TOKYO — Twenty-four foreign-born rugby players who hold Japanese passports are taking legal action against new eligibility rules that would class them as foreigners in Japan's top domestic league, threatening careers built over years in the country.
The players, represented by lawyer Seiji Makino, have filed suits in several Japanese courts against the rules proposed by Japan Rugby League One. The changes are set to take effect in December, when the new season opens, and would give Japan-born players preference for domestic playing opportunities. Under the new criteria, a player must have lived in Japan for "at least six of nine years" of elementary and junior high school to qualify for the highest category of eligibility.
The case was laid out on 30 July at a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan in Tokyo, where Makino and Timothy Lafaele — a Samoa-born centre with 28 caps for Japan, including the monumental 2019 Rugby World Cup victory over Ireland — spoke publicly for the first time.
"This is a very simple story," Makino said. "It is about players who built their lives and careers in Japan under one set of rules and are now having the ground moved from under their feet."
Lafaele, who arrived in Japan at 18, played university rugby there and now holds a Japanese passport, described the rule change as coming "out of the blue" and said some of the players involved have already been forced into retirement or are waiting at home for a resolution so they can earn contracts.
"It just saddens us," he said of the group, of which only five are willing to be identified publicly. "Insulted is a strong word as well. To me, when this first rule came I did feel insulted."
Japan rugby officials argue that the pool of Japan-born players is shrinking and that limiting foreign influence will help develop local talent. Lafaele said he supports that goal but doubts the new rules will achieve it. The dispute arrives as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pushes tougher policies on immigration, part of a wider national debate about foreigners in a country with a declining population.
Makino said he is hopeful the rules can be changed before the season opens, either through the courts or through negotiations. With the December deadline looming, the 24 players are waiting to learn whether Japan will still be their team.
Sources
- AP News: https://apnews.com/article/japan-rugby-eligibility-lafaele-2f6cea2859c45678902ac06a9639d243
