Pride, sadness and hope were in the air at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Stadium on Saturday, where thousands of mostly Japanese fans gathered for a public viewing of the final match of a historic Rugby World Cup final that ended with South Africa muscling its way to a decisive 32-12 win over England to take home the Webb Ellis Cup for the first time in 12 years.
The absence of Japan, following a loss to the Springboks in the quarterfinals, didn’t seem to dampen the mood at Chichibu. Instead, many fans said they were proud of the way the Brave Blossoms performed, sad the World Cup was ending and excited to see what the future holds for rugby in Japan.
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