Japan’s preparations to host the 2019 Rugby World Cup have been declared as “satisfactory” by the sport’s world governing body with three years until kick off.
“From budgets to venue planning, tournament preparation is on track and the foundations are in place for a very special tournament,” said World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper.
Gosper highlighted “strong collaboration” from the various stakeholders, including the organising committee, national and local governments.
“Driven by a clear vision, this will be key to ensuring that this great opportunity – the first Rugby World Cup in Asia – delivers a tangible and sustainable legacy of rugby participation growth in Japan and throughout the world’s most populous region,” he added.
Akira Shimazu, chief executive of the organising committee, said preparations were “on track” across the 12 host cities, despite question marks over the readiness of the Olympic Stadium, which was expect to host matches before being used for the 2020 Olympic Games the following summer.
Japan performed well at the previous World Cup in England in 2015, springing a surprise result by beating two-time world champion South Africa.
According to World Rugby statistics, 11m more Japanese fans said they became more interested in the tournament as it took place, while 35,000 fans have signed up to the Rugby World Cup 2019 Supporters’ Club since September.
