Sponsored by Oita Prefecture/Tourism Oita
The 2019 Rugby World Cup’s pool draw took place in Japan’s ancient capital, Kyoto, at the Kyoto State Guest House on 10th May 2017. The 2019 Rugby World Cup will be held in 12 cities throughout Japan, over a period of six weeks, from 20th September to 2nd November. Japan will be the first country to host the games in Asia, and Oita is one of the hosting venues.
Oita Bank Dome
Twelve hosting venues: Oita, Kumamoto, Fukuoka,Kobe (Hyogo),Higashi-Osaka (Osaka),Toyota (Aichi),Shizuoka,Yokohama (Kanagawa),Tokyo,Kumagaya (Saitama), Kamaishi (Iwate), and Sapporo (Hokkaido).
The tournament comprises of twenty nations divided into four pools – A through to D. Each pool consists of five nations, any of which could have the chance to bag the winning prize, the William Webb Ellis Cup!
Among the 20 nations, 12 teams have already qualified because the top three teams from each pool at the 2015 Rugby World Cup automatically qualified for the 2019 tournament. These teams have been split into three bands based upon their current world ranking. The full match schedules will be finalized in fall 2017.
Check out the pools below to see where your nation is!
The Tournament League
Pool A
Ireland
Scotland
Japan
Europe 1
Play-off winner
Pool B
New Zealand
South Africa
Italy
Africa 1
Repechage winner
Pool C
England
France
Argentina
Americas 1
Oceania 2
Pool D
Australia
Wales
Georgia
Oceania 1
Americas 2
Only Two Years Left! How Is The Hosting Venue Preparing?
Oita prefecture, in Kyushu island, arranged a public viewing at JR Oita station for the pool draw. It turned out to be a blast, with around two hundred people!
The locals in Oita prefecture are already preparing to welcome the Rugby fans from all over the world with the “One Rugby, One Oita” campaign. Both the government and the locals set up the project to maximize the success of the RWC2019. Through the rugby-related events and festivals, the residents of Oita strive to have travelers bringing back incredible memories of their hometown. Along with Oita’s great hospitalities, it seems that everyone is really looking forward to the games starting!
In addition to the upcoming rugby games, Oita prefecture also boasts the number one hot springs in Japan, nicely represented by the famous onsen resorts, Beppu and Yufuin. This beautiful prefecture also has many famous tourist destinations with an abundance of historical sites, breathtaking nature and a rich food culture. You would certainly have a lot of fun visiting and exploring Oita, especially of course during the Rugby World Cup 2019!
Kitsuki, located in the north-eastern part of Oita prefecture, is sometimes referred to as a “sandwich castle town”. This is because Kitsuki has a commercial district which is sandwiched by two samurai districts!
Umi Jigoku, “hells”(jigoku) of Beppu
Oita prefecture is renowned for being one of the most famous onsen destinations in Japan; due to the number of springs, and the sheer volume of hot water produced in the region. Among them, Beppu is one of the most famous hot spring resorts in Japan. Here you can enjoy the “hells” (jigoku) of Beppu which have seven spectacular hot springs for viewing rather than bathing, as show in the picture above.
Official Website: Tourism Oita
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