This archive report was first published on 5 January 2022.
January 5, 2022, Tokyo, Japan - Japan's rugby union season kicked off on Friday with big ambitions, tongue-twister team names, and a rebranded league that has left some fans wondering which version of the sport they will be watching.
Japanese rugby chiefs want to create 'the best league in the world' with 2019 World Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit and Australians Samu Kerevi and Quade Cooper among the foreign talent on show.
The league, Japan Rugby League One, has been rebranded to reflect its new format, which includes cross-border matches with southern hemisphere teams.
However, the new name has caused confusion among fans, with some wondering if it refers to the 13-a-side version of the game.
Additionally, the rebranded team names, such as NTT Communications Shining Arcs Tokyo-Bay Urayasu and NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes Osaka, have left some fans tongue-tied.
The launch has also been overshadowed by a scandal, with NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu firing Blake Ferguson after he was arrested on drug charges.
When asked about his decision to join Toyota Verblitz, du Toit said, 'When the opportunity came across it was something I didn’t think twice about.'
He added, 'I think rugby at the moment in Japan is a really fast and highly skilled game and that’s probably the way the game is going in the future.'
