Rugby: Foreign-born players uniting Brave Blossoms at World Cup english.kyodonews.net

Foreign-born players have played for Japan since the first World Cup took place in 1987.
When they finished winless with a draw and three defeats at the 2011 World Cup, the team's dependence on foreign-born players was questioned in some circles.
But when Japan, amid low expectations, achieved a historic three-win run at the previous World Cup in England in 2015, the contributions of the foreign-born players drew renewed attention.
(Lomano Lava Lemeki of Japan is tacked during the first half of a Rugby World Cup Pool A match against Russia on Sept. 20, 2019, in Chofu, western Japan.)
Foreign-born players are asked to introduce their mother countries to teammates while being taught to sing the Japanese national anthem by domestic-born players.