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TOKYO: With a little under 500 days to go until the start of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, tournament director Alan Gilpin believes Japan – the first nation outside of rugby’s traditional heartland to host the event – is right on track to stage a “great” event.

In autumn last year, Gilpin expressed nervousness at the challenges that still lay ahead for organisers, yet he now believes huge strides have been taken towards hosting a successful tournament.