Japan's fairytale run to the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals was a highlight of last year's tournament but with the afterglow all but gone captain ...
Japan's fairytale run to the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals was a highlight of last year's tournament but with the afterglow all but gone captain Michael Leitch fears not enough is being done to secure the Brave Blossoms a place at the game's top table.
There had been talk of bringing Japan into the southern hemisphere's Rugby Championship or even Europe's Six Nations but Leitch said getting Japanese rugby back to a place where it could compete with the world's top sides was a big ask. Since then, however, the Top League had returned to normal, meaning the players would only be available to Japan for short periods before test matches.
Japan has also lost its Super Rugby side, the Sunwolves, who will not be returning to the competition in 2021 after the Japan Rugby Football Union and southern hemisphere governing body SANZAAR were unable to agree terms on a deal. The JRFU has also announced there will be a new league format from 2021, though it has been short on details.For Leitch, who was born in New Zealand and moved to Japan when he was 15-years-old, any new structure must prioritize the development of young Japanese talent.
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