Rob Penney: Irish tour a boost to RWC19

Former Munster coach Rob Penney said Ireland’s two-match tour of Japan has been hugely beneficial for local administrators preparing to host the Rugby World Cup in 2019.

Penney, now in his third year coaching NTT Com in the Japanese league, believes the 2019 global showpiece will be a huge success.

But it’s obvious that there will be difficulties as the tournament is staged outside the tier one countries for a first time, and Penney feels that visits from teams like Ireland can help the Japanese adapt to the needs of competitiors.