Japan national rugby team Fullback Ayumu Goromaru, quoted in Nikkei Business
“Rugby’s popularity has flagged to date not because the sport lacks appeal but, rather, because the Japan team didn’t have any [favourable] results.
“In these times, it’s not enough to perform well only in one’s own country; athletes must excel worldwide. [Japan] hasn’t won a match in a major international rugby competition for 24 years.
“Thanks to our having achieved victories in the rugby world cup [in 2015], lots of children have taken an interest. So I feel that the current boom in rugby won’t be temporary”.