Rugby World Cup Japan Tournament Opening Today Japan Aiming for the Best 8 or More September 20th 4:30
The first Rugby World Cup Japan tournament will be held in Asia on the 20th, and Japan will aim for the best eight or more that have never been achieved.
20 teams participated in the World Cup Japan Tournament, and it was about a month and a half from 20th to November 2nd, and 48 games were held in 12 venues nationwide such as Tokyo, Yokohama and Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture. I will.
The opening game will be held at Tokyo Stadium in Chofu City, Tokyo from 7:45 pm on the 20th, and Japan with the 10th place in the world will face Russia with the 20th place in the world.
Japan will then play in the first league against Ireland, the world's No. 1 on 28th this month, Samoa, the 16th in the world on 5th next month, and Scotland, the 7th in the world on 13th of next month.
Japan won a historic victory from the strongest South Africa at the previous England tournament and surprised the world as a “upset of the century”, but in this tournament, it has set the goal of the best 8 or more that have not been achieved so far , You need to win from the top ranked Ireland and Scotland.
In addition, it is also noticed that New Zealand will achieve the third consecutive title of the first tournament in history, and the first match against South Africa, the 4th strongest player in the world, is attracting attention as one of the best cards in the first league.
The first World Cup in Asia
The Rugby World Cup Japan Tournament is the first tournament in Asia.
Ten years ago, it was decided to be held in Japan, and improvements were made at 12 venues nationwide.A new stadium was established in Kamaishi City, Iwate Prefecture, which was affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake, and Hanazono Rugby Field in Higashi-Osaka City was renovated extensively. Was done.
In addition to the fact that 52 places in 22 prefectures nationwide were selected as certified campsites, many local governments accepted teams as advance campgrounds, leading to the spread of rugby in the country.
Rugby is not a major sport in Japan and was concerned about the sales of about 1.8 million tickets.
According to the Organizing Committee, rugby fever has increased, with 96% of tickets expected to sell.
70% of the people who purchased the ticket are domestic and 30% overseas. Hong Kong and Singapore, the Asian countries and regions, came in 8th and 9th, following the UK, Australia, Ireland, and France.
Up until now, the World Cup has been held only in powerful and traditional countries, and the first time that it was held in Asia has impressed the spread of rugby.
World Rugby Chief Operating Officer Alan Gilpin, who is in charge of the tournament, said, “The success of the tournament is to increase the opportunities for Japan and Asia to engage with rugby. From that point of view, success is already visible, ”he said.
The champion NZ ’s third consecutive victory or a melee
The World Cup is the 9th Japan tournament.
Looking at the eight winning teams so far, the strength of the team in the Southern Hemisphere stands out, with New Zealand 3 times, South Africa and Australia 2 times, England 1 time.
This time again, New Zealand is the most promising candidate for the championship, but since last month, it has left the top spot in the world ranking, which has been defended for nearly 10 years, and it feels a mess.
Wales was the first place to replace New Zealand and won all six European competitions. However, it dropped to 5th in the ranking just before the tournament.
And the same European group of Ireland will be the first to enter the tournament.
Ireland is a strong candidate, with Jonathan Sexton, the command tower selected as the best player of the year in the international headquarters “World Rugby”, and is seen as one of the winning candidates along with Wales.
In addition, South Africa, the 4th place in the world, continued to be sluggish after the previous tournament, but since last year the head coach replaced New Zealand, it was in good shape.
In addition, the world's third-place England and the sixth-place Australia have enough power to win. It is also interesting to see how far the representative of Japan can devote to such a battle between the world's powerhouses.
Tournament system and key to advance to the final tournament
In the tournament, 20 teams will be divided into 4 groups of 5 teams in the first league, and the top 2 teams from each group will advance to the final tournament.
In the first league, the ranking is determined by the number of points won, and “4” points are awarded for winning, “2” points are awarded for drawing, and “0” points are lost.
On top of that, bonus points unique to rugby are set, and teams that score 4 or more trials regardless of victory or defeat will receive 1 point, and 1 point will be given for losing within 7 points.
Japan scored 3 wins and 1 loss in the first league of the previous England tournament, and was ranked in South Africa and Scotland in terms of wins and losses. However, he couldn't get bonus points and finished third, so he missed the final tournament.
Winning points as well as winning points are important in order for the Japan National Team to achieve a goal of 8 or higher.
In addition, when the winning points are arranged, the ranking is determined by items such as the result of direct confrontation and the difference in the points of all games.