Former rugby player commits himself to World Cup

Hirofumi Uchiyama, holding a rugby ball, heads to his office in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

A former rugby player in the nation's top league has been striving to promote the Rugby World Cup in Japan, always holding a rugby ball in his hands on his way to work since January.

When a passenger saw the 185-centimeter Hirofumi Uchiyama holding a rugby ball on his shoulder in a packed train, the passenger asked him, "Why are you carrying a ball?"

From that moment on, Uchiyama, the 38-year-old general manager of the top-league NTT Communications team, in order to raise public awareness of the World Cup that started Friday, started extolling the attractiveness of rugby and the World Cup.

He commutes from his home in Setagaya Ward to Otemachi, Chiyoda Ward, both in Tokyo, by using a private company train and the subway.

On a wide sidewalk, he gently rotates a rugby ball while walking, sometimes changing routes, catching the eye of many people.

Uchiyama has exchanged business cards with about 240 people through this kind of promotion. His colleagues who liked the idea started doing the same thing. He has been contacted by about 30 people through social media, who told him, "I also started [doing it]."

Japan was picked in 2009 as Asia's first-ever Rugby World Cup host nation. Uchiyama continued his involvement in rugby even after his retirement, but felt excitement was lacking as the Japan-held tournament approached.

Uchiyama remembers the England World Cup four years ago. When he would walk around town with a rugby ball, children would come to him, and people at pubs would buy him drinks. "[I realized that] I could interact with people just because I was carrying a ball," he said.

Since starting his promotion activity, Uchiyama has always been carrying a ball, even at company meetings or lunch.

Recently, some foreigners visiting Japan to watch the World Cup games have been approaching him, Uchiyama said.

"If many people get excited over the World Cup, it will leave an irreplaceable legacy in Japanese rugby," he said.

Uchiyama plans to commute to and from work with a rugby ball until the end of the tournament on Nov. 2, he said.

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