The Rebels’ two Japanese internationals, Shota Horie and Male Sau, have jetted off to join their national side for the final two matches of their 2014 Asian Five Nations.
The tournament is the first chance for Asian nations to secure qualification for the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.
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Japan have already begun their campaign, with a resounding 99-10 victory over the Philippines last weekend. The victory was their 25th straight bonus-point win in the competition, a tournament that they have won every year since its 2008 inception.
They play Sri Lanka on Sunday before Sau and Horie join the squad ahead of their toughest matches; South Korea (in Incheon, South Korea) and Hong Kong (Tokyo, Japan).
Whichever team finishes second in the Asian Five Nations must play home and away against Uruguay, and then if successful will play for the final 2015 Rugby World Cup place against either Africa’s Round Three Runner Up (Kenya, Madagascar, Namibia or Zimbabwe) or Europe’s Round Six Winner (Germany, Netherlands, Russia).
Hooker Horie is the captain of the Japanese national team, and has represented his country on 27 occasions, while New Zealand born Sau has played 13 times for the Eddie Jones-coached Brave Blossoms.
Fellow overseas players Fumiaki Tanaka (Highlanders), Harumichi Tatekawa (Brumbies) and Takahashi Kikutani (Saracens) have also been selected amongst the 40-man Japanese squad.
Horie has enjoyed a breakout second season at the Rebels, earning numerous starts and gaining justified praise for his hard work around the field and in the scrum. Sau, meanwhile, has played six consecutive matches for the club on the right wing, enjoying arguably his strongest performance to date in the club’s 22-16 defeat to the Sharks at AAMI Park.
Whilst disappointed to see Horie and Sau unavailable for Rebels selection to play against the Reds in Brisbane and Waratahs in Melbourne over the coming fortnight, Rebels’ Rugby Operations Manager Baden Stephenson was pleased to see the club being represented on the international stage.
“Both Male and Shota take great pride in representing Japan,” Stephenson said.
“With both in great form we’d dearly love them to be available to play two crucial local derbies in the Super Rugby competition, however we absolutely respect their desire, and the JRFU’s desire, to have them playing for their country in these crucial international fixtures.
“As always, we are proud to see these young men representing the Rebels and everything we stand for on the global stage, and we have absolute faith in the ability of our Rebels squad to cover their absence whilst they are gone.”
Japan’s Asian Five Nations Fixtures:
- Philippines 10 – Japan 99, 3rd May 2014, Eagles Nest Stadium (Laguna, Phillipines)
- Japan v Sri Lanka, 10th May 2014, Mizuho Rugby Stadium (Nagoya, Japan)
- South Korea v Japan, 17th May 2014, Incheon Munhak Stadium (Incheon, South Korea)
- Japan v Hong Kong, 25th May 2014, National Olympic Stadium (Tokyo, Japan)