traditional rugby countries to help develop the game in Asia, especially with the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan coming up."