All Blacks set for regular fixtures in Japan

Regular matches in Japan are set to be added to the New Zealand rugby calendar over the next three years.

The All Blacks, Māori All Blacks and All Blacks XV will play the Brave Blossoms and Japan XV on a regular basis in Japan between 2024 to 2027, with New Zealand Rugby and the Japanese Rugby Football Union signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to explore strategic and commercial opportunities.

“It is great to formalise our relationship with Japan Rugby, we have a long-standing and strong history of collaboration and mutual respect on and off the field, as well as a shared love for rugby and the values our game,” New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson said.

“The MoU provides us with opportunities for our teams in black, commercial partners, and other professional teams and competitions to work more closely together. The intention is for teams across the spectrum to play more regular matches, while also looking at how our men’s and women’s competitions could work together in the longer term.”

As well as adding more fixtures for representative teams, the two unions will explore cross-competition clashes between Super Rugby Pacific and Japan League One teams outside of competition windows, while opportunities will be discussed around the inclusion of some of Japan’s top women’s players in the Super Rugby Aupiki and Farah Palmer Cup competitions.

The national sevens teams are set to benefit from the agreement with more matches too, with opportunities to be explored around the Black Ferns Sevens and All Blacks Sevens to play the Japan Sevens outside of existing tournaments.

“Japan Rugby acknowledges the heritage of New Zealand Rugby and the shared respect for the integrity of our respective teams and competitions,” Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) chief executive Kensuke Iwabuchi said.

“We have a shared love of rugby and the values that the game stands for on and off the field, including teamwork, hard work, honesty and integrity.

“In working more closely together, NZR and JRFU acknowledge the importance of maintaining and respecting the heritage, competitiveness and commercial operations of existing rugby competitions played in Japan and New Zealand or involving teams from Japan and New Zealand.”

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission