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Japan has everything to enter the Rugby Championship, notes World Rugby Vice-President Agustín Pichot. The Asian country has lit-up RWC 2019 by winning Pool A and reaching the Quarter Finals for the first time. This follows prior successes including a win over South Africa at RWC 2015 and a draw in Paris against France in November 2017.
The level of play as demonstrated by the Japanese underlines the case for inclusion. This is added to the Sunwolves’ involvement in Super Rugby, the tremendous hosting of RWC 2019 and Japan’s massive market value. These factors combine to place Japan as a highly sort-after addition to any elite rugby competition.
Unlike the case of Argentina prior to joining the Rugby Championship in 2012 Japan already has a solid professional footing. Moreover the players are based in the country making it a ready-made addition to the Rugby Championship.
Fixtures for the 2020 Rugby Championship have not yet been announced. For the time being the competition’s structure will remain to that of 2018 wherein all teams play each other home-and-away.
The addition of Japan would see restructuring, most certainly with the removal of home-and-away. Instead the competition would see one game against each opponent.
Such a scenario would mean additional fixtures would be added under such a set-up. For instance the annual Bledisloe Cup would continue to have games outside of the Rugby Championship, Potentially two in addition to one in the Rugby Championship. In addition Argentina would also have added matches to supplement the reduction from six to four matches in a Rugby Championship with two less rounds.
