Opened in 1991, the stadium is being redeveloped to meet the 2019 Rugby World Cup standards. It will also be home to the sevens for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Including patches of grass behind one end, the capacity currently stands at 24,000 (9,232 seats) but it will be converted into an all-seater venue for…
Kamaishi has long been known for steelmaking, being the site of Japan’s oldest steelworks. This also is the city’s connection to rugby, as the factory-sponsored team grew to become one of the top amateur teams in Japan. Although Kamaishi was devastated by an earthquake in March 2011, the city has made great strides in its…
Located in Sapporo City, one of the host venues for the 1972 Winter Olympics and one of the venues for the 2002 Fifa World Cup. The Sapporo Dome opened in 2001 and hosted three first-round games during the 2002 World Cup, Germany v Saudi Arabia, Argentina v England and Italy v Ecuador. Primarily used for…
St Vincent and the Grenadines became the first casualty of the 2019 Rugby World Cup qualifying campaign last weekend when they crashed to a 48-0 defeat to Jamaica in Kingstown. A try and an inspirational performance from captain and fly-half Hubert Thomas, coupled with a dominant forward effort, set the scene for Jamaica’s win, which…
Qualification for the 2019 Rugby World Cup kicks off today when St Vincent and the Grenadines host Jamaica, with the man in the middle the referee who took charge of the 2105 final between New Zealand and Australia. Although the 2019 opening ceremony is still more than 40 months away, the tournament itself begins in…
