People take photos at a closed gate of Tokyo Stadium, a day before the start of the Japan 2019 Rugby World Cup in Tokyo, Japan September 19, 2019. REUTERS/Issei Kato
TOKYO (Reuters) - The leaders of the game have lined up all week proclaiming the ninth Rugby World Cup as "historic" and for once the hyperbole was not misplaced as the sport prepared to take a bold leap out of its comfort zone.
Invented at an English school 196 years ago by a rebellious teenager and beloved mostly in former British colonies and France, rugby union has high ambitions for the first foray of their showpiece tournament into Asia.
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