When is it?
The tournament starts on 20 September in Tokyo, with the opening ceremony followed by hosts taking on Russia. It runs until 2 November, with the final in Yokohoma, part of the greater Tokyo area.
Host cities
Twelve cities are hosting matches, from Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, in the north, to Kumamoto in the south, all of which are linked by bullet trains. For a full list of the stadiums and host cities, go to rugbyworldcup.com or visitjapan2019.com.
How do I get tickets?
To enter the ticket ballot, create an account at tickets.rugbyworldcup.com. The application period runs until 23.59 on 12 November 2018 (Japan Standard Time).
What about packages?
Several operators are selling packages that include match tickets, but they don’t come cheap. England Rugby Travel’s trips start at £3,995, including flights and tickets to two matches. Gullivers Travels’ packages start at £4,195 for seven nights including flights, accommodation, transfers, two match tickets and a Japanese-speaking assistant. Specialist operator Inside Japan has a dedicated website, japanrugbytravel.com, to help fans plan a trip, but does not sell match tickets.
History of rugby in Japan
According to the Japan Times, the earliest mention of rugby being played in the country was a newspaper report that records a meeting held on 26 January 1866 to found the Yokohama Foot Ball Club (sic), eight years before the birth of Edward Bramwell Clarke, who was previously credited with introducing rugby to the country in 1899.
