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Joined December 2008
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[caption id="attachment_15582" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Crusaders\' Thomas Waldrom is hammered into the ground by Brumbies players in the Super 14 rugby match at Canberra Stadium,…
As is his nature, the quiet and humble Stephen Larkham has been playing a significant role as one of the world class rugby players…
Since the Wallaby winger Ian Williams moved to Japan to work and play rugby for Kobe Steel in 1991, there has been an influx…
I think we are moving away from the topic by debating numbers which like all sports are a moving feast over the course of the season.
The simple fact remains that the Japan has a large untapped population base (107 million more than Australia) and sport and health care – well being is embedded into their culture and daily routine.
Whilst rugby has a small portion of the market in Japan the support is very strong with a lot of TV coverage of games live and replayed locally and internationally. The games are commentated in Japanese.
Would a Rugby World Cup be a commercial success in Japan? Most definitely
Would a Rugby World Cup in Japan raise the profile and increase the participation and quality of rugby in the Asian countries? Most definitely
Would the rest of world rugby benefit by increasing the profile of rugby in Japan? Yes on a number of levels
Would Japanese rugby flourish after holding a Rugby World Cup? Every country that has hosted a RWC has flourished afterwards – the only difference is that you are dealing with a big untapped market that has great potential.
Japanese rugby: it's just different!
Thanks Dave for the question.
The Japanese public are sports crazy. Currently Rugby has a small share of the market here in Japan – a small share of 127million people.
The high school all Japan tournament is one of the biggest rugby tournaments in the world, with 60 high schools qualifying through from their respective pools to the finals series. The finals of the high school tournament are televised on free to air and pay TV.
In fact most of the Top (14) League games and University games are televised on pay TV due to the interest. Attendance at the Top League games average 10-15,000 per game. University games average about 20,000. The University game between Meiji and Waseda is the biggest of the year, and averages between 50– 60,000 even though it is televised live and repeated regularly.
The playing standard of the Top League has increased dramatically in the last 5 years, with many of the teams turning professional. Training and playing is no ‘cake walk’, and is now a hard way to earn a pension fund. The standard of the Top League is definitely higher than grade Rugby in Australia – it is very fast. TrueTah – you are spot on as they play games all year round in all kinds of conditions.
Take all of this into account, with a little nudge from hosting a RWC and world rugby would gain a greater share of the Japanese sports crazy population and the financial windfall to go with it. Promote it and they will come. Every game of the Soccer World Cup in Japan was sold out and it was a real nudge for the J League which was struggling prior.
Japanese rugby may not become a world leader, but it still has a lot to offer world rugby. Most importantly if the IRB are serious about promoting rugby as a world game and want to help the JRU create global interest and support, then Japan is the country. Due to the untapped population base, the commercial and financial possibilities, as well as the current sporting resources and infrastructure – Japanese rugby is waiting for that ignition to explode
Japanese rugby: it's just different!
It seems my article has created a bit of a stir and a comment I made has been slightly taken out of context in other media forums. So I will clarify a number of points
1. This article was about no particular team or criticism of any team in the Super 14. The article was written in response to the many posts on The Roar regarding the inconsistent quality of Super 14 competition this season. The article is as factual as possible, andworks through some of the problems and insights this season.
The New Zealand teams have lost a great deal of talent yet are bouncing back very quickly.
Yes, the Chiefs verse the Blues was a great game!
2. My comment about Ewen was highlighting the fact that the competition has lost a lot of experienced coaches over the last two years which has had a great impact on the competition along with the player drain.
Given Ewen’s 5 years of experience, super finals record, knowledge of his player base, the fact that the competition this season is going through a redevelopment or maturation due to the effects of the 2007 World Cup player exodus and retirements, as well as the Waratahs’ good fixture format; I believe the good money would have been on the Waratahs to finally take the title.
In no way am I saying Chris Hickey is doing a bad job. In fact I am actually saying give him and his players time to develop. Give the Super 14 time to mature once again. Whilst I have moved on from the Waratahs I still very much support the Waratahs and the great players they have.
3. Cosmos Forever makes a very good point regarding the short length of the Super 14 season and the impact that it has on new coaches in not being able to implement their systems and strategies. Every year Super coaches change up their tactic, however they must still remain true to the strength of their team if they wish to do well.
The philosophy of how they want to play the game must meet the playing strength of the team. Change for change’s sake usually does not get results in such a short competition. Tactics are great but you can not win games without a good core skill set.
4. The 3 Kick-strategy. When South African teams receive a kick in certain situations, they study and understand where to return the kick to apply the most pressure so to manipulate the opposition to kick back to them in a favourable position – so they can counter attack. Many teams only think under the ELV’s of 1 kick pressure strategies.
The South African teams, particularly the Sharks and the Bulls, have thought through their kicking strategy in detail. A good example of this is we will often see the South African teams attempt a drop goal mindlessly. We have just come to expect this, however in actual fact their play maker has realised they are losing attacking structure and are on the back foot so they need to reset play. A drop goal if missed means that the opposition have to give you the ball back generally from a 22m restart. This is in the South African teams’ eyes are as good as a set piece to once again attack.
5. Head coaches are very aware that they must get results. This is the notion of my article as all coaches play to win and sometimes, either consciously or subconsciously, conservative strategies are implemented. This is a natural process given the pressure and the strengths of your team. Many of the posts are debating the same point.
Give the coaches and players time to mature