Rugby World Cup kicks off Japan national team whose true value is questioned [Summary of points]

Highlights: The opening match will be between hosts France and New Zealand, nicknamed the All Blacks. The opening match is the host country that is listed as the favorite to win the championship. The "fruit" as well as "name" is required to see if we can achieve results recognized by the world. We will fight to improve on the last four or higher. We are aiming for a better final four than the previous tournament, which reached the last eight for the first time in history. We have summarized the points.

【NHK】The Rugby World Cup in France will kick off in the early morning of the 8th and Japan time of the 9th. The opening match is the host country that is listed as the favorite to win the championship ...

The Rugby World Cup France will kick off in the early morning of the 8th and Japan time of the 9th. The opening match will be between hosts France and New Zealand, nicknamed the All Blacks.

Four years ago, in the last tournament, they reached the last eight for the first time Japan. In the World Cup, which will be welcomed by joining the ranks of the world's strongest teams, it will be a tournament in which "fruit" as well as "name" is required to see if we can achieve results recognized by the world.

The first match of the Japan will be played on the Japan hour and 4th. We will fight to improve on the last four or higher.
We have summarized the points.

The opening matches are France × New Zealand
Japan's first match is against Chile.

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◆Japan Representative Comparison with the previous tournament
Why did you appoint Kazuki Himeno as captain?
Recognized as a "world powerhouse"Japan The "fruit" sought
Changes to national team rules benefit Samoa in Japan and pool

Open Table of Contents

table of contents

The opening matches are France × New Zealand
Japan's first match is against Chile.
notice
◆Japan Representative Comparison with the previous tournament
Why did you appoint Kazuki Himeno as captain?
Recognized as a "world powerhouse"Japan The "fruit" sought
Changes to national team rules benefit Samoa in Japan and pool

【NHK Special Website】Rugby World Cup 2023

The opening matches are France × New Zealand

The Rugby World Cup France will be held from 8 to 28 next month local time, with 20 teams participating in matches at nine venues in France.

The opening match will be held in Saint-Denis near Paris after 9 p.m. local time on the 8th and 9 a.m. on the 9th, Japan time, where the hosts France and New Zealand, also known as the All Blacks, will face each other.

Opening Match France × New Zealand Highlights

In the tournament, five teams will be divided into four groups from Pool A to Pool D to compete in the first round, and the top two teams from each pool will advance to the final tournament.

Japan's first match is against Chile.

World No. 14 Japan entered Pool D in the first round.

【Schedule (Japan hours)】
▽September 9: Chile (world No. 10) ▽September 22: England (world No. 9) ▽September 18: Samoa (world No. 8) ▽October 9: Argentina (World No. 29) (*World rankings as of September 12, 10)

Japan are aiming for a better final four than the previous tournament, which reached the last eight for the first time in history.

Since the last tournament, we have honed our traditional fast-paced rugby and strengthened our defensive aspects, such as tackling.

Jamie Joseph Head Coach

Despite a 1-5 record in test matches this season, head coach Jamie Joseph is confident in the team's finish.

The players compared this tournament to a battle to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world's highest peak, and said that they would "aim to win the championship."

NHK will broadcast the opening match between France and New Zealand in the early morning of the 9th Japan time, and the first match of the Japan and Chile on the 10th on Sogo TV and BS4K, as well as broadcast them on NHK Plus.

【Click here for NHK broadcast schedule】

Rugby Japan National Team matches and latest videos are being distributed on NHK Plus

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◆Japan Representative Comparison with the previous tournament

We will compare the differences between the previous tournament held in their home country and this Japan tournament in terms of nationality, average age, and number of caps of the national team members.

[There are 12 foreign players]
First is nationality. In the case of rugby, regardless of your place of origin or nationality, if you meet certain conditions, you can qualify to represent your country or region as a representative of a national or regional association, so each team is made up of players of various nationalities.

In the previous tournament, the number of national team players was 2, two less than this time, but Japan seven of them were foreign nationals.

These multinational teams came together under the slogan "ONE TEAM" to reach the last eight for the first time in history.

Of the 8 members of the national team, 33 are foreign nationals. The percentage of foreign players has increased compared to the previous year.

[Average age is 28.6 years old]
On the other hand, the average age of the members has remained almost unchanged from 28.5 years old in the previous survey to 28.6 years old this time.

Veteran HORIE Shota

It is well balanced, from veterans who know the breakthroughs of past Japan to promising new forces.

【Click here for details】33 representatives of Japan

[The total number of caps for the national team is 642]
The total number of caps for all members of the squad has increased from 31 players to 706 caps last time and 33 caps for 642 players this time, but it is lower than the previous time in terms of international match experience.

Can we make the most of the diversity of rugby in 2015 and 2019 and connect the history of the Japan national team becoming stronger to the next level?

This year's tournament will test the true value of rugby, Japan which has continued to grow.

Why did you appoint Kazuki Himeno as captain?

Captain HIMENO Kazuki

In this tournament, Japan National Team Head Coach Jamie Joseph has appointed forward HIMENO Kazuki as the captain of the team. When asked about the reason in an exclusive interview with NHK...

Head Coach
Jamie Joseph: "One of the criteria is to be a player who plays every game, there are a lot of experienced players in the team, but I thought it was time for Himeno. He has a future as a player and I wanted to leave a legacy of a player who will continue to play on the world stage after Japan I leave the national team. It's also my job to develop the players into leaders".

In response, Himeno is enthusiastic, saying, "As a man, I want to live up to the expectations of Jamie, who believed in me and appointed me."

Michael Leach has been the captain of the Japan National Team since 2015 and 2019, and has brought together players with diverse personalities and talents, including foreign players.

Himeno, who made a name for himself as a "jackal" who goes to steal the ball from opponents in the last tournament, can be said to be a key factor in Japan's victory in deciding what kind of captaincy will unite the team this time.

Recognized as a "world powerhouse"Japan The "fruit" sought

This World Cup will be an important tournament to determine the current position of Japan in the world.

This year Japan entered the framework of "High Performance Union", which is a renewal of the "Tier 1" of the world's top tier, and was recognized as a world powerhouse.

They made great progress in the last tournament Japan

If they can improve on the last eight of the previous edition, their global presence will increase and Japan will surely give the Rugby Union a tailwind to re-qualify for the World Cup in 8 at the earliest.

On the other hand, if we do not achieve the desired results, such as being eliminated in the first round, the raison d'être of our existence as a high-performance union will be questioned.

In the World Cup, which will be welcomed by joining the ranks of the world's strongest teams, it will be a tournament in which "fruit" as well as "name" is required to see if Japan can achieve results recognized by the world.

Changes to national team rules benefit Samoa in Japan and pool

One of the characteristics of rugby is diversity, in which people can qualify for the national team if they meet certain conditions regardless of their place of origin or nationality, and there has been a big movement regarding the qualification of the national team.

World Rugby, the international governing body for rugby, revised its regulations in January 1, allowing players to change to another national team only once if conditions are met, whereas previously only one national team could be played.

The condition is ...

▽ It has been at least three years since you last played for a team that you were previously a member of, and you have resided continuously for a certain period of time until immediately before you play in the country or region you wish to change.

Be born in the country you wish to change.
or one of your parents or
grandparents was born in that country.

Countries that are expected to benefit from this rule change are Samoa, Tonga and Fiji, which have sent many players to strong teams.

Samoa National Team

Samoa, who will face Japan in the first round, took advantage of the new rules to strengthen their team by selecting stand-off and centre-playing Christian Lealiefano, former New Zealand stand-off Lima Sopoanga and prop Charlie Faumuina, who represented Australia in the last Japan tournament.

Christian Lealifano

Tonga have also selected former New Zealand national team full-back Salesi Piutau, and one of the highlights of this tournament will be to see how these players perform.