Wales warned over typhoons and tattoos in Japan showpiece
WALES’ rugby players will have to be on alert for both tattoos and typhoons at next year’s Rugby World Cup.
That’s the advice of World Rugby, who have warned supporters and players to cover up any tattoos to avoid causing offence as tattoos are associated with the Japanese mafia, the Yakuza.
They have also admitted that there are contingency plans in place with the danger of typhoons, floods and earthquakes a possibility in a number of venues - including the potential location for a Wales v England quarter-final.
Players such as Ross Moriarty and James Davies may have to cover up their body ink when using public pools and gyms.
“We will make (Japanese) people aware around the facilities that players will use in the country that people with tattoos in a Rugby World Cup context are not part of the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia,” said Alan Gilpin, the head of Rugby World Cup.
“That’s where the issue comes from. We have done a lot in the last year or so with the teams to get them to understand that.
“When we raised it with the teams a year or so ago we were probably expecting a frustrated reaction from them but there hasn’t been at all. That is a great tribute to the sport itself and to the rugby players themselves.
“They all also buy into the idea of putting on a rash-vest in the pool or in a gym as they want to respect the Japanese culture. If they are using a public pool they will have to cover up.
“Players will also have to wear different trainers indoors and outdoors. It will all be self-policing. We won’t force any teams to cover up but they will want to because they want to be seen to be respecting the culture.
“Whether it is Scotland, Ireland, Wales or Italy, who have all been there recently, they all get it, they really do.”
The danger of typhoons and earthquakes has made the World Cup the most challenging to organise.
Japan has on average 480 earthquakes a year and was recently hit by its biggest storm in a quarter of a century this month, with Typhoon Jebi killing at least 10 people in Osaka.
A year out from the start of rugby’s showpiece and the governing body has admitted that, while the dates of the tournament are unlikely to be moved, teams, fans and even matches could be relocated - with one of the venues mentioned, Oita, the venue for a potential knockout match between Wales and England.
“It’s a real hot topic for us right now,’ said Gilpin. “It’s a complex piece and a piece that we would do for every tournament. This one has a heightened sense of realism to it.
“Teams will be arriving at this time next year. We are planning what happens if a team hotel is lost, if a training venue is lost, to if one or more match venues are lost.
“And where do you relocate matches to, what are the timeframes, how does that effect transport, planning, moving teams around?
“Kumamoto, Fukuoka and Oita are three relatively proximate venues that could be affected by one set of typhoons coming through the south, for example.
“But even then you’ve got nine other venues that would probably be unaffected. It would be unprecedented even really in Japan for something to effect that nationwide spread.
“Relocation of matches really is the key. In terms of losing days, as with any Rugby World Cup you’ve got a lot of non-match days that you can use.
“The more likely scenario that we do look at is needing to compress that period that’s actually quite sparsely populated with games after the pool phase.
“There’s week to the quarters then a week to the semis. If necessary can have teams playing in four or five-day rest periods in that part of the tournament.
“It is not ideal because that’s not what teams want to do to be at their best.”