TOKYO: World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont believes that the Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan will be “a very special and game-changing Rugby World Cup” as the one year to go milestone was marked with a series of celebrations across the host nation.
This will make the first time that an Asian country will host the event as Japan was selected back in 2009 as the winner of the bid. With 20 teams from the world to battle it out across 48 matches in 12 cities of the country for the game’s top prize, Beaumont asserted that it is a win-win situation not just for the game’s growth in Asia but also for the Japanese economy which will gain 216.6 billion yen ($192 million), something much needed following the recent earthquakes in cities like Hokkaido.
“World Rugby selected Japan as we believed in the tremendous opportunity to further the sport across Asia, and I am delighted to say that with a year to go, we are confident that Japan 2019 will be a very special, successful and game-changing Rugby World Cup.
“It will be the most impactful Rugby World Cup ever, attracting and retaining more than one million new rugby players in Asia, while changing the lives of tens of thousands of disadvantaged children in communities across Asia thanks to the generosity of fans supporting our transformational partnership with ChildFund Pass It Back.
“Japan 2019 will also benefit the whole of the nation from Sapporo in the north to Kumamoto in the south, delivering rugby and sports facilities for communities to enjoy, while pumping ¥216.6 billion added value into the economy.
“In keeping with a tournament that has rugby at heart, the team camp and match venue facilities are looking superb and everyone will receive an incredible welcome from engaged host cities and prefectures.” the chairman said.
World Rugby has received more than 2.5 million ticket applications so far as more than 400,000 visitors are set to travel to Japan for the six-week tournament according to STH Japan, the official travel and hospitality provider.
Beaumont also announced that the Asia 1 Million project, a key pillar of the Impact Beyond 2019 legacy programme, is 90 per cent of the way to achieving its target of one million new players in Asia with 899,000 participants to date, while more than 1,900 schools across Japan have implemented tag rugby.
The tournament will also feature 207 broadcast territories. It is yet to announce its official partners in India for the event.
