Kirwan: Japan must host RWC
11 Apr 2008
Rugby is going to be the biggest loser if the World Cup doesn’t come to Japan in 2015, writes John Kirwan.
There are rumours floating around that the powers that be want it to go to England, because they don’t think the next tournament in New Zealand will be as commercially viable as it was in France last year. They want some financial security from the event.
I understand that logic, but I think it has to come to Japan for the good of the game.
The International Rugby Board needs to balance growth numbers-wise with growth commercially. The big thing about having the 2015 World Cup in Japan, of course, is perceived risk. Would they get a similar return than they’d get if they have it in England? My answer to that is yes. Their answer is that they probably don’t know at the moment. It’s still a bit of an unknown for them.
Everyone knows the World Cup should come here from a players’ point of view and a growth point of view. What we need to prove, though, is that it should also come here from an economic point of view and from a commercial perspective.
Put simply, it’s a no-brainer.
The world’s biggest companies are all in Japan. Toyota, for example, has its own rugby team and an annual advertising budget of US$1 billion!
All of the world’s biggest companies are going to Japan because it’s the gateway to Asia. The cynics out there need to understand that there are 127,000,000 people here in Japan.
I went through a train station today that more people go through each day than live in New Zealand.
There is no issue whatsoever with stadiums and infrastructure, because they built them all for the Soccer World Cup in Japan in 2002, so very little needs to be done in that regard.
People might think Japan is expense but Tokyo is actually cheaper for me than Europe.
In fact, I can buy a cappuccino cheaper here than I can in downtown Auckland.
Those who think Japanese rugby is facing the same problems as other rugby nations throughout the world are sadly mistaken. There has been huge growth in rugby in this country since the World Cup. We’ve had increases of 15 percent as far as television audiences and crowds are concerned, and the standard of rugby in the Top League has also improved by around the same mark.
Ultimately, we want to have the greatest domestic competition in the Asia-Pacific region. We want the Top League to be like the English Premiership or the French league in 10 years from now.
Of course, we need to stick with tradition and keep our Suntorys, NECs and Toshibas, but they will simply continue to grow as companies as rugby in this country keeps growing.
What’s going to happen in 10 years time, I believe, is that a young Dan Carter is going to be playing over here in Japan and the All Blacks will pick him out of our tournament.
We could potentially have 20 Manchester Uniteds in Japan because there are people here who are simply that passionate about the teams they support.
The Japanese have been told for 40 years that they’re not big enough, they’re not strong enough and they’re not good enough to play on the international stage. I totally disagree. They can play excellent rugby – they just need to learn how to win in pressure situations. It’s quite amazing to see some of the athletes we have here. It’s just a question of identifying them as athletes and then growing them as rugby players.
In terms of picking foreigners in the Japanese squad, we have to use the resources we have available if we are going to succeed in moving from 18th in the world to eighth.
I’m of the belief that a fair number of foreigners in the team is four or five, and then the rest of the players should be Japanese. There are no fixed laws handed down from the confederation, but that’s where I stand from an emotional point of view.
To grow rugby in the medium term – until the 2015 World Cup – I believe the IRB should look at international qualification on a case by case basis.
For example, someone plays one game for the All Blacks and then they go and live overseas for the next seven years. Should they then be allowed to play for that country, particularly if it’s one of the second tier nations?
Of course they should.
By John Kirwan, NZ Rugby News magazine
* Kirwan is the coach of Japan’s national side and a former All Blacks winger
14 Comments
11 Apr 2008, 07:27 am
Dragons
11 Apr 2008, 07:37 am
If the IRB are worried about not making money from 2011 in NZ, then they should take the tournament away from NZ now and give it to another country to host.
11 Apr 2008, 08:02 am
Too late.
(And turn off the italics, please.)
11 Apr 2008, 08:06 am
Maar dan moet ons weer in die middel van die nag opstaan om rugby te kyk
Was die Sokker wereldbeker in Japan ‘n kommersiele sukses?
As dit was, dan hoekom kan rugby nie ook wees nie?
Ek hoop hulle kry dit
11 Apr 2008, 08:17 am
Yeah Tackles too late! NZ wont win the WC at home!
11 Apr 2008, 08:18 am
What an idiot this Kirwin sounds like. He says everyone knows that thw RWC should go to Japan. Well ask any Kiwi and they will disagree.
And if it were not for the number of pacific islanders in the team they would be totally physically outplayed.
11 Apr 2008, 09:07 am
#6
Asia should get the next World cup (after 2011)
Every region hosted it so far…it’s only fair
Except America of course but they will be in their second Great Depression by then
11 Apr 2008, 09:29 am
I have no doubt that the Japanese can host a great and successful tournament, but I would prefer to see England getting beaten on their home turf.
11 Apr 2008, 09:29 am
This idiot Kirwin contradicts homself too much.
11 Apr 2008, 11:03 am
I think that if rugby as a game wants to be accepted by people it needs to be spread amongst those who want to play it. Japan has shown it’s passion for the game and should be allowed to show the world how it can contribute to growing the game. You’d be surprised by what can be achieved from a source you choose to write off…
11 Apr 2008, 15:17 pm
Why should the Japanese have the next WC?????????
Because they are Japanese.?
They have no divine right to anything……………..Get the Votes it’s yours. Don’t and it goes somewhere else.
Giving the WC to Japan will not grow the game in Asia. Most Asians have very long memories, and to be associated with anything Japanese is not something they aspire to.
Ask Aidoc, Pietman, Church or Rugby Princess how much respect Japan has in Asia.
11 Apr 2008, 15:39 pm
cane – RWC2011 should have gone to Japan anyway. New Zealand is miles away and the time zones are terrible. I still can’t belive they got it.
Is New Zealand sharing it with OZ?
11 Apr 2008, 17:03 pm
JK is a great man and he has an agenda. That’s ok and I agree with him to an extent. There is a bigger rugby playing nation in Asia though. In fact China is the largest rugby playing nation in the world. We have over a million players in the army alone.
Asia does need exposure though and we would love to see a RWC in Asia. This time it can be Japan but the next should be in China.
We supported the NZ bid but who cares? The racist Gerrymander, otherwise known as the IRB, does not allow blacks and yellows to vote. Great Britain and Ireland get four votes and Fiji, Cook Islands, Samoa, and Tonga get a third of a vote each. China beat Scotland two weeks ago in Hong Kong, so we deserve at least as many votes as they get!!!!!!!!!!!!
11 Apr 2008, 21:41 pm
The IRB have done sweet f-all to develop a global game to safegaurd the game’s long term future. The treatment of Argentina, Japan and the PI’s is an insult to THE GAME.
They are nothing but a group of elderly whiskey/brandy drinking selfish twats.
I am happy for NZ to host the RWC – fine by me – 2015 would be great. Japan should have got it in 2011.
Kirwin is a legend. An all time great All Black. A man with the spirit to coach both Japan and Italy.
And what is it with these italics?
I did not know rugby was so significant in China by the way. But that’s exciting news.
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