Rugby in Japan 日本のラグビー
Cherry blossoms feel the oval balloon
A very popular sport in Japan, rugby has been played there for a century. The country has one of the largest numbers of licensees!
A little history of rugby in Japan
Invented in England in the late nineteenth century, the Rugby Union was first developed in Anglo-Saxon countries (United Kingdom, Scotland, Wales, South Africa, New Zealand, Australia). The sport did not appear in Japan until the Meiji Restoration in 1868, thanks to the port cities of Yokohama and Kobe . Initially, only foreigners practiced this new sport. The first Japanese to join the fray were the students of Keio University in Tokyo in 1899, thanks to their professors Edward Clarke Bramwell (1875-1934) and Ginnosuke Tanaka (1873-1933), both from the university. from Cambridge. The two friends, now teachers, are the first coaches in the history of rugby in Japan and remain the strategists of the team until 1910. Thus, the university club of Keio is the oldest in Japan and is even older. only clubs like the Biarritz Olympique (1913) or the Stade Toulousain (1907)!
Japan, the first Asian rugby nation
Rugby union is a major sport in Japan. Indeed, the country is sixth in the world ranking in number of licensees. The Japanese rugby union team, the Brave Blossoms , was formed in 1926. Since 2016, its coach has been former New Zealand rugby player Jamie Joseph . Japan has participated in all Rugby World Cup competitions since its inception in 1987. Although it never made it past the group stage, the country is today considered the best Asian nation in the world. rugby . Since 2006, he has also participated in the Pacific Nations Cup, which brings together Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. In 2008, Japan participated for the first time in the Asian Five Nations Tournament, which it won.
Read : Baseball in Japan
Rugby for all!
Did you know that in Japan, women also play rugby? The first women's team, the Setagaya Ladies, was formed in 1983. The first women's rugby league in Japan dates back to 1988, and the women's first overseas expedition the following year. The women's team, Sakura XV participate in the World Cup since 1991. In 2017, they are 14th in the world rankings and World Rugby participating for the fourth time in the World Cup (1991.1992 and 2002 in the past ). This year's edition takes place August 9-26 in Dublin.
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More information on the 2019 World Cup and rugby in Japan:
Are you going to Japan for the rugby world cup? It's the time to purchase your Japan Rail Pass!
- What is the Japan Rail Pass? A train pass that allows you to take unlimited JR line trains at no additional cost for 7, 14 or 21 days. This 20,000 km rail network spanning the archipelago from north to south allows you to travel freely throughout most of Japan.
- Why buy a Japan Rail Pass? Above all, to save money! The matches take place in several cities and the long train journeys are expensive on the archipelago. And why not take advantage of your stay in Japan to take an excursion to Kyoto , Hiroshima or even Himeji ? Having a Japan Rail Pass gives you incomparable freedom of movement.
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If you have any questions, contact our team of travel advisers , they will be able to answer your questions and advise you as best as possible according to your wishes and needs.