New Zealand Exchange Report

Three players—Prop Ryunosuke Momoji, Prop/Hooker Taiga Kawasaki, and Flanker Jingo Murata have been on a rugby study tour in Invercargill, on New Zealand's South Island, since early June.

Momoji and Jingo are playing for the Invercargill Blues, while Taiga is with Pirates Old Boys. The three are renting a house and living together.

In late June, the club rugby season reached its climax, with the playoff teams decided. Unfortunately, the Blues failed to qualify after the league stage, while Taiga’s team finished second and advanced to the final four. In the final league match on 27^th of June, the Blues hosted Taiga’s Pirates Old Boys, but the visitors won 47–0. It was also a chance for all three players to be on the field together, but Jingo missed the match through illness, and Momoji had to switch to hooker at the last minute after the starting No. 2 was unable to play.

With the Blues' club season now over, Momoji and Jingo have continued training with Pirates Old Boys, while Taiga focuses on the playoffs. All three are also participating in the Southland representative team's (Stags) High Performance programme and will remain until mid-July. On their days off, they have been making trips to Queenstown and Dunedin, enjoying life in New Zealand.

The three players left Japan on the 31^st of May.

Jingo, in particular, had a hectic departure. After the supporters' event on 23^rd of May, he joined the Japan XV training camp in Beppu before leaving almost immediately for New Zealand.

"We played at Japan Base in Fukuoka on the 29th. I got home that night, packed everything in one day, and flew to New Zealand the next day. I've finally started to settle in."

Although Jingo can play several positions, he has been playing blindside flanker for the Blues. This was decided after discussions with assistant coach Ian Foster before departure.

"The main thing I wanted to improve was my ball carrying. I played No. 6 a lot at university, but mostly No. 7 and No. 8 at Toyota. Here I'm communicating with the No. 7 and getting more opportunities to carry the ball."

He says life with the Blues has been "really enjoyable."

"At first I struggled with the ground conditions and communication, but now I've gotten used to it. League One is actually higher in terms of skill level, so I feel I'm able to use the skills I developed in Japan during matches here."

There are many Fijian players on the team, and he even received a cap embroidered with "FIJI."

"They're really fun people, and they bring great energy to the team."

After matches, everyone attends the after-match function dressed in shirts and ties.

Players receive a club tie when they earn their first cap for the Blues. The ties worn by Jingo and Momoji are proof that they have been accepted as full members of the club.

"Players who wear the club blazer have reached 50 caps. The number of caps is embroidered on it. You really feel the club's traditions."

Although he returns to Japan in mid-July, he will then join the national sevens training squad. With his size and speed, sevens rugby suits him well. The Asian Games will be held in his home prefecture of Aichi in September, giving him a new short-term goal before the League One season begins.

"I think this whole year will be about rugby. I want to improve my ball carrying in New Zealand, then continue developing through sevens after I return to Japan."