Japan vs Scotland will go ahead

World Rugby have confirmed that the scheduled match between Japan and Scotland will go ahead as planned. The stage is now set for a dramatic conclusion to the Rugby World Cup pool stage that will see the final spot in the Quarter Finals decided pending the outcome. It’s a remarkable turn of events after Typhoon Hagibis smashed into the country and saw the cancellation of three matches – England vs France, New Zealand vs Italy, and Namibia vs Canada.

Though much of the surrounding area at the stadium remains flooded, the playing surface has passed inspection and fans will be allowed to travel to the game though transportation may prove difficult as many train lines are yet to resume service. The eyes of the rugby world will certainly be fixated on Yokahama for what is arguably the biggest pool contest in the tournament’s history. World Rugby’s statement in its entirety can be read below.

—

World Rugby and the Japan Rugby 2019 Organising Committee have announced that Sunday’s Rugby World Cup 2019 Pool A match between Japan and Scotland at Yokohama International Stadium (19:45 JST) will go ahead as scheduled.

The decision was taken following a comprehensive assessment of the venue and associated infrastructure on Sunday morning in partnership with the Host City. World Rugby and the Japan Rugby 2019 Organising Committee would like to thank everyone involved for their significant efforts to enable the match to be played as scheduled following one of largest and most powerful typhoons to hit Japan in recent years.

Fans attending  Sunday night’s match are advised to check travel operator information before departing and plan to arrive early as it may take longer than usual to enter the stadium. Fans should also expect a significantly reduced level of spectator service in terms of catering and merchandise sales owing to limitations on venue staff availability as a result of the typhoon.

To ensure the best-possible fan experience, the decision has been made to allow fans to bring non-alcoholic beverage into the venue for personal consumption. All drinks will be decanted into cups at the point of entry. This change in policy will only be operational for this match. As per the earlier announcement, fans are permitted to bring food into venues for personal consumption.

Transport operations in and around Yokohama will progressively return to normal service levels throughout the day and we will provide ongoing updates via the @Japan2019_ENG fan information Twitter account throughout the day.

As Yokohama International Stadium is located within the engineered flood defences of Yokohama City, there will be significant amounts of water in the surrounding floodplains and river. This is normal and should not alarm fans.

Fans are encouraged to monitor official Rugby World Cup social and digital channels, including the @Japan2019_ENG for further information and updates.