The Australia national rugby union team, nicknamed the Wallabies, is the representative national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of Australia. The team first played at Sydney in 1899, winning their first test match against the touring British Isles team.
The England men’s national rugby union team represents England in men's international rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. England have won the championship on 29 occasions, winning the Grand Slam 14 times and the Triple Crown 26 times, making them the most successful outright winners in the tournament's history. They are currently the only team from the Northern Hemisphere to win the Rugby World Cup, having won the tournament in 2003, and have been runners-up on three further occasions.
The Japan national rugby union team, often known as the Cherry Blossoms, Sakura, and more recently The Brave Blossoms is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia and has enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years. Rugby union in Japan is administered by the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU), which was founded in 1926. They compete annually in the Pacific Nations Cup and previously in the Asia Rugby Championship. They have also participated in every Rugby World Cup since the tournament began in 1987.
Falmer Stadium, known for sponsorship purposes as the American Express Stadium and more commonly referred to as the Amex, is a football stadium in Falmer, Brighton and Hove, East Sussex. With a capacity of 31,876, it is the second largest stadium in all of South East England, and the 31st largest stadium in the United Kingdom.
Edward Jones is an Australian rugby union coach and former player. He currently coaches the Australia national rugby union team after returning to replace Dave Rennie in January 2023 following his sacking from England. He was the head coach of the England national team from 2015 to 2022. His first stint coaching the Wallabies was between 2001–2005 where he coached them to successful Bledisloe Cup games and a Rugby World Cup final.
The Japan national team have competed in every Rugby World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1987. They are so far the only team to reach the Rugby World Cup through Asian regional qualifying. In 2019, they progressed to the quarterfinals for the first time in their participation, making them the first Asian team to do so in the tournament.
George Thomas Ford is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Premiership Rugby club Sale Sharks and the England national team.
Jamie Edward George is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a hooker for Premiership Rugby club Saracens and the England national team.
Mark Edward Wilson is an English rugby union coach and former player. He played as either a blindside flanker or at Number 8. On 14 February 2022, he announced his retirement with immediate effect due to a problematic knee injury. Following his retirement he was reemployed by the Falcons as a coach.
George Edward John Kruis is an English former professional rugby union player. He played lock for Saracens and represented England and the British & Irish Lions. He was almost always used as a jumper in the line-out due to his height and athleticism.
Ayumu Goromaru is a former Japanese rugby union player who played at fullback for Yamaha Júbilo as well as the Japan national rugby union team.
Michael Geoffrey Leitch is a professional rugby union player who plays as a number eight for Japan Rugby League One club Toshiba Brave Lupus. Born in New Zealand, he represents Japan at international level after qualifying on residency grounds.
Luke Anthony Cowan-Dickie is an English professional rugby union player for Sale Sharks in the English Premiership. He plays primarily as a hooker but can also play prop.
Pool B of the 2015 Rugby World Cup began on 19 September and was completed on 11 October 2015. The pool was composed of South Africa, Samoa and Scotland – who all qualified automatically for the tournament due to finishing in the top three positions in their pools in 2011 – joined by the top Asian qualifier, Japan, and the second American qualifier, United States. South Africa and Scotland qualified for the quarter-finals.
Keita Inagaki is a Japanese professional rugby union player who plays as a prop for Japan Rugby League One club Saitama Wild Knights and the Japan national team.
The Sunwolves – previously known as the HITO-Communications Sunwolves for sponsorship reasons – were a professional rugby union team and Japan's representative team in SANZAAR's international Super Rugby competition. The team was based in Tokyo, Japan, but also played some home matches in Singapore. They made their debut in Super Rugby in 2016. In March 2019, it was announced that 2020 would be the final season for the Sunwolves, after failing to negotiate a contract due to financial considerations.
Sam Underhill is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker for Bath and the England national team. He studied Politics and Economics at the University of Bath. He previously attended Sir Thomas Rich's School in Gloucester.
The 2019 Rugby World Cup Final was a rugby union match played on 2 November 2019 at the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama, Japan. It marked the culmination of the 2019 Rugby World Cup and was played between England and South Africa, a rematch of the 2007 Rugby World Cup Final.
Lasarus Ratuere is an Australian actor. He is known for his portrayal of Ishikawa, a member of Section 9, in the DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures feature film adaptation Ghost in the Shell.
Marcus Sebastian Smith is a professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Premiership Rugby club Harlequins. Born in the Philippines, he represents England at international level after qualifying on ancestry grounds.
