The Rugby World Cup has lit up Japan

Inspiring, captivating, pulling in new fans, sparking a passion that previously wasn’t there, expanding the sport beyond its traditional homelands – this can be the legacy of Japan 2019

Russia (red) lost to Samoa by 9-34 in the competition (Reuters)

The Rugby World Cup is only five days old but, for those caught up in its restless, neon-tinged flow, it already feels one of a kind.

Making its debut in Asia, the tournament has captured people’s imagination here in Japan. The locals have turned out in their thousands to embrace a sport which, according to a recent white paper, has only 100,000 registered rugby players in the country. For some comparison, volleyball has four times that number, football 10. In terms of attendance, the average rugby match in the domestic league draws crowds of around 5,000.

Understandably, some have called the decision to bring the World Cup to these parts a gamble – one that, once the competition draws to a close and the pennies are counted, will backfire in the face of those faceless white collars focused on widening the financial net.