Sunwolves and Japan

[sigesige00]

Sunwolves play the 1st season in Super Rugby. Sunwolves have lost all 7 games.
The participation of Sunwolves in Super Rugby is the result of the great effort by Eddie Jones, former Japan's HC.
Eddie Jones showed his great ability in the 2015 World Cup. But JRFU failed to keep him as Japan's HC, because of his huge disappointment with the JRFU officials (ineptitude, bureaucracy, old school ties...). And the start of Sunwolves is also not very promising (Jaguares are also struggling..).
For more successful course, there are many things have to be done for Japan's Rugby.:huh:

 

[General Tah]

Well they got a win

 

[sigesige00]

Do you think that Sunwolves will beat Western Force at home this weekend?

 

[FNS]

It´s a close match. While Force has an adv overall i could see this going to Sunwolfs.

 

[sigesige00]

It´s a close match. While Force has an adv overall i could see this going to Sunwolfs.

Sunwolves performance against Western Force was very disappointing.
Sunwolves made huge mistakes by not signing Japan's quality players--such as Gorômaru (Reds), Tanaka (Highlanders) etc.

 

[RoosTah]

Sunwolves performance against Western Force was very disappointing.
Sunwolves made huge mistakes by not signing Japan's quality players--such as Gorômaru (Reds), Tanaka (Highlanders) etc.

How they missed out on Goromaru, I'll never know... but frankly the Sunwolves were very poorly organised and didn't receive full support from the clubs in Japan. I know a couple people who have had a bit to do with the JRFU and they've told me that the Top League clubs made things very difficult for the Sunwolves management by not agreeing to make their players available. The reason for this was that the clubs were never part of the bid process for a Super Rugby side to begin with, and so actively obstructed their progress. It took direct intervention from SANZAR for them to get their cooperation (basically the SANZAR President went to Tokyo and said they'd cancel their license if they didn't start being supportive).

 

[sigesige00]

How they missed out on Goromaru, I'll never know... but frankly the Sunwolves were very poorly organised and didn't receive full support from the clubs in Japan. I know a couple people who have had a bit to do with the JRFU and they've told me that the Top League clubs made things very difficult for the Sunwolves management by not agreeing to make their players available. The reason for this was that the clubs were never part of the bid process for a Super Rugby side to begin with, and so actively obstructed their progress. It took direct intervention from SANZAR for them to get their cooperation (basically the SANZAR President went to Tokyo and said they'd cancel their license if they didn't start being supportive).

Yes, the ineptness of the JRFU is a big problem. Eddie Jones left Japan because of his disappointment with the JRFU officials. The JRFU should have renewed contract with him until the next World Cup, and Sunwolves should have signed more quality players.

Japan's Rugby are still very amateur; youth development is basically done by High School and College Rugby.

There are also problems in other sports. In Soccer, the JFA did not renewed the contract with Troussier after achieving last 16 in the 2002 World Cup. The JFA should have kept Troussier. Or other candidates had already been named; but the JFA Chairperson chose Zico without any consult to the coaching staff. Zico was Brazil's legend player; but incompetent as a coach.

 

[RoosTah]

Yes, the ineptness of the JRFU is a big problem. Eddie Jones left Japan because of his disappointment with the JRFU officials. The JRFU should have renewed contract with him until the next World Cup, and Sunwolves should have signed more quality players.

Japan's Rugby are still very amateur; youth development is basically done by High School and College Rugby.

There are also problems in other sports. In Soccer, the JFA did not renewed the contract with Troussier after achieving last 16 in the 2002 World Cup. The JFA should have kept Troussier. Or other candidates were already named; but the Chairperson chose Zico without any consult to the coaching staff. Zico was Brazil's legend player; but incompetent as a coach.

From what I understand, the Top League is still only quasi professional, with players effectively being contracted as very expensive admin staff for the bigger company sides. In truth, the JRFU should have abandoned this long ago and revamped the top league to make it open to outside city based franchises so it could organise itself on a strictly professional basis like soccer did.

But I imagine the vested interests of the Top League would have made that extremely hard to do, and so a Tokyo Super Rugby side is very effective as a circuit breaker in that sense. The next step in my view is to expand the Japan sides to include Osaka and Yokohama I think

 

[sigesige00]

Gorômaru is moving from Reds to Toulon. However, how likely would he have chances at Toulon? It seems very unlikely.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

I guess it's a move like they do in football. Sign a high profile Asian sports star to get merchandising cash from large Asian economies while not really planning to fully use the player in your team.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

So contrary to a previous media piece, Jamie Joseph will not be coaching the Sunwolves after all. I think this will be bad for the Sunwolves and potentially for the national side (see Jaguares vs Pumas for a comparison). A quick check on Tiatia shows he has coached in the Top League and apparently won nothing. Not a positive appointment in my book, but he's a Kiwi so I guess that will make him magically a perfect choice.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/...already-dealing-familiar-issues/#.V_aFxfRnzSg

Also unusual in the piece that more than half the Japanese players approached to play for the Sunwolves have not even given verbal agreement that they'd play. This might explain why not all the top Japanese players were with them in their debut season.