Hosts Japan beat Scotland on Sunday (13 October) at 28:21 – and qualified for the quarter-finals at the Rugby World Cup for the first time. After the game Michael Leach, captain of the Japan national rugby team, said the players thought of the disaster that had struck their country throughout the game. At least 30 people were killed by Hurricane “Hagibis”.

Enthusiasm for rugby in Japan is still young, more precisely it is only four years old: “Then in the 2015 World Cup, Japan beat South Africa quite sensationally,” explains Felix Lille, who has been around for four years. Lived in Japan as a journalist. years. Even if the team was knocked out in the early stages – the interest of the Japanese audience was piqued.

Full stadium and public view

Since then, much has been written and talked about the Japanese national rugby team, Lil reported on “Sport am Sonntag”. According to a survey shortly before the World Cup, a full 90 percent of the Japanese population knew the tournament was taking place in their own country. The stadiums are sold out, and those who are not in the stadium follow the games at the bar – even people who might not otherwise have a particular interest in the games.

According to Lil, the World Rugby Federation now hopes that this enthusiasm will spread throughout the Asian region – as well as being able to establish itself in an international battle for spectator attention against the ubiquitous and powerful competition from football.

The statements of our interlocutors reflect their own views. Deutschlandfunk does not consider the statements of its interlocutors in interviews and discussions as its own.