Bledisloe Cup match heads Rugby Development in Asia

Saturday nights's Bledisloe Cup match in Tokyo between New Zealand and Australia has helped to further promote the sport in Asia.

Following Rugby Sevens addition to the summer Olympics from 2016 nod and the Rugby World Cup coming to Japan in 2019, rugby is making serious efforts to move beyond its traditional strongholds.

As Japan Rugby Football Union President Yoshiro Mori explains, âhaving the sport introduced to the Olympics and staging the 2019 World Cup here will be a huge boost for rugby in Japan.

"The Bledisloe Cup is a great chance for Japanese fans to gain an appreciation for the sport."

Saturday was the second time a Bledisloe Cup match has been played outside of Australia or New Zealand, after the local rivals met in Hong Kong last year.

As part of its plans as the first Asian host of the Rugby World Cup in 2019, Japan will be staging matches in Hong Kong and Singapore in an effort to allow other Asian markets to benefit.

The proposal hasn't been approved yet, but Japanese rugby officials are set to meet with members of Rugby World Cup Limited to further make its case.

Rugby is popular in Japan at the university level, but support for the professional Top League lags far behind more popular sports like baseball and football. But while rugby doesn't attract the following of some more mainstream sports, it does attract large corporate sponsorship and can be lucrative for foreign players.

A lot of rugby's potential in Japan will depend on the success of the national team.

The JRFU hired All Blacks great and former Italy coach John Kirwan in 2006 to lead the national team.

Kirwan has said he wants to tap into Japan's 'Samurai Spirit' and the team has made steady progress under his guidance. After four losses at the 2003 World Cup in Australia, Japan surprised many at the next edition at France in 2007, losing by just two points to Fiji and posting a draw with Canada.

Prior to Saturdayâs game there were concerns in Tokyo that tickets had been overpriced with the venue, being played at the 50,000-seat Olympic stadium, not seeling out. Rugby fans snapped up many of the $200 prime seats, but many of the $70 seats expected to be bought by casual fans remain unsold.