In their debut game of the China Rugby Union, the Fuzhou Tigers fell short at home to the Guangzhou Rams on September 27.

Players of Fuzhou’s Tigers (yellow/black) and the Guangzhou Rams (red/black) vie with each other during a match of the China Rugby Union, Sept 27. It is the home debut for the Tigers since joining the China Rugby Union in August. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Despite the embarrassing defeat, the Tigers remained optimistic and tried to put things in perspective.

"It is the first time for the team to play an opponent from outside Fujian province. The Rams are one of the top rugby teams in the country. And we have so much to learn from them, no matter whether it is the strategy of play or the skillset," said Wu Rusheng, director of the Tigers.

"We will study the tape of today’s game and try to improve ourselves," he added.

The Tigers were set up as the first rugby team in Fuzhou city in 2010. It is one of the few rugby teams in China to use domestic players, accounting for more than half of the roster.

The team has more than 80 amateur players, both male and female, on the roster, including many foreigners living in Fuzhou or adjacent areas.

The male team of the Tigers was enrolled in the China Rugby Union in August and is competing against Guangzhou Rams, Xiamen Typhoon, Shenzhen Dragons in the south China division for berths in the Class A and B championships of the union.