Rugby

Webb Ellis Cup trophy tour makes stop at Mount Fuji

Kyodo

The Webb Ellis Cup was carried to the summit of Mount Fuji on Tuesday as its tour around Japan ahead of the Sept. 20 Rugby World Cup opener continues.

Members of the Yamanashi Gakuin University rugby club carried the trophy to the 3,776-meter peak, Japan’s highest point, before dawn and took photos as the sun peeked through a sea of clouds at around 5 a.m.

With the iconic Mount Fuji one of Japan’s most recognizable features, the image of a sunrise over the mountain is prominent in the official logo of the upcoming tournament.

“We would like to let the world know how great the tournament will be,” said Hiroyuki Kajihara, head coach of the university’s rugby club and a former member of the Japan national rugby team, who also serves as an ambassador for the first Rugby World Cup to be held in Asia.

GET THE BEST OF THE JAPAN TIMES
IN FIVE EASY PIECES WITH TAKE 5

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

LATEST RUGBY STORIES

Rugby World Cup organizers have been urged to improve crowd flow at Sapporo Dome after some fans watching Australia's win over Fiji on Saturday waited more than an hour to leave the stadium.

Rugby fans voice safety concerns over Sapporo Dome bottlenecks: While spectators at Sapporo Dome witnessed an entertaining Rugby World Cup Pool D opener between Australia and Fiji on Saturday, a number expressed concerns about crowd safety following the game...

Ireland's Andrew Conway (bottom center) scores a try during his team's Rugby World Cup pool stage win over Scotland on Sunday at International Stadium Yokohama.

Ireland crushes Scotland in early show of force: World No. 1-ranked Ireland announced itself in dominant style at the 2019 Rugby World Cup with a bruising 27-3 win over Scotland on Sunday. Ireland, which has never gone past the quarterf...

Wales head coach Warren Gatland (right) looks on alongside captain Alun Wyn Jones during Sunday's captain's run at City of Toyota Stadium ahead of Monday's pool game against Georgia.

Wales looks to put past behind as it faces Georgia: Wales will look to put its rollercoaster start to the Rugby World Cup behind it Monday when it take on Georgia in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture. From the thrill of having 15,000 watch them tr...