The international rugby championships in which Japan participates

Published on : 27/04/2018
by : M.H.

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Le talonneur Shôta Horie (à dr.) est l'un des deux capitaines de l'équipe du Japon de rugby

Conquering the world

The Brave Blossoms have continued to surprise in recent years, allowing rugby to gain popularity on the archipelago. The Japanese national team participates in several international tournaments.

Although Japan is not known as a great rugby nation, its image has changed in recent years. Once at the bottom of the World Rugby ranking of national teams, the Brave Blossoms are in 2018 one place in the top 10 and hope to enter the very exclusive club of the best teams in the world at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. ™.

Our file on the Rugby World Cup 2019™

Les Brave Blossoms lors de la coupe du monde de rugby en 2015 — The Brave Blossoms at the 2015 Rugby World Cup
H. Nagaoka for JRFU

The Rugby World Cup

Japan has participated in all 8 editions of the World Cup . Still qualified but having never made it past the group stage, the team moved within two points of the quarter-finals in 2015, following their historic win over South Africa . This feat has led to a rise in the popularity of rugby on the archipelago and excitement around the World Cup organized in Japan next year. The task will not be easy for the Japanese team in 2019, since their group is made up of two teams from the top 5, Ireland and Scotland. But the Japanese have proven that they can put in a great performance and with the support of the Japanese people at home, they could create an upset .

The Asian Rugby League Championship

This competition takes place every year and sees the member countries of Asia Rugby, an organization that manages rugby in Asia, compete. The countries are separated into several divisions, but Japan always ranks in the top three and has won 25 of the 30 editions . The Brave Blossoms can thus boast of being the first Asian rugby nation . This year, Malaysia, Hong Kong and South Korea will be vying for the title in the hope of earning a place at Rugby World Cup 2019™. Japan being the organizer, it enters the competition automatically and does not need to participate in the qualifying phases.

The Pacific Nations Cup

It brings together six nations from the Pacific and North America and is considered the third most important regional rugby union competition after the Rugby Championship (formerly Tri Nations) and the Six Nations Tournament. The permanent members are: Canada, USA, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and Fiji, but sometimes other teams join the tournament (Juniors All Blacks, Australia). Japan have won two editions of the Cup , in 2011 (ex-aequo with Samoa) and in 2014.

More information on Rugby World Cup 2019™ and rugby in Japan: