Kamaishi, Iwate Rugby Information｜Kamaishi, Iwate Rugby

Kamaishi, Iwate Rugby

The Significance of the Rugby World Cup™ in Kamaishi

The only venue in the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster affected area

Kamaishi, Iwate is known as "the city of nature and fish," "the iron city, origin of modern ironworking," and "the rugby town."
The population, which sat at 100,000 in the 1960s, has decreased due to changes in industrial structure, etc. As the population continues to decline due to the effects of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami disaster, the Rugby World Cup 2019™, held in Kamaishi, Iwate, passes along a number of legacies to the children of the next generation, and plays a major role in progressing towards the region's further development.

◎Significance of holding the Rugby World Cup 2019™ in Kamaishi, Iwate

1. To express thanks for the support received from throughout the world and show the progress of reconstruction efforts
2. To develop the region through the power of sports

Kamaishi Hikifune Matsuri
(Tugboat Festival)

Kamaishi Daikannon Statue
and Kamaishi Bay

Towards the decision to host in Kamaishi, Iwate

Realizing the hopes of the "rugby town" citizen volunteers

2009	Jul.	The International Rugby Board council decides that the Rugby World Cup 2019™ is to be hosted by Japan
2011	Mar.	The Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami disaster occurs
2011	Dec.	Kamaishi citizen volunteers hold a Kamaishi Rugby World Cup 2019™ Conference Awareness of the Rugby World Cup 2019™ is added to the Kamaishi Basic Reconstruction & Development Plan
2012	Jul.	The Iwate Prefectural Council's "Reconstruction Scrum Councilors League" is established The Rugby World Cup Promotion Office is established as part of the Kamaishi Board of Education Sports Promotion Section
2012	Sept.	Hosting of the Kamaishi World Cup 2019™ in Kamaishi is requested of (then) Minister for Reconstruction Hirano, by the Prefectural Council's Reconstruction Scrum Councilors League, Scrum Kamaishi, the City of Kamaishi, and others
2013	Oct.	The Japan Rugby Football Union chairman, Yoshiro Mori, visits Kamaishi and watches the Kamaishi Seawaves RFC local match
2014	May	Citizen volunteers establish the Rugby World Cup 2019™ Kamaishi Promotion Council
	Jun.	The Rugby World Cup 2019™ Kamaishi Promotion Council sends a request to the mayor of Kamaishi for host city candidacy
	Jul.	Kamaishi is announced as a host city candidate
	Oct.	Iwate announces its bid to run together with Kamaishi for host candidacy Iwate and Kamaishi submit a Rugby World Cup 2019™ host city application together to the organizing committee
2015	Mar.	Kamaishi, Iwate is selected as one of 12 domestic host cities

Kamaishi and Rugby

The town where the history of the "Iron Men of the North" remains

Known as the "Iron Men of the North," the Nippon Steel Corporation Kamaishi Rugby Club left a great impact on the history of Japanese rugby, and cast a shine over Japan a total of 8 times, including 7 consecutive victories between 1979 and 1985.
At the time, no FW university graduates were around, and most of them, including BK, were unnamed high school players. Along with the distinct perseverance of the people of Tohoku, there was warm support among those in the region, and society at large, in the shadow of such a great undertaking.
Inheriting the pride of those "Iron Men of the North," a new team under the name Kamaishi Seawaves RFC, was founded on April 25th, 2001. The Kamaishi Seawaves RFC aims for the creation of community-based clubs that contribute to the spread and promotion of sports throughout Iwate, Kamaishi, and Tohoku.
Continuing since the era of the Nippon Steel Corporation Kamaishi Rugby Club, Kamaishi's tradition of cheering with fishermen's banners (originally used to indicate a large haul) is still alive today.
Thanks to the history left behind by the "Iron Men of the North," rugby is firmly rooted as a source of pride in the lives of the people of Kamaishi.