by Check out the following list of names in action over the weekend: Ardie Savea, Beauden Barrett, Sam Cane, Richie Mo’unga, Aaron Smith, Brodie Retallick, Shannon Frizell, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Faf de Klerk , Damian de Allende, Cheslin Kolbe and Franco Mostert. A few weeks ago they were all starting in the Rugby World Cup final in Paris. But where are they now? Here’s a tip: no one was involved in the opening round of the Champions Cup.
On that same theme, here’s an additional quiz question. Which of the following rugby matches attracted a bigger crowd over the weekend? Was: a) Racing 92 v Harlequins; b) La Rochelle v Leinster; c) Bulls v Saracens; or d) Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay v Tokyo Sungoliath? Let’s just say that Europe’s biggest clubs and their main cross-border competition aren’t the only show in town these days.
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Because the answers are respectively Japan and d). No less than 18,500 people turned up for the first selection of Japan Rugby One (JRLO) matches, compared to less than 10,000 at Racing’s futuristic stadium in Paris. Amidst all the debate about Henry Arundell choosing to stay in France rather than return home to England, countless players around the world have already voted with their feet (and wallets). Every single nation in the world, apart from France, faces an increasing battle to keep their best players.
So, for the Englishman’s quiet encouragement after weekend Premier League victories over Top 14 opposition Quins, Exeter, Sale and Bristol, the long-term outlook is fascinating. Will the French league become so insufferable that the number of top English players crossing the Channel will increase exponentially? Or could the money available for a shorter and sharper six-month season in Japan attract many more European stars?
Take Savea, the current world player of the year. He has signed to play for the Kobe Steelers on a “sabbatical” deal rather than compete in Super Rugby in 2024. An early measure of his enthusiasm for his new surroundings has already come in the form of two tries on debut for his new club. .
Also in Japan at the moment are the Wallaby trio of Marika Koroibete, Samu Kerevi and Quade Cooper, Charles Piutau from Tonga, Liam Williams of Great Britain and Nathan Hughes of England. Dave Rennie, Steve Hansen, Wayne Smith, Wayne Pivac, Robbie Deans, Todd Blackadder and Kieran Crowley are all now coaches in Japan. Meanwhile the Japan Rugby Football Union board is set to re-hire Eddie Jones as head coach this week. More headlines, more eyeballs, more interest, for better or worse.
JRLO chairman Genichi Tamatsuka and chief operating officer Hajime Shoji are also talking a good game. They talk confidently of attracting more than a million fans to live games this season; in the first year the figure was 450,000, and 750,000 last year. While both Covid and a drop in local interest after RWC 2019 have presented obstacles, Tamatsuka remains bullish about the future of League One, both locally and globally.
“We want to be a great series. Asia is a growth center and in that sense we feel there is great potential. Players coming to Japan now are quite happy with the quality of the games and many of them had a good experience during the World Cup 2019. Japan is a pretty safe country, the food is great… But the quality of the rugby is also very important and the level is improving.”
From a commercial point of view, the aim is to make the new series model sustainable “within five years” and widen its appeal. While 100% of revenue has been used by parent companies that have traditionally supported rugby in Japan, the goal is for improved broadcasting, marketing and ticketing markets to account for 50% in the future, with local Japanese talent also benefiting. “Our objective with the new league was to make the national team better and stronger and to be at least among the top eight teams in the world,” says Tamatsuka. “I feel like we’re going in the right direction.”
Also among the new initiatives, following a memorandum of understanding with New Zealand Rugby, will be cross-border matches in February featuring four Japanese clubs against the Taoiseach and the Blues. A new agreement to broadcast League One matches in South Africa, as well as other interested territories, has just been signed this week. “At the moment we are not planning to send a team to Super Rugby,” says Tamatsuka. “Instead we are looking to expand our opportunities to compete against non-Japanese leagues and even European leagues in the future.”
Interesting. So would Owen Farrell, say, be welcome if he ever wanted to try Japan? “He would be very welcome. You are very welcome,” Tamatsuka says immediately. “We have a lot of trained talent from overseas and they are creating value within Japan. This is exactly what the parent companies are trying to achieve in their new business models and their desire for more support is increasing. But we already have so many great players. The challenge is how we communicate that to non-rugby fans and younger audiences.”
The winds of change are clearly blowing. There is no long-term interest for anyone but, equally, there is no future for the parish leagues, losing clubs and the least interest abroad. If, in the coming years, Farrell or Maro Itoje want a season or two in Tokyo to help refresh their bodies, minds and bank balances, who could blame them ?
