High Tackles and Hagibis

Jimmy Strainge investigates the impact of the Typhoon Hagibis on the Japanese Rugby World Cup

Despite the heart-break and disappointment many English rugby fans will have felt after the final of the Rugby World Cup last year, Japan had much more to contend with than just big tackles. The massive success of the competition has been highlighted by the unbelievable way in which Japan dealt with a category 5 super typhoon that added up to $15 billion worth of damage. The huge scrutiny that any country hosting a major sporting event - like a Rugby World Cup - puts them under huge pressure. But with such a catastrophic natural disaster, the challenge was immense.

The super typhoon that hit Japan in early October reached its peak intensity on the 7th October. The severe consequences of this immense natural disaster were fortunately very well-managed due to the regular natural blows Japan has to endure "Japan dealt every year. Nevertheless, the country was still struck with 98 deaths and the destruction of with a category over 300,000 homes. Clearly, there is a lot to be admired in the way that the country was able to diminish the impcats of this national catastrophe, especially due to the sheer scale of the typhoon. There is no doubt that the Japanese proverb ‘Futaba ni shite karazareba, ono wo mochiyuru ni ataru', loosely translated as 'take necessary measures early', was extremely useful in the mitigation of this hazard.

The timing of any disaster is always difficult but the simultaneous running of the Rugby World Cup made matters much worse. Although, despite the massive area that was affected by Hagibis, the organisers only had to cancel three matches due to how well prepared they were to deal with the storm-induced flooding that occured around several stadiums. However, it wasn’t just the physical response to the destruction caused by the hurricane that was so inspirational, it was

the solidarity and nation-wide sense of togetherness that was so powerful. Expressions of this solidarity were seen in the minute silences that were held at the start of every match in recognition of the people who fell victim to the storm. The success of the Japanese national team in reaching the quarterfinals of the competition was a great testament to the success of the whole country in dealing with the typhoon.

At the end of the day, the success of the team was such that it wasn’t just Japan mourning the loss of 98 people but the entire rugby community spread across the globe.

"It was the solidarity and nation-wide sense of togetherness that was so powerful"