Andrew McKirdy is a sports writer for The Japan Times. His main beat is soccer, but he has also covered rugby, tennis, volleyball, golf and even tug-of-war. A native of the Scottish Borders, he has written for The Scotsman newspaper and organized filming for a program on Japanese soccer for ITV television.
For Andrew McKirdy's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
Have you ever wondered what it must feel like to be the best in the world at something? To know how sprinter Usain Bolt or figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu feels? To know that, of all the 7.7 billion people in the world, you are the ...
South Africa head coach Rassie Erasmus expressed hope that his team's victory in the Rugby World Cup final against England on Saturday can inspire his nation, but dismissed the notion that the Springboks were under pressure at the tournament. "In South Africa, pressure is not ...
South Africa lifted the Rugby World Cup for the third time after a clinical 32-12 victory over England in Saturday's final. The Springboks grinded England down with their awesome forward power combined with metronomic kicking from standoff Handre Pollard, and headed into the final 20 ...
Outgoing New Zealand head coach Steve Hansen warned the rest of the rugby world to expect a backlash from the dethroned Rugby World Cup champions over the next four years, after leading the All Blacks to a third-place finish on Friday night. New Zealand beat ...
New Zealand claimed third place at the Rugby World Cup with a 40-17 win over Wales on Friday night. The All Blacks were looking to win the tournament for the third time running and fourth overall this year in Japan, only to run into an ...
England head coach Eddie Jones has warned Rugby World Cup final opponent South Africa that his team is capable of improving on last week's semifinal destruction of two-time defending champion New Zealand when the two sides meet in Yokohama on Saturday. "We can definitely play ...
South Africa's Rugby World Cup players know how much lifting the trophy for a third time on Saturday would mean to their country — but they are looking no further than final opponent England. "I definitely think it will have a massive impact," Springboks lock ...
South Africa's Rugby World Cup players are hoping an "inspirational" groundswell of support back home can help them lift the Webb Ellis Cup for a third time this coming Saturday, after booking their place in the final on Sunday with a nerve-shredding win over ...
Handre Pollard slotted a penalty with four minutes remaining to send South Africa into the Rugby World Cup final after a nail-biting 19-16 win over Wales on Sunday. Pollard and Wales' Dan Biggar exchanged penalty after penalty in an agonizingly tight game at International Stadium ...
England captain Owen Farrell credited his team's Zen-like inner peace for carrying it into the Rugby World Cup final after ending New Zealand's eight-year reign as champion on Saturday night. England booked its place in its first World Cup final since 2007 after beating the ...
