Japan on Friday declared its bid to host the 2015 Rugby World Cup and bring the event to Asia for the first time, after learning lessons from its narrow defeat to New Zealand for the 2011 contest.
”We have formally decided to bid to host the 2015 World Cup. We decided because of the enthusiastic support at home and overseas,” said Japan Rugby Football Union president Yoshiro Mori.
”It is necessary to stage it in Asia to make rugby a truly worldwide sport. I am sure it will be a wonderful promotion for World Cup rugby to stage it in Asia,” added the former prime minister.
Rugby minnows Japan, who have never reached the knockout round in the five World Cups held so far, winning just one game out of 16, are bidding to stage the event against rugby union superpowers New Zealand and South Africa.
At an International Rugby Board (IRB) meeting in Dublin in November last year, New Zealand collected eight votes against seven for Japan, with South Africa eliminated with four votes in the first round.
In the second round, New Zealand added four more votes and Japan two.
Australia and England were some of the eight IRB ”foundation union” nations that backed Japan’s bid.
The rugby World Cups have been staged among the founding members since the first tournament in 1987. The 2007 World Cup will be hosted by France with a few games in Scotland and Wales.
Japan made rugby history in 1995 when they were thrashed by New Zealand 145-17 — then the largest-ever losing margin in a World Cup, although this was broken in 2003 when Australia demolished Namibia 142-0 at home.
The IRB scrapped its amateur code in 1995 and allowed professionals to play. The Japanese union started up the so-called Top League, a 12-team semi-professional league, in the 2003/2004 season. It has been expanded to 14 teams. – Sapa-AFP