Japan All Blacks' match breaks attendance record in Tokyo
Japan have broken their home game attendance record.
While Jamie Joseph's side will have been disappointed with the defeat at the hands of the All Blacks, the nearly 44,000 fans in attendance were treated to a genuinely entertaining and an at times closely fought game at the Ajinomoto Stadium in west Tokyo.
There were just small areas of spare seats in the 49,970 capacity soccer stadium, the normal home ground of Tokyo FC.
A record 43,751 fans were in attendance, a figure which breaks Japan's record for a Brave Blossoms home game. The previous record holder was last year's game with the Wallabies, where 43,621 watched a 30 - 63 defeat at the Nissan Stadium in Yokohama.
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The record attendance at a Japan match outside of the country was the 73,969 that watched Japan take on Wales at the Millenium Stadium in 2016. The second highest attendance was also against Wales in the Millenium Stadium, when 73,969 watched the Brave Blossoms in 1999.
The record home attendance is good news as the country prepares to host the game's centrepiece tournament.
It's now under a year to go until Japan plays Russia in the opening match of Rugby World Cup 2019 and Asia’s first Rugby World Cup appears to be capturing the imagination of a nation and the global rugby family with demand for tickets and official supporter tour and hospitality packages exceeding expectations.
"It is very encouraging to see such strong demand for tickets with a year to go until Rugby World Cup 2019," said World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont said in September.
Akira Shimazu Rugby World Cup 2019 Organising Committee President & CEO said: "Demand for Rugby World Cup 2019 tickets has been incredibly strong with more than 70 per cent of the available inventory sold during the initial sales ballots that ran until June this year.
"We’ve seen the highest demand for matches featuring the host nation Japan, world champions New Zealand, as well as Ireland and England, with interest across the knockout stages also incredibly strong."
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I have heard it asked if RA is essentially one of the part owners and I suppose therefor should be on the other side of these two parties. If they purchased the rebels and guaranteed them, and are responsible enough they incur Rebels penalties, where is this line drawn? Seems rough to have to pay a penalty for something were your involvement sees you on the side of the conned party, the creditors. If the Rebels directors themselves have given the club their money, 6mil worth right, why aren’t they also listed as sitting with RA and the Tax office? And the legal threat was either way, new Rebels or defunct, I can’t see how RA assume the threat was less likely enough to warrant comment about it in this article. Surely RA ignore that and only worry about whether they can defend it or not, which they have reported as being comfortable with. So in effect wouldn’t it be more accurate to say there is no further legal threat (or worry) in denying the deal. Unless the directors have reneged on that. > Returns of a Japanese team or even Argentinean side, the Jaguares, were said to be on the cards, as were the ideas of standing up brand new teams in Hawaii or even Los Angeles – crazy ideas that seemingly forgot the time zone issues often cited as a turn-off for viewers when the competition contained teams from South Africa. Those timezones are great for SR and are what will probably be needed to unlock its future (cant see it remaining without _atleast _help from Aus), day games here are night games on the West Coast of america, were potential viewers triple, win win. With one of the best and easiest ways to unlock that being to play games or a host a team there. Less good the further across Aus you get though. Jaguares wouldn’t be the same Jaguares, but I still would think it’s better having them than keeping the Rebels. The other options aren’t really realistic 25’ options, no. From reading this authors last article I think if the new board can get the investment they seem to be confident in, you keeping them simply for the amount of money they’ll be investing in the game. Then ditch them later if they’re not good enough without such a high budget. Use them to get Jaguares reintergration stronger, with more key players on board, and have success drive success.
Go to commentsYeah, and ours is waaay bigger than yours. Just as you's get a semi…oh hold on that never happens
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