Leitch: Olympic sevens can be further boost for Japanese rugby
Jun 11, 2021Michael spoke to World Rugby about the impact he believes the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will have on rugby’s profile in Japan and across Asia, after the success of Rugby World Cup 2019.
Michael believes sevens, with its shorter game time, quicker passing moves and easy-to-follow format, can be hugely popular in Japan and Asia.
“I think the Olympics, if they go ahead, would be another good boost for the Japanese rugby public, who will get right behind them,” he told World Rugby.
“I think the Japanese public will get behind the sevens; it is quite easy to follow, it is fast, there are big players, small players, a real mix. Also for Asia, it is a good starting place to get people into rugby.”
