Former Wallabies teammates Quade Cooper and Will Genia believe Japan is a fertile breeding ground for rugby stars, but it needs more global competition.
Cooper says Japanese rugby is so strong that Australian and New Zealand Super Rugby teams should consider playing in their competition, rather than the other way around.
Cooper and his former Queensland Reds teammate Will Genia currently play for Japanese second-division side Kintetsu Liners, and they’ve been blown away by the quality of rugby in that country.
The progress was reflected by the national team’s success at the 2019 World Cup, where they beat Scotland and Ireland on the way to making the quarter-finals.
The Japanese-based Sunwolves were introduced into Super Rugby in 2016, but the team struggled each year and it was eventually announced they would be cut at the end of 2020.
The Sunwolves notched a total of just eight wins in its four completed seasons.
Cooper agrees the experiment didn’t quite work, and he has come up with an out-of-the-box solution: let some Australian and New Zealand teams play in the Japanese competition.
“A lot of the time we think of it as putting a team in Japan to have an opportunity to compete in Super Rugby,” Cooper said.
“But the competition that is very strong at the moment is the Japanese league. So in my mind you would be inviting a team from Super Rugby to come over here and join into that.
“We’ve tried it the other way around, we put the Sunwolves in, and it wasn’t the best experience. But the fan base here (in Japan) is amazing, the strength of the companies is amazing.
“Everything here seems to be going in the right direction. I feel like at some point it has to be taken into consideration.
“You might incorporate two of the Australian teams and two of the New Zealand teams.”
Genia is also keen to see some type of cross-nation competition featuring teams from NZ, Australia and Japan.
“There’s an abundance of talent here,” Genia said.
“Japan at some point has to be incorporated into Super Rugby. We’re in the same time zone, you’ve got quality players.
“And if you look at some of the strong top league teams – Suntory, Kubota – as their rosters sit, they’d be competing with Super Rugby teams, I have no doubt.”
Genia and Cooper have loved their time in Japan, and both are keen to extend their stay there.
The duo will be in action again on April 17 when the playoffs begin to earn promotion into the Japanese Top League.
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Haha why would anyone listen to Cooper, as even some in his whanau don't. That's going by what my Mokopuna's husband, a cousin has informed me of.
liquorbox_
Roar Rookie
Maybe the rebels could score a try in Japan?
Harry Selassie
Roar Rookie
Well said. Just look at European football which has developed into a haves and have nots in the domestic leagues
nroko
Roar Rookie
Last couple of world cups has been disappointing for all PI nations. In between world cups Fiji has been promising though with wins over France in France, Scotland and NZ Maori in Fiji. Also competitive against the Wallabies. The loss to Uruguay was very disappointing but hey Springboks lost to Japan and look how it turned out 4 years later!
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
A pretty fair comment. And Fiji sure has its fair share of problems. But compared to their Island brothers, it is clear daylight between them. In the last 4-5 years. Fiji has been a lot better than Samoa and Tonga, that is a fact, no matter how you try to spin it. When was the last time Samoa or Tonga put up even a fight against a Tier one nation? Fiji produces way more players locally than Samoa and Tonga, which is also a fact. Fiji is actually considered for Tier One rugby, Samoa and Tonga are not even close to that.
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
Simple. One: talk to Ben Ryan (or read his accounts) which leads us to ... Two: Francis Kean. Three: the military is deeply embedded in the FRU and some of the state bodies like the Suva RU. Some of those officials are military, ex-military or have ties to the military. (Keep in mind Fiji is still something of a military regime. Four: a NZ Ambassador was deported from Fiji because he was a guest of honour at a rugby game and not Frank Bainimarama. And just how did Fiji perform at the 2009, 2011, 2015 and 2019 RWCs? A stark contrast to the 2007 and even 2003 efforts. Over the years, I have been gobsmacked by the size of the domestic-based Fijian players; they've been beefing up in the gyms and that means they are soldiers or have access to training facilities run by the military. This is noteworthy since Fijians in Fiji are not, in general, gym junkies; they don't have to be.
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
Back up your talk with some details and results then, mate.
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
The Fiji's team's performance has fallen away in recent years because of the off-field stuff. Of the three Island unions, the FRU are the biggest mess (and I can speak).
The Neutral View From Sweden
Roar Guru
Fiji has a competitive team ready for more Tests at Tier one level. Samoa and Tonga have gone backward for years and years and are not even close to Tier one level. Fiji produces top-level players while Samoa and Tonga's big focus seems to be to get NZ players.
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
Fiji's affairs are not in order. They just hide their mess better.
CPM
Roar Rookie
No selling of souls needed. They have the cash and will simply buy the players they need for their 12 full time professional team competition that they are about to launch.
nroko
Roar Rookie
Yea I prefer 6 teams also, with Fiji being the 6th team as they have their affairs in order compared to the other two PI nations.
AndyS
Guest
Indeed. It is a major restructuring, not just of their competitions, but of their entire approach to professional rugby. Until that beds in and they understand how everything is going to work, I hope they would be at least a little cautious. If it blows up, it could put them back decades.
Working Class Rugger
Roar Guru
That's something we need to seriously push for. Especially as we currently don't know what the future holds with Sth Africa. Personally, I'd like to see it move to a 6 team structure playing a single round of games for 5 a piece. Would also like to see a 2nd Div. with Tonga, Samoa, USA, Canada, Uruguay plus another as well.
Working Class Rugger
Roar Guru
Those were changes to the season. This is a complete restructure of the game in the country. At present the Top League is a mix of professional and semi-professional players. Not from team to team but within teams. Next year will see the first league season with every player on every team in the top two divisions being full time professional Rugby players. There will also be a general shift from being Corporate teams to being aligned with regions themselves. Only teams in the semi-professional 3rd division will maintain the status quo.
Busted Fullback
Roar Rookie
They’re introducing a three tiered structure next season From memory this is at least the third, possibly fourth, change in competition in the J League in the last 6 years. Not sure how amenable they'd be to further changes, involving foreign teams.
Rhys
Roar Rookie
A competition of some description involving the top Japanese division and TT would be nice, especially if the overseas players could then be selected for the Wallabies. I liked the idea of a Champions League format where the best two teams of Aus, NZ and Japan faced off.
fiwiboy7042
Roar Rookie
So they both suggest that Australia and NZ rugby sell their souls to Japanese rugby? As pundits, those two make better players!!
nroko
Roar Rookie
Getting Japan into TRC should be no. 1 priority. This will force the Top League teams to get stronger with a more national (local) focus.
Working Class Rugger
Roar Guru
Joining the Top League isn't possible seeing as Japanese Rugby as it currently stands is about to cease to exist. They're introducing a three tiered structure next season with the top two being full time professional. The top division is set to contain 12 teams playing a 16 round regular season plus finals. What they have also mentioned is that they are looking at the possibility of a cross border competition as well. To the point they are looking to actually build it into the schedule. Everything seems to be headed toward a similar season for the TT competition. So there could be opportunities to form a Asia-Pacific Cup competition featuring TT and Japanese teams.