Crusaders forge strong Japanese links
Rugby and cherry blossoms have paved the way for deepening ties between Christchurch and Japan’s Tohoku region as they recover from natural disasters.
The two regions share an indelible affinity with Christchurch hit by a major earthquake in 2011 - a month before an earthquake and tsunami devastated Tohoku.
Crusaders rugby chief executive Hamish Riach hopes more Japanese rugby players and coaches will come to Christchurch to work with the Crusaders’ international high performance unit, headed by John Haggart.
‘‘Rugby ties between Canterbury and Japan are already strong, but we would love to develop them further.’
Riach said the Crusaders had connected with David BolamSmith, a Christchurch man with strong networks in Japan.
‘‘We are looking at the opportunity for Japanese players and coaches to come to Christchurch for a period of time to learn and grow their rugby knowledge.’’
He said links between Canterbury and Japan had begun when Yoshihiro (Demi) Sakata became ‘‘the first Japanese player to play for Canterbury’’ in 1969 while a student at the University of Canterbury. ‘‘He was a much-loved figure and is still revered here.’’
Sakata, now a high ranking Japanese Rugby Union official and a member of World Rugby’s hall of fame, has been in touch with the Canterbury Rugby Union and Riach said he was keen to bring a Kansai University team to Christchurch next year.
Riach said former Canterbury coaches Robbie Deans (Panasonic Wild Knights) and Rob Penney (NTT Shining Arcs) were coaching in Japan and ex-Crusader Mark Hammett had been the Sunwolves’ inaugural Super Rugby head coach.
He felt there was plenty of potential to develop relationships with Japanese rugby organisations with the 2019 Rugby World Cup tournament being held in Japan.
Bolam-Smith and his wife, Junko, bore gifts from the Crusaders on a recent visit to Japan where they met civic dignitaries and officials from the Tohoku rugby organisations.
The initiative began as a cherry blossom tree planting project.
Buddhist monk Taigen Goto from the Johkenji Temple in the Tohoku region donated eight cherry blossom trees, which were planted in Christchurch’s Botanic Gardens, by the Peace Bell, last August.
Twenty-eight Japanese students, including some from Tohoku, died in the CTV building in February 2011.
The Bolam-Smiths, who visit Japan regularly, attended a mayoral reception at Sendai City Hall on August 31. ‘‘We informed the mayor and representatives of the council of the Crusaders’ proposal to establish a working relationship with the rugby union in the Tohoku region.
‘‘It was enthusiastically received.’’
The couple, ‘‘inspired by Mr Goto’s generosity in Christchurch’’, donated funds for a cherry blossom tree to be planted at Ishinomaki City Sports Park in the Myiagi prefecture.
The tree was aimed to commemorate the victims of the Tohoku and Christchurch earthquakes.
They took part in a planting ceremony on September 1, attended by Ishinomaki City mayor Hiroshi Kameyama, monk Taigen Goto, a city councillor, a senior education official and Ishinomaki Rugby Football Union chief Katsuo Sasaki.
Ishinomaki City sports Park will be a Rugby World Cup 2019 training venue and interest is growing in rugby throughout the region.
The cherry blossom tree was planted near the cauldron used to house the Olympic torch during the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. It was re-located to Ishinomaki.
‘‘We later went to a mayoral reception where Junko and I informed the meeting of the Crusaders’ desire to establish a strong working relationship with the Tohoku Rugby Union,’’ David Bolam-Smith said.
‘‘The topics discussed included player and coach exchanges and rugby scholarships.’’
The Christchurch couple passed on gifts, including a Crusaders jersey.
‘‘The rugby union president said it was too precious for anyone to wear. They took it away and had it framed and it is hanging up in their offices.
‘‘The gifts were treated like treasure. They regard the Crusaders as the kings of rugby.’’
The Bolam-Smiths and Taigen Goto and his wife later visited Kamaishi City where a new, 16,000 seat stadium is being built for the Rugby World Cup.
‘‘The site was devastated by the tsunami and the land has been raised five metres in preparation for the building of the stadium,’’ Bolam-Smith said.
‘‘Officials expressed the hope that the All Blacks will play one of the games in the Kamaishi Stadium.’’
After the Bolam-Smiths’ visit, Ishinomaki mayor Kameyama sent a letter to Christchurch counterpart Lianne Dalziel, saying his city, like hers, was ‘‘steadily recovering’’ after its earthquake and the cherry blossom tree plantings and rugby could help them on ‘‘the bridge of recovery together’’.
Bolam-Smith, the New Zealand representative on the World Peace Bell Committee, said Christchurch’s Peace Bell will be rung each year on March 11 at the time the Japanese earthquake struck.