Rugby In Japan
Week 1
Top League is a professional rugby
union league which was created by the Japan Rugby Football Union. It want to develop the overall
standard and popularity of the sport in Japan and improve the results of the
Japan national rugby union team. The first
season was 2003–04. 12 teams
participated in Top League. From the 2006–07 season, the league was
expanded to include 14 teams. The
chief architect of the league was Hiroaki Shukuzawa who strongly felt the
urgency of improving Japanese domestic company rugby to a professional level
which would allow Japan to compete more stately at Rugby World Cups.
There is Top League Challenge which is lower branch of Top League. The teams belonging to Top League Challenge to fight with Top League's teams next year. The two highest ranks of teams can be promoted to Top League. The third and fouth rank teams can fight the play-off. If they win the game, they can be promoted to Top League too.
By the way, Top League have basic concept which is new challenging to level up. Top League's logo mark show the basic concept.
(Top League's official site)
This is the logo mark. This includes various meanings. One is to cooperate. The secand is powerful. The third is to advance. Japan Rugby Football Union treats these dearly. The basic colors are orange, green and black. These colors represent the earth, turf and strength. Scram, one of the characteristics of the rugby, is used as a mochif. JRFU want to tell what it aim at clearly.
A lot of foreign professional players have played in the Top League. Mainly, they are from Australia and New Zealand. People say,"Salaries in the Top League have risen to become some of the highest in the rugby world in recent years." However, Japanese players can get only at most 5 million for one year still. Many rugby players in Europe and Oceania get more salaries than in Japan. For example, Jonah Lomu who was a member of Allblacks in New Zealand got about 640 million. Sinji Kagawa who belongings to Manchester United will get about 600 million in a year. And Darvish Yu who plays in Major League will get about 800 million. From these reason, some rugby players can get as same as other major sports players.
A lot of foreign professional players have played in the Top League. Mainly, they are from Australia and New Zealand. People say,"Salaries in the Top League have risen to become some of the highest in the rugby world in recent years." However, Japanese players can get only at most 5 million for one year still. Many rugby players in Europe and Oceania get more salaries than in Japan. For example, Jonah Lomu who was a member of Allblacks in New Zealand got about 640 million. Sinji Kagawa who belongings to Manchester United will get about 600 million in a year. And Darvish Yu who plays in Major League will get about 800 million. From these reason, some rugby players can get as same as other major sports players.
(Wikipedia: Jonah Lomu)In future, I hope that 100 million players appear from Japane. It is not impossible at all. Now, Japan Rugby Football Union and players have been done their best. I want to support them.
