13,000 volunteers ready for Rugby World Cup

Good on the volunteers, whether they be for the games or for helping clean up after disasters or just even in the neighborhood.

They have been named the "Team No-Side," a Japanese rugby term 

"no-side" is a standard rugby term.

I volunteered through a retired Japanese college, who is directly in charge of a financial aspect of the WC.

He apologized that foreigners will not be required over the main priority of college students, I countered with the offer of free English tuition to assist the Japanese volunteers, which he thought would be a great idea. Sadly he came back again apologetically, with, "it wont be required"

They have been named the "Team No-Side," a Japanese rugby term corresponding to the English "full time."

Hmmm ok. I have a different take on this; 'team no-side' means/could mean that all volunteers will assist & help ALL supporters and do not support any specific NT. ( as opposed to Team US, Team Japan etc, we are 'team no-side/all sides'. sides/teams, sports lingo).

Jesus wept. What a photo.

They should at least subsidise the transportation costs. Love the RWC, but lets face it it's already a big commercial success. The event is a sell out, ticket prices were sky high, and the fully priced merchandise push is relentless.

The volunteers won't be paid anything, just like those for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics next summer -- which upon announcement drew criticism from some people, who termed them "black volunteers."

Worse still, the World Cup volunteers won't even be getting prepaid travel cards and will have to pay for their own travel and hotels.

Wish it total success. But, as early as Jan this yr, the RWC's corporate donations.. not sponsorship was 2/3s of the way to the goal of Y.600,000,000, and weekend trips for the inner circle to ruby matches overseas was told of. I suggested IMO that money would be better spent offering free ticket comps for fans & young player programs to involve them at 1st tier in the buildup. Where it was/is allocated, perhaps the two good old boys in the left of the pic know?