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© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Japan excels as World Cup host; must ride the rugby wave
By STEVE DOUGLAS TOKYO©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
3 Comments
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Samit Basu
This is a one time event. The Rugby fad will be over soon.
Alfie Noakes
One fears that the lack of grass pitches to practice on and Japan's demographics will hinder future development of the sport here.
semperfi
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Japan's interest and performance in rugby has improved exponentially from even 8 years ago, when at the World Cup in New Zealand Japan dangled at at bottom ranking.
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However Japanese are prone to sports that are ritualistic , like baseball. It grabs their mental ethos.
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Maybe now rugby will capture this younger generation that is not as tied to the same traditions.