LOUISE GALVIN: Rugby on the up in the land of the rising sun

Louise Galvin talks about her experience in Japan with Irish 7s team, where rugby is becoming one of the fastest growing sports in the land.

Konnichi wa from Kitakyushu, Japan! An industrial city in the south of the country, it was developed in 1963 and currently is home to one million people.

It is the gateway for cities on either side, Honshu and Kyushu, as well as an important port for international trade. Why am I here? The city is hosting the inaugural Japanese leg, the fourth in total, of the HSBC Women’s world rugby sevens series this weekend in the 15,000 seater Mikuni World Stadium. The stadium, built right on the waterfront and adjacent to the team hotel, opened its doors officially in February and has been nominated as a training base prior to the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the Olympic games in Tokyo 2020.