The Japanese rugby league is becoming more professional. The Japan Rugby League One (JRU), which was founded in 2022, is the top professional rugby union competition in Japan.
Besides this, there are three main reasons why Japan has many rugby players from other countries. This begs the question: why does Japan have so many foreign players? Why Japanese rugby team has so many foreign players In the 2023 World Cup, foreign players make up 38.7% of the Japanese national team, the highest percentage ever. One of the key factors in this success was the role of foreign players. The 2019 Rugby World Cup was a huge success for Japan, with the team reaching the quarterfinals for the first time in history. The Role of Foreign Players in the Japanese National Rugby Team (2023) *Michael Leitch became a naturalized citizen of Japan. The following is a list of foreign players and their nationalities who are currently playing for the Japanese national team: Name However, it is also due to the fact that the Japanese rugby union is committed to developing the sport at all levels, including the international level. This is due in part to the fact that Japan is a relatively small country with a limited pool of players. The Japanese national rugby team has a long history of welcoming foreign players into the fold. Japan Rugby Team Players Nationalities Nationalities of Foreign Players in the Japanese National Rugby Team (2023)