Japanese Rugby Visit

Japanese Rugby Visit to Gloucester

It all started when Steve Markham received the following e-mail:-
 
Subject: Visiting Gloucester in Sep. from Japan
Dear all involved,
 
I am Yukako Sawada, living at Morioka, Iwate,  and I am writing in place of Mr. Ogasawara, president of Kamaishi East Rotary Club (D2520) in Japan. The club would like to send six junior high school students to England to give them a good chance to visit Gloucester for the rugby game between Scotland and Japan on September 23rd, and to learn a lot in a big stage of World Cup from young generation’s perspective.
I’ll be an escort for the group of the six boys and girls.
 
As you know, Kamaishi city was severely hit by the huge tsunami following the incredibly strong earthquake, which brought about tremendously heavy casualties and missing as well as the city’s devastation. Though we had the hardest experience, we have been grateful for the assistance and support from all over the world, especially those related to rugby football, as it is popular in Kamaishi, too. In 2019, we are to host the Rugby World Cup in Japan. Kamaishi is one of the venues. We really would like to learn from your city’s strategy to attract the world.
 
We will arrive in London on September 22nd and will be staying at Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum for 5 days.
 
Would it be possible for us to meet and talk to you at Gloucester?
We will appreciate it if you are available for our schedule of 23rd (Game:14:30~16:00 at Kingsholm Stadium) to 25th.
 
We all are looking forward to meeting you and having a good talk with you.
Yours respectfully,

Yukako Sawada

Steve rapidly got shot of the message:-

Afternoon Peter & Rog,

Not too sure whose court this ball falls into, International or Foundation (or neither?). Anyway hope one of you might take up this request?
Ta
Secretary Steve

Peter being an ex Rugby player instantly kicked the idea to touch, and signed up for a golfing trip to somewhere near Alaska.

Being part of an international organisation I felt we, RCGS, should do ‘something’ and started a long drawn out e-mail conversation to find out quite what we were being asked to do.

Hence a visit programme for the morning of 23 September consisted of the Japanese party of 6 youngster and 3 adults.  The party were sponsored by Kamashi East RC and all associated, as supporters or junior players, of the Kamaishi Seawaves Rugby Club, whose senior team had been Japan’s champion team for the last 7 years.

It was intended Jeff, Lynda and myself would meet them at the Mariners Church and walk a roundabout way to the Cathedral.  I had pre-booked a 45 minute guided tour of the Cathedral followed by an hour in a reserved area in the refectory.  Here the visitors could get some food and commune with Jeff, Lynda, myself and Paul Rosewell (at least 2 of us knew what rugby was about!).

Things did not start off well as their driver ditched them somewhere near the stadium and they wandered around semi lost until Lynda made contact with them and we found them ‘outside a Vodaphone shop’.  A short walk got us to the church on time and we met Nick Mann our appointed guide.  Fortune then smiled on us as one of the other guides on duty was Miyuki Marriette, a Japanese lady, living and working in Gloucester.  She greatly enhanced the tour.  Of great interest were the cloisters and the part they played in the Harry Potter films which provoked several prolonged chorus’ of excited ‘cooing’ from the youngsters.  The tour was most successful, aided by some of the many other Japanese visitors touring the Cathedral, who wanted to talk to our group, not least the President of the all Japan Rugby Association.

We retreated to the refectory and as our visitors struggled selecting food and considering ways to pay, we decided to speed things up and to become ‘proper hosts’ and paid the collective bill.  Whilst sitting, talking and eating we learnt a little of the horrors inflicted upon Kamaishi City and its surrounds by the tsunami of 2011.  One of the Rotarians had lost both parents and his wife, Yukako her father, some of the youngsters several relations.  We learnt of the part played by the Kamaishi Seawaves Rugby Club and Rotary in fund raising and community work via the strength of the rugby club.

Yukako presented the Club with various small gifts from herself and their Rotary District Governor.  Then to our bewilderment, astonishment and delight we were presented with a huge flag.  We then understood that most Japanese fishing boats fly flags as good luck charms.  This particular flag had been pulled from the flood water on the second storey of an inundated apartment block, it had been inscribed to this effect.  To view it we had to assemble in the College Green where it was officially handed into our care.  This whole episode was filmed by a Japan Broadcasting Corporation news camera man (who had been hovering near us most of the morning although we did not know his interest.).  He then filmed our group as we walked to the stadium, interviewed several of our group and recorded as they entered the stadium.

Special thanks are due to Lynda, Jeff and Paul for their support and encouragement. We greatly enjoyed the atmosphere in the City, our visitor’s enthusiasm and energy and the whole experience.

Roger H