Former prop throws weight behind rugby in its Japanese heartland

Groups of third-graders in gym gear chase a rugby ball back and forth across a schoolyard during a physical education class, a sight rarely seen at elementary schools in Japan outside the city of Higashiosaka.Coach Kenta Nanjo keeps a careful watch on the kids at Nawate Minami Elementary School, his whistle remaining silent except to signal the start and end of each seven-minute game.With the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan just around the corner, Nanjo, himself a former professional player, is whipping up fervor for rugby among the city's youth."I rather let the kids on the field regulate th…READ FULL ARTICLE