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Fans divided as to where Japan's future best lies
After Japan secured a place in the World Cup quarter-finals, beating Ireland and Scotland in the process, it has become a matter of when – not if – they join one of rugby’s top international competitions.
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A staggering 60 million people in Japan watched their team beat Scotland on Sunday to top Pool A and book their first-ever quarter-final against South Africa this weekend.
They have clearly proven they can compete with tier one nations and deserve a seat at the top table, but the question where do they go may be the biggest hurdle to overcome for World Rugby.
This has sparked an enormous discussion on social media, as people have been calling for them to join the Six Nations, boosting the number to seven or even implementing relegation in a move that would change the complexion of the competition dramatically.
Currently, the furthest any team needs to travel is from Edinburgh to Rome, so adding Japan to the competition would end this convenient geographical proximity. But some people on Twitter have noted that the Rugby Championship spans the entire southern hemisphere and works.
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Although the Six Nations’ selling point is that all teams are within close proximity of one another, it will be interesting as to whether the growth of the game outweighs the commercial interests. A slightly more convincing argument may be that a seven-nation competition – or even eight including Georgia – will create a cluttered calendar for players that already have a taxing workload.
This is why there are as many fans that are calling for them to join the Rugby Championship, which only has the four teams presently. With Fiji also proving at this RWC that they deserve to be regarded as one of rugby’s top teams, they could also find themselves in the Rugby Championship.
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Plans for a new club competition in Japan could force Southern Hemisphere test stars to choose between the international arena and the riches on offer in Asia.https://t.co/7BLCYr23ho
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) October 15, 2019
This could create a southern hemisphere version of the Six Nations, played in a similar format to the existing competition. However, the problem with this idea is the geography as the competition would then be played in four continents and in both the northern and southern hemisphere.
With all this talk about Japan and Fiji joining top competitions, it is increasingly becoming similar to the Nations Championship that was proposed by World Rugby. This idea was rejected by some nations, although fans are calling for something that now sounds very similar. This has been the reaction:
https://twitter.com/BoxFreshLitha/status/1183657931650277376?s=20
Add Japan and Georgia to a restructured northern hemisphere comp. and Samoa, Tonga and Fiji to the Rugby Championship. Ditch the Prem Rugby Cup to free up time in the congested season calendar. With promotion and relegation to both.
— DangerSmurf (@SmurfDanger) October 15, 2019
Japan needs to be put in The Rugby Championship ASAP. #RWC2019 @WorldRugby #sanzaar
— Steven monteith (@Stevenronmon) October 13, 2019
Hey @WorldRugby, you know what to do. +Japan and Fiji for Rugby Championship immediately
— Donnacha McCormack ?????? (@dunta90) October 13, 2019
Get Japan in the Rugby Championship now. Anything else and they will eventually lose their momentum.#RWC2019
— Reginaldo Rosario (@Regi1700) October 13, 2019
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If Argentina can be in the Rugby Championship despite being on the other side of the world to Australia and New Zealand: who says that we can't make the Six Nations the Seven Nations with Japan? I don't think anyone would object to that after the way they've played! #JPNvSCO
— IceAgeComing ?????? (@IceAgeComingSA) October 13, 2019
Bring Japan ?? to six nations and make it seven nations !! ( Or keep it at six and Bin the Scots ?? )
— Harley T R Williams (@HarleyTWilliams) October 13, 2019
Japan ?? must be given tier one status hey get them in the six nations @rugbyworldcup
— Russell Lawrance (@Strive_Excel) October 13, 2019
A timezone competition has also been suggested, which would see South Africa join the European competition, and Japan join the likes of Australia, New Zealand and Fiji. That is one alternative that shows promise, but once again provides problems regarding Argentina’s place.
What is clear after this RWC is that Japan are now a top team with a huge amount of support. As a point of comparison, Italy, who have been in the Six Nations now for 20 years, have never reached a quarter-final.
The lingering problem, however, is where Japan fit into the global rugby landscape, but something must be done as soon as possible.
WATCH: The Sunwolves are the unlikely heroes behind Japan’s dream run to the World Cup quarter-finals
Comments on RugbyPass
Big difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
29 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
29 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
29 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
29 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
29 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to comments