JRFU To Develop Rugby Training Centre in Fukuoka
The Japan Rugby Football Union is delighted to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Fukuoka City to develop the Sawayaka Sports Square as the JRFU Fukuoka Training Centre. Located 30 minutes’ drive north of central Fukuoka, on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu, the facility will become the training base for all Japanese national teams, for men’s and women’s fifteens and sevens, across both senior and age-group sides.
The facility will serve as a high-performance base to develop Japanese rugby through the strengthening and development of players through comprehensive management of exercise, recovery, and nutrition. In addition, it will become Japan’s centre of rugby excellence, fostering the JRFU’s rugby intelligence, analysis, and strategy functions, as well as hosting international rugby exchanges with overseas teams and being a world-class training base for Japanese and international coaches and referees.
In addition to two immaculate grass rugby pitches – a main pitch and sub pitch, the facility has a three story, 5,000m2 clubhouse, a fully equipped training gym and a large general-purpose community building. While the venue is currently operational, the JRFU will undertake a renovation and development programme to optimise the facility for its purposes. All works will be completed by May next year and the facility will fully operational ahead of the Brave Blossom’s final preparations for Rugby World Cup 2023.
When not being utilized by national teams, the facility will be made available for wider public use and for hospitality and events. To promote rugby among the local community, the sub ground will also be made available to local rugby schools, elementary and junior high schools, as well as university and adult teams.
Commenting on the announcement, Soichiro Takashima, Fukuoka City Mayor said:
“We are delighted to welcome the JRFU to Fukuoka City and are proud that our city will be the base for Japan’s national teams as they train for Rugby World Cups and other major international competitions. The opportunity to get up close and personal with national team players and to see first-hand their elite preparation and training will nurture the dreams and hopes of local children and will help promote sport participation among the general public. We look forward to a wide range of cooperation and interaction through rugby, including exchanges with citizens, leadership development and health promotion initiatives, and together with the JRFU, we will help promote vitality through sport across Fukuoka City.”
Masato Tsuchida, President of the Japan Rugby Football Union said:
“We are honoured to be able to establish the first national team training centre in Fukuoka, a city where rugby is flourishing. Through the operation of this centre, we intend to further promote cooperation with the local community and contribute to the revitalisation of the area and the promotion of good health among all citizens. As always, we count on your continued warm support of our Japanese national teams as we work towards the next Rugby World Cup and the Paris Olympics in 2024.”
