Fans, Families and Fanzones
It may be happening more than 5,000 miles away but the Rugby World Cup has brought huge excitement for fans in England.
England’s Pool C match having been called off due to Typhoon Hagibis, the squad now moves on to the quarter-finals in Oita on Saturday 19 October (KO 8:15am BST, ITV) having finished top of the pool.
Youngsters have been going into school in team colours and focusing on nations involved, as well as playing in World Cup focused festivals. Clubs have been adjusting training and match times so that families can gather to cheer England on.
Clubs have been getting behind the England team nationwide and organising Rugby World Cup events. Aylesbury held a Bonenkai Party and family events have been taking place at Perranporth, Preston Grasshoppers, Garstang, Teignmouth, Longlevens, Colne and Nelson, Chobham and the Typhoons. Among the mini, junior and school events there’s been tournament fun at Sedgley Park, Burnage, Plymouth Albion, Burnley, Sefton, Macclesfield and Mersea Island as well as at Trinity School, Teignmouth.
Said Rugby Football Union CEO, Bill Sweeney: “I’ve been lucky enough to be out in Japan for some of the Rugby World Cup where the atmosphere is terrific and the mood in Eddie’s England camp is really positive. They are, I can assure you, very conscious and appreciative of the support back home. It provides great motivation in what is a very competitive tournament.”
With more than 50,000 England fans in Japan, Twickenham’s World Rugby Museum is also making its presence felt. The Museum’s Brave Blossoms exhibition has been transported to the Tokyo Fanzone in Yurakucho, with a millions visitors expected during the course of the tournament. Fans can also eat authentic British fish and chips and Omurice (egg covered rice in the shape of a rugby ball). The exhibition has featured several times on Japanese TV and been on newspapers front pages.
And even with a skeleton version back home, the Museum has both overtaken last year’s monthly visitor total and their forecast increase, with Japanese visitors arriving in Twickenham all the time.
