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International

Japan's proposed anti-diverse 'blood' eligibility law after foreign player influx

By Ben Smith

109 days ago

Japan's players react to their defeat on the pitch after the Autumn Nations Series International rugby union test match between England and Japan at the Allianz Stadium, Twickenham in south-west London, on November 24, 2024. England won the game 59-14. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

A bombshell report on a planned change to eligibility in the Japan Rugby League One is set to to have ripple effects across rugby the Pacific region.

After years of foreign player influx that has boosted Japan’s rugby playing stocks with Australian, New Zealand and Pacific talent, Paul Cully of the Sydney Morning Herald reports that the JRLO is about to tighten the rules based on ‘blood’.

The new blood law proposed from 2026 means that at least eight players on the field must have Japanese blood, a radical change that will impact foreign-born Category A players.

Foreign-born players who have been capped for Japan through residency qualification grounds and who even hold Japanese passports, such as Warner Dearns and Dylan Riley, would not be considered Japanese.

Those foreign-born players would need to reach 30 international caps to be considered Japanese.

The move to tighten its eligibility by the JRLO sets a line in the sand over the growing diversity of the Japanese rugby team, which includes players of Pasifika and European heritage. The report suggests the JRFU has a desire for the national side to be more Japanese.

The booming Japanese market has become home to many elite international stars over the last 10 years, with top line All Blacks, Wallabies and Springboks either signing long-term deals or sabbaticals.

In addition to the growing recruitment at the high-end of the market, a number of emerging younger players in their early 20s were signed by League One clubs to eventually qualify for Japan on residency grounds.

There has also been a long standing history of Tongan players attending Japanese University to play rugby, with many of those players also going on to join League One clubs and even represent Japan.

The ‘blood’ rules would drastically reduce demand for foreign player talent with less opportunities for players in the Pacific region.

This may help New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands retain talent but with France still a big recruiter, they may now encroach even further with less competition from Japan.

La Rochelle signing 16-year-old Visesio Kite out of Queensland sparked fury with Rugby Australia just weeks ago, prompting a formal complaint to the governing body.

Australian U18 loose forward and elite rugby league prospect Heinz Lemoto has also been recruited by Top 14 clubs but no deal has eventuated.

Comments

30 Comments

AJ 107 days ago

This is a pretty dirty headline.

The proposed changes have nothing to do with ethnicity or keeping foreign players out of Japan rugby circuit.

The proposal is for a quota of development positions for people coming through the Japanese education system, this is why people who have naturalized or resided in Japan following their education are not eligible for these positions. It is understood that for the most part these positions are not intended for veteran players who are “already developed but qualify”. The current suggestion of 11 positions is heavily debated by most coaches who think 6 is a more appropriate number.

This impacts the local league team not the national team, so there are plenty of positions available for everyone. I don't get what the agenda is but this article is just stirring problems that don't exist.

EM 108 days ago

This is no surprise. As someone who's spent time in Japan, I can confirm that only ethnically japanese are viewed favorably. For example, shohei othani is treated like a God, but tennis player, naomi osaka is relegated to near-obscurity because she’s half black. This may have some overarching ripple effect for decades.

JW 105 days ago

That’s natural though no? Was the same with Lydia Ko.

Sure you’re not just misjudge the effects of a large population?

VN 108 days ago

This is simply an appeal to the Japanese people to join in shoulder to shoulder in supporting their team. The Japan team. You ask any Japanese who doesn't follow rugby, and you’ll hear that 99% of the reason why rugby is not as attractive like soccer, or baseball is because they feel like the Japanese team is not really for the Japanese people. Interesting enough, players like Kotaro Matsushima (South Africa born) and Koo Ji-won (a Japanese Korean) are big hits with most of these non-rugby fan majority. They don’t mind players like Matsushima and Koo Ji-won …I guess that is where the article is referring to as blood related.

JW 105 days ago

I was a bit disappointed reading the article and what they’re actually doing. I thought this was going to involve some advanced bloody analysis with DNA ancestry or something lol.

I’m not sure you’ve understood the change though (or the article has correctly educated me), as there is no change to the Japan team, this is really about participation (incentivizing growth through to the JRLO, and the rest will take care of itself ala SA’s reformation). I think they’re really happy with the fan base as Japan also has a big culture for overseas stars.

Andrew Nichols 108 days ago

Oh my…They now want a Japanese test team instead of the Gaijin Globetrotters?. Say it isnt so.

JW 105 days ago

They always would have, just not over a team that’s able to give the sport a spotlight in their country.

They think they’re in a position to do both now?

Timmyboy 108 days ago

Japan national team should be for Japanese players. God what a groundbreaking epiphany.

Sounds like common sense to me. All the eligibility stuff is nonsense.

JW 109 days ago

A good move by the JRFU but only required because of the high volume of foreign coaches who try to use the Cat A loophole to make up for ability. A move you’d have hoped they wouldn’t need to have taken but probably something that France will need to look at doing as well. Lets see the LNR fight that one haha

NHinSH 109 days ago

Not really an issue for France let’s be honest

fl 109 days ago

this is racist, but no more so than allowing people to qualify for nations they have never lived in on the grounds of ancesty, or allowing the existence of racially segregated teams like NZ Maori and the “first nations & pasifika XV”

blood and soil racial nationalism has no place in the 21st century, and rugby needs to get with the times

RedWarrior 108 days ago

Minorities occasionally ring fencing groups for sustainability or survival purposes (including sporting) is not racism. Just like women’s only groups is not sexism.

You’d need to be pretty god damn one eyes to accuse the Maori ABs of racism. Wanting folk to embrace a minority culture is not racism.

Bob Salad II 109 days ago

Ring-fencing not racist. Personally, I’d like to see the English Prem also tighten eligibility rules.

JH 109 days ago

Don’t agree that this is racist. It’s their team and their nation; the Japanese can do what they like. Their side has just become an imported joke. If only other sides would stop mass importing heritage and residency players.

Do agree about teams like the NZ Maori and even Moana Pasifika. Outdated concepts. I can imagine the usual double-standards outcry if a ‘European heritage only’ side was set up in Super Rugby.

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