BACK IN July 2009, I was in the Dublin hotel room when Japan was awarded the right to host the Rugby World Cup in 2019. I’d been involved in the analysis of that bid but I then had six years as the head of the Rugby World Cup. So I’ve been involved throughout, which has been fascinating and at times frustrating, but also incredibly rewarding. There have been ups and downs.
The opening night was huge. So was the Uruguay v Fiji match in Kamaishi. It was a venue our team visited back in January 2015. At that point, the new Olympic Stadium in Tokyo was still supposed to be the showcase part of the tournament – obviously, that didn’t come to fruition. But we went to Kamaishi to see what was just a field and they told us their story, about the devastation of the tsunami in 2011.
I think they had zero expectations of becoming a host venue, but we were moved by their story and what rugby means in that area. And we’re not like the FIFA World Cup, we don’t need 50- to 60,000-seater venues for every day.
This story is from the December 2019 edition of Rugby World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December 2019 edition of Rugby World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
RUGBY RANT
Writer Sam Larner rails against rugby's scheduling of fixtures
"The list of highlights is endless - I wouldn't change a thing"
The Wales great who also represented the Scarlets and Lions with distinction
SIX OF THE BEST
MANOR PARK have played a blinder by Nutting out So many teams in one massive weekend
Back with a bang!
The first sell-out since Covid in the final year at the Hong Kong Stadium... we bore witness to a madcap Hong Kong Sevens
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
A globetrotting, jet-heeled, kick-blocking, defender bamboozling star. Keeping up with Springboks wing Cheslin Kolbe will make you dizzy
MY DAY OFF..ADAM RADWAN
THERE IS a symmetry to Adam Radwan’s favourite hobby. A player renowned for his remarkable athleticism, leaping like a salmon to score by the corner flag, likes nothing better than spending a day fly fishing on the River Tyne.
BEST FOOT FORWARD
LORENZO PANI had it all planned out. If he managed to score a try in Cardiff, he would reach for the trademark ‘Siuuu!’ celebration of his footballing idol, Cristiano Ronaldo.
WHAT'S UP WITH ULSTER
Mid-Season changes to leadership, poor form on the pitch and a lot of confused looks from fans Tom English digs into troubled times at the Irish province
ROSSLYN PARK SEVENS
With blockbuster numbers, high skill and a fired-up crowd of players, former pupils and parents, this traditional event is as strong as ever
TOP 12 FINISHERS
It's try-time as we run down a list of our favourite scorers across the global game down the years