Japan

Jamie Joseph has named seven new starters in his Japan team to play Argentina in Tokyo on Saturday, with another six new caps found on the bench. Only three forwards have featured in test rugby before – World Cup veterans Shota Horie, Kensuke Hatakeyama, and Amanaki Mafi. The back division …

Ireland will play the US Eagles on the first weekend of the 2017 June test window. The match is set to be played in New York at a venue still to be determined. Ireland will not be making a stop in neighboring Canada on their trip, instead moving on to …

Canada is to face Romania in June 2017, Romanian TV reports have confirmed. Sources have confirmed matches against Japan and Canada though, for the time being no match is in place against the USA. Romania last played against Japan in the 2014 November Internationals. Taking place in Bucharest the Japanese …

Japanese Head Coach Jamie Joseph has named a 32-man roster for November. The number one Asian nation will play four test matches, the first of which is at home against Los Pumas on November 05. The remaining matches will be played in Europe. Joseph’s first match in charge sees a …

Already short-staffed with several top players missing from the initial squad named by coach Jamie Joseph, Japan have seen a further seven players pull out of preparations for their four-match November test series that starts in Tokyo on November 5 against Argentina. Among them is Japan’s most experienced test player, …

Uruguay’s rugby system is a model for others. Those were the words of Mark Egan, World Rugby’s Head of Development and Performance. Egan’s positive evaluation of Uruguay’s progress follows World Rugby’s decision to allocate Montevideo with hosting rights of the 2017 Junior World Trophy. Egan was speaking to Ignacio Chans …

Manuel Montero will return to the Pumas team for their four-match November tour that starts in Tokyo on November 5. The powerhouse winger has been out of action since damaging a thigh muscle against the Springboks in Salta on August 27. Also recalled is flanker Tomás Lezana, one of five …

Wales have confirmed their squad for their four-match November test series against Australia, Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. The squad is at full strength though there are question marks over the availability of captain Sam Warburton and influential no8 Taulupe Faletau. Warburton recently had surgery to repair a cheek injury …

Through international competition rugby has expanded significantly. Over the duration of one generation there have emerged increasingly competitive teams from a variety of continents. Indeed Argentina, Japan and Georgia all lit up Rugby World Cup 2015. Yet many facets of rugby being an Old Boy’s Club remain strong. Few leading …

Japan 2019 will be the ninth Rugby World Cup. It will be the first of a kind though as Asia and the Tier 2 both have their first opportunity. Where to from there? The answer is France, Ireland, or South Africa. The three options for 2023 are a return to …