1
Japan in talks to join Rugby Championship or Six Nations
By AAP
The Japan Rugby Football Union is in talks with both the Six Nations and the Rugby Championship to ensure regular international games, but would prefer to be part of the southern hemisphere competition.
Japan reached the quarter-finals of the 2019 World Cup on home soil but did not play in 2020 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, returning to action after 18 months against the British & Irish Lions in June 2021.
The Brave Blossoms won only one of their six matches last year, against Portugal.
"For our national teams to have not played for the best part of two years has had a huge impact," former Japan international and current CEO Kensuke Iwabuchi told the JRFU website.
"We definitely need to be involved in regular international competition, otherwise we cannot expect to maintain consistently strong sides.
"Europe has the Six Nations and the Southern Hemisphere have the Rugby Championship.
"We're in discussions with both competitions, but while Japan is technically in the Northern Hemisphere, from a time-zone perspective we're closer to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific nations, so it probably makes sense to connect with their competitions."
The Rugby Championship is contested by Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Iwabuchi said the team can take heart from solid displays in defeats by Ireland, Australia and Scotland last year and added they hoped to build on them before the next World Cup in France.
"I remain very optimistic regarding the Brave Blossoms and think that with two years of solid preparation ahead of France 2023 we can be in a position to achieve similar, if not better results than 2019," Iwabuchi said.
Trending on RugbyPass
2
Jake White: Ireland, Australia and Wales have the same problem
3
David Campese names his Springbok world player of the year winner
4
Let's be real about these All Blacks
5
Latest Comments
Agreed. Borthwick will have to write a new excuse book soon .
I have looked at the two world cup final teams from 2003 and 2020.
2003 team scored 187 tries between them in 389 caps
2020 team scored 113 tries between them in 473 caps. As you can see a huge disparity in scoring rate. Only Johnny May with 36 tries in 78 caps scored a higher amount of tries. Elliot Daly comes close but the rest are frankly very poor.
Farrell and Ford scored a pathetic 20 tries between them in a combined 210 caps.
There again , the 2003 team did have Wilko and Greenwood etc whereas 2020 team had Ford and Farrell .
So much people saying that Fords strength is of bringing others into the game .
Really. The figures totally disprove that notion .
It has been mentioned elsewhere that we have accepted mediocrity far too often and the figures would indicate that players are or have been picked far too often without performing .
Go to commentsNot disputing that NZ are ahead of Eng. Also not saying Eng are unlucky (though clearly the tone of the article is not that the ABs were unlucky but that they 'should have' won). Your team are looking great and are on the up. I just felt that Pundits have argued Eng 'should have' won the first test against the ABs, when it's more nuanced than that, and very fine margins determine results that Eng didn't get right. Same applies, therefore, to NZ and other nations. Ben Smith though doesn't seem to see it that way. To be clear: I'm not saying I agree with the 'should haves', but more that I take issue with the phrasing.
Good to see your respect for other nations is so strong! Proper rugby fan you are!!!
Go to comments