RWC chief foresees tourney's success in Japan

Rich Freeman / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter

The Webb Ellis Cup was in Tokyo on Saturday as Japan became the 19th team to qualify for next year's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Twenty-three years to the day after John Kirwan scored a sensational individual try in the first-ever World Cup game--between New Zealand and Italy at Auckland's Eden Park--the trophy was accompanied by Kit McConnoll, the head of Rugby World Cup Ltd.

"It is important to have the World Cup in Japan today on the day an Asian team qualifies directly for Rugby World Cup 2011," McConnoll said.

"The Webb Ellis Cup is the iconic symbol of world rugby. It is the trophy players strive to win and fans recognize as the global symbol of our game."

The next 10 years, McConnoll explained, will be a very exciting time for rugby with World Cups set to be held in New Zealand, England and Japan, the Sevens World Cup in Russia in 2013 and the readmission of the sport to the Olympics in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.

And despite less-than-impressive gates at Top League and national team games, the New Zealander is confident the tournament in Japan in 2019 will be a success.

"We have a dedicated staff working towards delivering the World Cup to Japan and have a strong working relationship with the Japan Rugby Football Union," he said. "We have had some positive meetings about planning and promoting the game and installing a ticketing process so we have the same success as in Australia and France."

The recent decision by the International Rugby Board to reinstall traditional tours and bring Tier 1 nations to countries like Japan will, McConnoll believes, also ensure Japan will be a competitive host.

"There are more Tier 1 countries coming to Japan than any other country," the 37-year-old said.

While the JRFU has yet to make an official announcement, McConnoll said that Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Italy would be coming here in 2013, '16, '17 and '18, respectively--though the actual format of the tours had yet to be finalized.

"The games will provide strong competition for the national team and help promote the game to the public and are very important in terms of preparation for the Rugby World Cup," he said.

--Rich Freeman

(May. 23, 2010)

Japan routs Hong Kong to book World Cup berth

Rich Freeman / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter

Japan became the 19th team to qualify for the 2011 Rugby World Cup after thrashing Hong Kong 94-5 at Tokyo's Chichibunomiya Stadium on Saturday.

The victory, which also sees Japan win the HSBC Asian Five Nations for the third straight year, means the Brave Blossoms will take their place in Pool A alongside New Zealand, France, Tonga and Canada.

"We've got two easy games to start so I am not worried about those," Japan coach John Kirwan joked of taking on the All Blacks and France.

"It's important we keep growing. I want to show the world how much we have improved and I hope we have the courage to play our style of rugby. I have never taken the field to lose a game and won't in New Zealand and I am sure the players feel the same."

As the Brave Blossoms proved on Saturday, when they do get their game going they are unstoppable--at least against Asian opposition.

"When we got out on the field I could feel they had never played at that pace," said Shaun Webb, who scored one of Japan's 14 tries and added three conversions. "The team picked up on it and our intensity was top-notch."

Webb said strong words from an unhappy Kirwan on Friday helped motivate the team.

"When JK left the room, the boys pulled in. We didn't want to give him a reason to shout at us after the game," he said.

Kirwan, meanwhile, admitted he was very happy with the team's performance, saying it was the best of the year.

"Today was all about our performance and keeping that level for 80 minutes," he said. "We played until the very end which is what we need to do at the World Cup."

Sadly, the very end also produced the one moment of controversy.

Goshi Tachikawa crossed three minutes after the hooter to put Japan a conversion away from its second straight 100-point haul.

But referee Harry Mason disallowed the try and then showed Tachikawa a red card, much to the anger of the crowd and the confusion and frustration of the players and coaches.

"One of the Hong Kong players came in late and twisted my arm," the fullback explained. "I raised my fist but didn't mean to hit him. It was an accident."

Kirwan was hopeful the red card would be sufficient punishment for Tachikawa, who apologized to the player after the game and presented him with his Japan jersey.

With Touetsu Taufa also getting a yellow card in time added on, the Brave Blossoms finished the game with 13 players.

It might have been a closer affair if they had started with that number.

Alisi Tupuailei crossed for the first of his three tries in the second minute and Japan's progression to New Zealand was assured 16 minutes later when Kosuke Endo brought up the bonus point Japan needed.

From there on, it was a-point-a-minute pace as Japan was simply too big, strong, fast and good.

"We came up against a superb Japan side," said Hong Kong coach Dai Rees. "They stand alone in Asian rugby."

Rees' miserable day was compounded when news came from Incheon that Kazakhstan had beaten South Korea 32-25.

The victory means Kazakhstan pipped Hong Kong for a place in the cross-continental playoffs for the 20th and final spot in New Zealand.

The Koreans will be relegated, with Sri Lanka taking their place in the top flight.

(May. 23, 2010)

Japan gets boost from IRB decision

Rich Freeman / Daily Yomiuri Sportswriter

Japan's hopes of breaking into rugby's elite got a boost Tuesday when the International Rugby Board announced that traditional tours would be returning to the international calendar.

The sport's governing body said in a press release that the IRB Council "approved a new global 10-year playing schedule that will shape the test landscape in the run up to Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan."

The highlights of the schedule, which commences in 2012, are the return of tours to the Pacific islands, North America and Japan and an integrated Tier 2 schedule.

The decision gives Japan the chance to take on quality teams it has rarely been able to play.

"A core component of the new schedule is an integrated test schedule for targeted Strategic Investment Unions, providing the platform for increased competition and growth through the delivery of more ranking tests between Tier 2 nations and matches against touring Tier 1 sides for the first time in several years, with tests in North America, Japan and the Pacific islands," the IRB said.

"Good stuff, that's fantastic," said Japan coach John Kirwan when told of the news.

Kirwan has, for some time, lamented his team's inability to get fixtures against countries ranked higher than Japan.

"Impossible," he said of recent attempts to get a test match against some of the established rugby nations.

"We need to be playing and beating the teams just above us in the rankings," he said. "That's the only way we can get better."

And he hopes the new schedule will only lead to bigger and better things.

"What the leading nations need to do now is take the next courageous step and set up a horizontal competition so you have promotion and relegation from the Six Nations and Quad Nations. That's the pathway to the money. Imagine if we won the Pacific Nations Cup and then had a playoff with Argentina.

"At the moment, countries like Japan, Georgia and Romania have no chance of having a go at the TV rights."

The last time Japan hosted a top 10 nation, outside the PNC, was in 2005 when Ireland played a two-test series in Osaka and Tokyo.

The last tour Japan hosted was in 2001 when Wales lost to Suntory and a Pacific Barbarians team before sweeping the two-test series.

In other rugby news:

--The All Blacks and the Wallabies will return to Hong Kong in October to play a Bledisloe Cup test, officials said Tuesday.

The two sides first played in the former British colony in 2008 before bringing the historic fixture to Tokyo in 2009. This year's match is set for Oct. 30.

(May. 19, 2010)