The Influence of Foreign Players on the Transformation of Japanese Rugby Over the Last Three Decades
The influence of foreign players on the transformation of Japanese rugby over the last three decades A Thesis Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of Master ofArts in Sociology in the University of Canterbury By Hiroshi Sakata University of Canterbury 2004 8*7 7~e'~f6!lt7)I::tJ6I:: This thesis aims to contribute to the further development ofJapanese rugby. ABSTRACT This thesis explores the influence of foreign players on the transformation of Japanese rugby over the last three decades. Foreign players first had an impact in company league teams and, more latterly, have also played with distinction in the Japanese national team. Using historical materials and interview data with players, coaches and administrators, I show how the game of rugby in Japan has developed, and consider aspects of the relationship between migrant players and the Japanese game. I follow the actors through the shift from the amateur to the professional period, and describe the impact on Japanese rugby of foreign players and coaches. In the first chapter, I describe the establishment and historical development path of rugby in Japan. The game has incorporated aspects of Japanese styles of organisation, playing techniques and philosophies. Until the 1980s, high school and university rugby was the most popular form of the game, but after then, rapidly-developing company rugby became the predominant domestic form of the game. The company game's latest iteration, launched in 2003, is the Top League, and in it, labour relations have become more professional. Chapter Two describes the influence of foreign players in company teams, looking in particular at migration trends, eligibility rules and labour relations.
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