For The Next Generation

SANIX INCORPORATED.

2-1-23 Hakataeki Higashi Hakata-ku,Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka-ken
812-0013 Japan（81）92-4368870

SANIX SPORTS FOUNDATION

46-1 Yoshidome,Munakata-shi, Fukuoka-ken
811-4153 Japan（81）940-332299

Global Arena Inc.

46-1 Yoshidome,Munakata-shi, Fukuoka-ken（81）940-338400

2019.9SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT was

SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT
Commemorative Book

inaugurated in 2000, and this year, thanks to yoursupport, it celebrated its 20th anniversary.
We sincerely hope it will continue to nurture the dreamsof the next generation youngsters, and promote international understanding between its participants.
This book has been published to showcase our passion anddevotion toward this event.
Enjoy it as you look back over the history of the tournament, and think ahead of its future.

Contents
A Look Back over the 20 years

04

Greetings

06

Digest of the Tournament 201908

To The SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT

12

Past Results

22

Past participating teams

27

Bagpipe bands from Scotland

32

Participating players

34

of SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT
who have become national representatives

2

Overseas referees invited to the tournament

37

Afterword

38

Corporate Activities of SANIX

40
3

Look Back over the 20 years of

On June 24, 2015, SANIX Inc. became a consortium member of SFT (Sport for
Tomorrow), and the tournament was approved as an SFI activity.

SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT

13,000
Number of Participating Countries / Areas: 20

What is SPORT FOR TOMORROW (SFT)?
SPORT FOR TOMORROW is an international contribution through sport
initiative led by the Japanese government, which promotes sport to more than
10 million people in over 100 nations until 2020, the year when Tokyo will hostthe Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.It aims to deliver values of sportand promote the Olympic and Paralympic movement to people of all generations worldwide.

Cumulative Total of Participants: Approximately※Participating teams for each tournament are listed from page 24 onwards.
Results for each tournament are shown on page 19 onwards.

2013~
Girlsʼ Sevens Tournamentcommenced
The ﬁrst tournament was held as exhibition matches by domestic U-18 teams.
Overseas teams have joined the eventfrom the following year.

2000 The 1st Tournament※Global Arena
A large scale sports and culture complex
made by the late Shinichi Munemasa, thefounder of SANIX Inc. The construction fee
was paid from the founderʼs proﬁt which
had occurred at the time of SANIXʼs IPO. It
provides various services to various groups, 500 people
from hosting international sporting events
to arranging orientations for schools and2000
other organizations. It is also a popular
landmark among the locals.
（1st）

9,320

1,700

2,700
500

500

7,530
（Total）

2004
（5th）

2005
（6th）

2006
（7th）

2007
（8th）

2008
（9th）

B

B

B

B

700

2003
（4th）

B

B

Number of participants
exceeded 10,000.

650

2018~ Tournament joins i-PLAY
TRUE Relay project
Collaborating with Japan Anti-Doping
Agency, we address the participants
to think about the “Value of Sports”.

The Great Eastern
Earthquake hit Japanin March; as a result, 4teams declined theoﬀer to participate.

500

2002
（3rd）

800

8,350
170
650

500

500

2001
（2nd）

13,000170
700

12,130170
700

11,260170
800

10,290
170
800

600

4,700
500

4,200
500

3,700
500

3,200
2,200

1,200

6,300
500

5,800
5,300

6,800
500

Players from various teams, who had
less chance of competing in the main
tournament, joined together for an
exhibition match.

170

80

The ﬁrst tournament was held simultaneously with SANIX World Rugby Classic
Fukuoka (which had been held since1997), to celebrate Global Arenaʼs grandopening in April of the same year.

2018~ Exhibition match by mixed teams

2016~ Tournamant approved as an SFT Activity

2009（10th）

2010（11th）

2011（12th）

2012（13th）

2013（14th）

2014（15th）

2015（16th）

2016（17th）

2017（18th）

2018（19th）

2019（20th）

B

B

B

B

B

B

B

Australia
CanadaChina

Participating areas and countries for each tournament

EnglandFiji
FranceHong Kong
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Korea
New ZealandRussiaSamoa
Scotland

B

B

B

B

B

B

B

South Africa
TaiwanTonga
Uruguay
Wales※Scottish ﬂag with a “B”

4

B

indicates the participation of a bag pipe band.

5

Greetings

President

SANIX INCORPORATED
Representative Director

SANIX SPORTS FOUNDATION

Former Managing Director

Hiroshi Munemasa

In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT, I
would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone concerned, including all those who havebeen visiting us to enjoy the event.
20 years ago, Shinichi Munemasa, the former president of SANIX Inc., established Global Arena
to “create a gathering place for children across the globe, where they can interact through sports
and culture”. The very ﬁrst tournament was held to honor the grand opening of the facility. Since
then, 13,000 people have participated in this event. Players from past tournaments are actively
taking part in various top leagues around the world. This is the legacy of our tournament, inwhich I take much pride.
One of the domestic teams in the main tournament is selected through a preliminary round. Thisis played by teams who could not participate in the All Japan HS Championships held at Hanazono Rugby Stadium, a mecca for high school players. As I watch the winning team rejoice at gaining a chance to play in SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT, I am moved by the factthat the event has become a dream-come-true stage for young rugby players.
During the tournament, players spend their time together at Global Arena. As much as they havethe chance to experience world class rugby, they have the opportunity to communicate with one
another oﬀ the ﬁeld, to get to know and understand diﬀerent cultures. I have come across scenes
where overseas players, having been inspired by their Japanese counterpartsʼ politeness, started
adopting the Japanese style of lining up, saying greetings and bowing. On another occasion, I
witnessed a huge chorus of “We are the World” as numerous teams joined in to sing it together.
These touching episodes convince me that this tournament is an event which would lead toworld peace.
Here is a meeting place for international people who have mutual respect for one another.
At the time of the ﬁrst tournament, not many could have imagined this, but I believe this is what
Shinichi Munemasa had really hoped for.
I am more than glad if this tournament is of any assistance in providing young players withdreams and hopes for the future, as well as chances to view the wide world. I would like more
people to interact through rugby, and to come to the tournament to watch exciting matches. My
staﬀ and I shall make every eﬀort in continuing this event for many years to come. We humbly
ask all those concerned to support us, as you have done in previous years.

6

SANIX SPORTS FOUNDATION

Tokio Inoue

It all started in 1997, when “SANIX World Rugby Classic Fukuoka” was held for the ﬁrst time in Fukuoka city, inviting former national representative players from around the globe.
At the time, a plan to build the athletic complex “Global Arena” was under way, and the late Shinichi
Munemasa, the former President of SANIX Inc., was thinking of establishing an event which would
celebrate its grand opening. He was also determined to set up an international tournament for highschool rugby players which would lead to the development of rugby scene worldwide.
So it was decided that in 2000, with the completion of Global Arena, both the Classic Tournamentand SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT would be convened. The Classic Tournament
ended its history that year, following its second meeting in 1998.
Establishing our rugby tournament was a challenge; we were complete beginners in the ﬁeld, andwere short of time for a good plan. We also had disagreement with the local rugby union on how tomanage the event. As a result, the ﬁrst tournament was like a set of friendly matches between international teams. In nominating domestic teams, we had the support of Mr. Tanizaki, the then headcoach of Higashi Fukuoka HS Rugby Club, while for overseas teams, we were helped by the international players of SANIX rugby team, as well as those that we had contact with during the Classic
Tournaments.
There were only few tournament oﬃcials, and as for medical support, we could only invite Dr. Shinbara, a councilor for SANIX Sports Foundation. From the second tournament onward, we were able
to develop a deeper communication with both the regional and national rugby unions. Also, with theproposal from Dr. Shinbara, doctors involved in rugby came to support the event. Today, Japan
Rugby Football Union is one of the tournament organizers, and the event is backed by numerous
doctors and medical staﬀ, allowing each game to be supervised by one “match doctor”,
The ﬁrst few tournaments were truly “invitational”; the participating teams did not have to pay theirtravel or accommodation fees. Now the teams are willing to pay their travel expenses to play in thetournament. We have also started inviting oﬃcials from international rugby unions, whom we thoroughly rely on when selecting overseas teams. In the domestic scene, the then chairman of Kyushu
RFU, Mr. Hanada, was generous enough to talk to Mr. Maeda, the then chief of the rugby division in
All Japan High School Athletic Federation. This meeting led to the tournament being oﬃcially supported by the federation.
The Youth Tournament was gradually recognized by the rugby community worldwide. In 2006,
SANIX Sports Foundation received a plate of gratitude from the JRFU. .Also, in 2013, the Union presented its Distinguished Service Award to the late Mr. Munemasa. Furthermore, the tournament was
one of the ﬁnal nominees for the 2017 Rhino Grass Roots Rugby Award.
As I look back over the 20 years, I recall how hard it was to start this tournament. At its establishment, we aimed at improving the level of rugby and to further develop the rugby football society.
We were also committed to nurture youths with sound bodies and minds. These ideas became
widely known among the participants, and I believe this yearly event is now a stunning, once-in-alifetime experience for the players, spectators and for everyone involved.
I sincerely hope SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT will continue to prosper in the years
to come.

7

Digest of the Tournament 2019
Photo/MasafumiONO（Except those with *）Opening Ceremony＊

Welcome Party＊

As one team was singing “We are the World”, players from other countries joined thechorus. The hall was ﬁlled with laughter and harmony. Yes, we ARE the world!

＊
Shigetaka Mori
Hiroshi Munemasa
then Vice-President
President
Japan Rugby Football Union SANIX INCORPORATED

Hiroshi Ogawa
Governor
Fukuoka Prefecture”There are only few tournaments which run opening
ceremonies. It makes us feel very much motivated.”（Manager, Japanese girlsʼ team）“The welcome party was the highlight of the trip. There seemed to be areally fun vibe that resonated throughout all the teams. It was a highlightfor me because it really ampliﬁed the large scale of the teams. It was
really fun getting involved, and our performance is something I（and Iʼmsure the boys also）will never forget.”（Captain, Overseas boysʼ team）“We didnʼt need words; we became friends throughmusic and performance.”（Captain, Japanese boysʼ team）

An event oﬃcially approved as a SPORT FOR TOMORROW activity
In 2019, the tournament joined the “i-PLAY TRUE Relay” project organized by Japan Anti-Doping Agency. As a legacy project for the Tokyo 2020
Games, it aims for the athletes to embrace the values of sports, and to widen their views which would lead to their ways of thinking and living.

Opening Game＊＊
National anthems of the two teams were played before the opening match.
Exeter College (England) v. Osaka Toin High School＊＊＊

What have youlearned from playing
rugby? Athletes consider the meaning ofsports and write their
TRUTH messages.

＊＊

Each athlete gives a big smile and a “ﬁlter pose”, symbolizing the truth within oneself.
※For more information on SPORT FOR TOMORROW, refer to page 5.

89Digest of the Tournament 2019
Photo/MasafumiONO（Except those with *）Boys Tournament“By playing against overseas teams, I realized that half-hearted
and weak tackles wonʼt work for foreign athletes.
They have such strong physiques.”（Captain, Japanese girlsʼ team）“Very good level. It was a pleasure to play against
such teams. Weʼve got great experience.”（Captain, Overseas boysʼ team）“The most impressive thing about playing against
overseas teams was the size of the players. Itʼs notwhat we can experience with the domestic players,
so it was a good experience for us.”（Captain, Japanese boysʼ team）

Girls Sevens Tournament“The overseas players came to say ʻHelloʼ tous before the opening ceremony. They wereso nice. We enjoyed hanging out together
and became good friends.”（Captain, Japanese girlsʼ team）
The New Zealand team performed Haka
after the prize-awarding ceremony.

Exhibition Match

Communication and interaction oﬀ the pitch

Players with less chance of competing in the main
tournament get together to form two mixed teams.
These teams play against each other in the exhibition match. It is a valuable game which can only be
experienced here. The exhibition match has been
established to allow as many players as possible toget involved in this international event.

Both the tournament venue and the accommodation facilities are located in Global Arena. The players spend time
together on and oﬀ the pitch, and get to understand eachotherʼs culture through communication. This is the fascinating feature of the tournament.

“There was a real buzz in our team whilst the exhibition game was being played. It was really cool towatch “one of our own” participate in an international mixed game.”（Captain, Overseas boysʼ team）“There were numerous occasions
that led to us socializing with theother countries. For instance, inthe evenings where we would allcongregate in the main reception and café lounge. This was
not only a socializing setting, but
a kit swapping event too which
was really cool.”（Captain, Overseas boysʼ team）

On rest days, overseas teams visit places of cultural interest or meet withlocal students for intercultural activities.
Experiencing
Japanese Tea
Ceremony

Kokura Castle＊＊＊
Meetup with students from
Munakata city, Fukuoka＊

Coach Exchange Meeting
We ask the multinational coaches to interact with each other. We share information and learn together.

＊
10

＊
11

To The SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT

In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of
SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT

In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT
Honarary President

Japan Rugby Football Union
Former Honorary President
Japan Rugby Football Union

Yoshiro Mori
For the past 20 years, the people at SANIX Inc., as well as manyothers involved in this outstanding tournament, have invited highschool rugby players from all over the world to Global Arena; aunique facility created by the late former president of SANIX Inc.,
Mr. Shinichi Munemasa. They have been working selﬂessly toorganize the event from its very beginning. I would like to express
my deepest gratitude to these people for their amazing contributions.
As the president of JRFU from 2006 to 2015, I had the privilegeof visiting Global Arena to watch exciting matches. For many Japanese players, this tournament is the very ﬁrst opportunity to face
opponents at an international level. It is a chance for them tocompete against their overseas counterparts, to get to know their power and skills. Other than attending
the games, I was given occasion to become acquainted with guests from around the world. It is not an
overstatement to say that this tournament is a Japanese epicenter in promoting the globalization of rugby.
More than 20 years ago, the founder of this tournament, the late Mr. Munemasa, told me of his noble passion to “design a place where youths from across the globe can interact with each other, regardless of
their languages and nationalities”. His words truly struck my heart; it was a vision to further enhance theglobal advancement of rugby, to make the sport widespread in both domestic and international ﬁelds. In
2013, as the president of JRFU, I was very much honored to present him in person the Distinguished Service Award, in recognition of his achievements.
I am very grateful that Shinichiʼ s successor, Mr. Hiroshi Munemasa, as the president of SANIX Inc., is honoring his fatherʼ s will to continue the tournament. This year, our country is welcoming Rugby World Cup
2019, and is to host many visitors from across the globe. I sincerely hope this once-in-a-lifetime event will
be a milestone in fostering international youth exchange and understanding through the game of rugby.

Scenes from previous tournaments

2008 (7th tournament)

122014 (13th tournament)2015 (14th tournament)

Tadashi Okamura

SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. This
success would not have been achieved without the understandings and eﬀorts of everyone involvedin this wonderful event, especially of the people at SANIX Inc., SANIX Sports Foundation and Global
ArenaLtd. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of them.
Each year, young rugby players from across the globe gather together at Global Arena to compete in this tournament. It is atruly valuable experience for the participants, and is a world class event of an exceptionally high quality, which the Japaneserugby society is very much proud of.
The tournament aims to spread the game of rugby within Japan, and raise the levels of players and teams in the domesticﬁeld. Moreover, it seeks to develop international exchange and understanding between its members. The tournament honors
the core values of rugby; integrity, passion, solidarity, discipline and respect. Based on these principles, it provides all players,
coaches and staﬀ a valuable opportunity to meet their counterparts from diﬀerent cultures, and to nurture life-long memories and friendships.
I sincerely hope that players involved in this tournament will make their way to become representatives of their countries, toplay vigorously in international competitions. Furthermore, I pray this tournament will always be a ﬂourishing environment
for young Japanese players, who will one day evolve into world class athletes, to lead our future rugby society.

President

Japan Rugby Football Union

Shigetaka Mori

On behalf of Japan Rugby Football Union, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations on
the 20th anniversary of SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT. As the saying goes,
persistence has paid oﬀ, and the tournament has ﬂourished over the last 20 years. I am deeply thankful tothe staﬀ at SANIX who have been continuously providing behind-the-scenes support to run the event. Their motivation mustsurely derive from the selﬂess devotion of late Mr. Shinichi Munemasa, the founder of SANIX Inc., who more than two
decades ago, came up with the wonderful idea of establishing a rugby tournament for youths around the globe. His passion
has been passed on to his successor, Mr. Hiroshi Munemasa, as well as to all those who have contributed to the tournament,
and I would like to express my sincere gratitude for their commitment.
This year, the whole of Japan is excited to host the Rugby World Cup, to be held for the ﬁrst time in an Asian country. In
recent years, Japanese players who had participated in SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT are meeting theiroverseas counterparts once again in major sporting events, such as the World Cup and the Olympic Games. It is true this is
the result of the improvement in the level of rugby and its surrounding environment within the domestic ﬁeld. However, I
also think that our players have become more acquainted with international settings, thanks to this tournament. The factthat they once played on the same ﬁeld with so many world-class international athletes, and spent time together at Global
Arena, makes them strong and secure in any environment. The purpose of this tournament is “to realize a global high school
sporting event where participants interact with one another and cultivate friendship through the game of rugby”. From thesewords, I cannot help but recognize how much this event has contributed to the rugby scene in Japan.
One of the best features of rugby is the “bond between team mates”. It is a bond that aims for the same goal, which helps aplayer overcome diﬃculties that cannot be tackled on oneʼs own. It assists a player in climbing over any tough or high walls.
As the players overcome the hardships together, they develop conﬁdence, leading them to become strong individuals. As
they step into the wide world, these players are sure to be relied upon by the society.
Also, rugby, as well as any other sports, is something to enjoy. Having fun should not be the sole purpose of playing the
game; nevertheless, I believe there must be a sense of joy at the bottom of each playerʼs heart when standing on the pitch.
The importance of the bond and the enjoyment of playing rugby are the two main themes which SANIX WORLD RUGBYYOUTH TOURNAMENT has been promoting globally, especially towards the young generation, through its 20 yearsʼ history.
As I think about this, I realize the value of this event, of its beginning and of each step that it has made.
I would like to conclude by wishing for the continued success of the tournament, that it be convened continually for the
young players of the future.

13

To The SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENTIntercultural Experiences
to be treasured for Lifetime
President

New Zealand Schools Rugby Union

Chairman

Jim LonerganFirstly my thanks for an outstanding week and a half in Japan. It was truly an amazing experience. Thank you both for your outstanding hospitality, at the venue and at the various dinners
and functions you organised for all of us. It is something I will never forget.
While I had heard many great stories about the SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT,the stories could not do justice to what is an experience of a life time.
The Global Arena complex is an amazing complex; excellent facilitates, stadium, ﬁelds, gymnasium, bathhouse and accommodation, which are all ﬁrst class. The village atmosphere with the
shops and the green add to the many other excellent features.
The organisation was also outstanding, from being met at the airport on arrival I always felt
someone was there to answer any questions and provide assistance for anything I required.
The games were of an excellent standard with great performances by both the Japanese and theInternational sides. The tournament gave all teams an opportunity of playing against a variety ofdiﬀerent countries of varying ability. In the second half of the tournament teams played against
teams of similar strength.
The initial welcoming function was a great way of meeting the oﬃcials and management fromthe other countries and experiencing the outstanding hospitality from the SANIX staﬀ which continued until we left.
The opening ceremony was better than any other Youth Sports Opening ceremony across theglobe. Having the George Watson's College Pipe Band perform added to the excellent pageantry.
The welcome party saw a wonderful mix of diﬀerent performances, highlighted by the hundredsof players spontaneously coming together to sing we are the world.
New Zealand Schools' Rugby Union see the SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT as the
only true international schools rugby tournament. It is the only international tournament that it
will endorse.NZ Schools' Rugby Union always send our previous year's national champions tothis event. To represent NZ at SANIX is the prize for winning our National Schools 1st XV competition for our boy's team and is also the prize for the girl's team that wins our National Girls
7's competition.
Both Howick College Girls Sevens team and St Peters Boys 1st XV gave their all on the ﬁeld andthoroughly enjoyed the games. However it is the friends they made and the diﬀerent cultures
they shared and experienced that will remain with them for their lifetime. Through this wonderful SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT it has been truly proven, rugby does makebetter people.

14

Aspirational Goal
for School Rugby Teams in New Zealand
New Zealand Schools Rugby Union

Garry Chronican

Congratulations to the SANIX Sports Foundation on the 20th anniversary of the SANIX WORLDRUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT. This tournament has become a key ﬁxture in our rugby calendar. We have always deeply appreciated the invitations for boys 1st XVs and girls 7s team toattend. It has become an aspirational goal for our teams to win the respective national New Zealand championships in order that we select them as the team to represent New Zealand at yourwonderful tournament.
The standard of competition at the Global Arena is excellent year after year. However, it is thecultural experience in Japan that teams most enjoy and embrace. Year after year teams continue
to be humbled by the generosity of Japanese people. It is an added bonus that teams from somany overseas countries attend, each bringing a willingness to share their culture. New Zealand
Schools Rugby has the highest regard for your tournament and look forward to the next 20
years of success.
We had a NZ Schools Board meeting where we talked about the meaning and inﬂuence of yourtournament in our country. Here are some responses.
- The SANIX Tournament has become an aspirational goal for both boys and girls teams in NZ.
- Teams want to win our national championships because they want to attend the SANIX Tournament.
- The SANIX Tournament has become a key ﬁxture in our NZ Schools Rugby calendar.
- Teams that attend your tournament feel like they are representing New Zealand.
- Players and coaches deeply appreciate learning about and experiencing the Japanese culture.
- All players and coaches deeply respect Japanese culture and generosity.
- All players and coaches enjoy meeting people from many cultures around the world.
- All players and coaches are humbled by the generosity of Japanese people.
We will continue to support the Sanix Tournament in every way possible.
Thank you again.

15

To The SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT

Rugby Connects the WorldIn Honor of its 20 years AnniversaryCompetitions and Tours Specialist

South Africa Rugby Football Union

Yusuf Jackson

The SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT is deﬁnitely in my opinion one of the mosteagerly anticipated rugby tournaments on the world stage annually. The organizers of this wonderful tournament has created a great platform and opportunity where the some of the world's
top/ best U18 teams competes against each other during an event which oﬀers so much morethan the rugby.
From a rugby playing perspective, our South African representative school that participated inmatches against a New Zealand, Australian, England, Russian and two Japanese schools. Nowhere in the word currently is there a tournament where a school could receive and gain such
wonderful international exposure. Our team has the opportunity to test their skill and gameplans during six unique and diﬀerent matches. That resulted in our school's coaching team being
stimulated and further developed, but also the players having the chance of playing against different players in six matches.
From a tournament perspective, the SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT is wonderful
for me, as it is in my opinion an event where the rugby world comes together. It is wonderful andbeautiful to see the unity between the diﬀerent international representatives. I had numerous
discussions with various representatives from the other countries as well as Japanese stakeholders about how we could further enhance the state of rugby in our own countries but also further
enhance the levels of rugby at the tournament.
The media interest from local Japanese media who interviewed me during the tournament thisyear also suggests that Japan media and followers loves learning and hearing about the way
South Africans do rugby. It was a pleasure to share this information with Japanese media and I
hope the Japanese readers enjoyed what I had to say about the linkages between South Africanand Japan Rugby. I will most certainly again share how we do rugby in South African with theJapanese stakeholders during future deliberations. I have also had meetings with representatives
from the local area who want our visiting schools teams to visit their regions in the future. Thiswe will deﬁnitely explore.
The Japanese culture is a wonderful culture, and I thoroughly enjoy every bit of it! I would love
more people to experience it and therefore in South Africa, I constantly promote the SANIXWORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT. I am managed with the assistance of our structures tonominate and select our best team in South African to participate in this prestigious tournament
and the result of this I believe was wonderful for everyone to witness great rugby. I will continue
to promote this tournament and will again strongly advocate that our strongest South African
team attends next year's tournament.
It is a wonderful tournament, and I look forward, to once again be involved and be invited toattend the SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT2020 in Japan.

Former National Player of South Africa

Divan Serfontein

Again thank you for having us at the SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT 2019. As
always it was run professionally and enjoyed by all.
Far be it for me to criticize anything, but being part of this Tournament for 20 years, I have seen
and experienced a few things, which I have also discussed with the late Mr. Shinichi Munemasa.
First of all I believe that the future of rugby is displayed prominently by the enthusiasm, friendship and camaraderie seen and heard by all at the welcoming dinner where all the participantsjoined and sang on stage in the Gymnasium.
It is fantastic! Organising such a huge event must be daunting, but yet again everything ran likeclockwork. Well done!
I believe this Tournament is the elite schools rugby tournament and therefore only the top
teams from invited countries should participate ‒ not only to raise and keep the standard of
rugby high, but also to raise Japanese school rugby, which is very good at present. We always
try to bring 1 of our top 5 teams to participate, because
one needs to respect the invitation and history of thisTournament.
Hopefully we can manage to get the top Japanese schoolteam to come to South Africa. People would love to seethem play. The Paul Roos coach told me they learned alot from the Japanese teams. I also discussed this with
Yusuf and he says SARU can assist.
Thank you for another fantastic event enjoyed by all.
At the 2015 tournamentInterview videos of participating players/ coaches Part1
Munakata SANIX Blues team members interviewed players and coaches at the 20th tournament.
They talked about their impressions of the tournament, their interactions with players from otherparts of the world, and of their passion for rugby.Watch the videos and experience the event!

https://sanix.jp/company/wry20.php

Ryutsu Keizai University Kashiwa
High School（Chiba, Japan）

Osaka Toin High School（Osaka, Japan）

Kyoto Seisho High School（Kyoto, Japan）

Part 2 is shown on page 20. Both Part 1 and 2 can be viewed from the following site: https://sanix.jp/company/wry20.php
1617

To The SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT

Commitment to Wider Promote the Event

Life-fulﬁlling Experiences for All Our Lads

Honorary Secretary & Treasurer

The England Rugby Football Schools Union

Mark Lowe
Exeter College（England）

Thank you for the very generous hospitality provided to myself at this yearʼs SANIX WORLDRUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT.
I was again impressed with the skill levels demonstrated by the home teams, I think that Exeter
College suﬀered from such a large defeat and struggled to regain their conﬁdence in the second
half of the tournament. The team from Paul Roos Gymnasium looked good from the start andwere worthy winners.
I will continue to do all that I can to promote the SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT
not only here in England, but in the larger arena.

Once-in-a-lifetime Occasions,
On and Oﬀ the Field

Coaching Staﬀ
I wished to write on behalf of Exeter College and the England Schools and Colleges RFU organisations to say a huge thank you all of those who organised once again an absolutely fantastic
tournament.
The entire playing squad and staﬀ from Exeter College thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful hospitality throughout the tournament and undoubtedly all of our lads have returned enriched by theunbelievable experiences they had throughout this tournament.
They feel privileged to have visited Nagasaki and taken part in the Hakata Dontaku festival
parade in Fukuoka. These experiences enabled the boys to really look at the cultural elements ofJapan during their visit while challenging themselves against the top U18 teams from Japan andaround the world.
Since returning the parents have been contacting us expressing their gratitude and sharing withus how much their sonʼs enjoyed every minute of the tour and how much they have taken on
board form the many experiences oﬀered to them.
We hope that Japan thoroughly enjoy the World Cup and we have no doubt it is going to be ahuge success.
On behalf of us all, thank you and we very much look forward to having a further opportunity inthe future to join you at the Global Arena.

Former-administrator

Australian Rugby Football Schools Union

Bernard Carberry

I have taken Australian Schools teams to the UK, Ireland and France as well as New Zealand.
The SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT is an extraordinary experience. It is a wonderful cultural and sporting experience for everyone who has attended.
I have been privileged to attend as an oﬃcial for seventeen of these tournaments. I have mademany friends in Japan and I consider Global Arena as my “second home”.
All our players who have been to SANIX during Golden Week for this world acclaimed tournament have gone as representatives of their country as well as their school. That is how they aretreated when attending. They have had the opportunity to mix with many players from many
countries both on and oﬀ the ﬁeld.
It is an experience that they never forget. In particular the dignity of the Japanese players is anever forgotten experience by our Australian players.
The late Mr. Shinichi Munemasa has made a monumental contribution to the development of thegame when through his inspiration he started this tournament in 2000.
It will continue for many more years. There have been amazing innovations each year to make itbetter each year.

Interview videos of participating players/ coaches Part2
Part 1 is shown on page 17. Both Part 1 and 2 can be viewed from the following site:

https://sanix.jp/company/wry20.php

Hartputy College（England）Coaches

Exeter College（England）
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Hartpury College（England）

Waverley College（Australia）
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To The SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENTWorld-class Extravaganza
for High School Rugby Players
High Performance Manager

Rugby Union of Russia

Dmitry Aﬁnogenov

On behalf of Russian rugby Teams which have participated in fantastic event of SANIX WORLDRUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT for the last 6 years I would like to commend SANIX SPORTS
FOUNDATION for the top level preparation and organization of this competition which is getting
better and better every year.
Attitude to your tournament is very positive, we consider that it is one of the most challenging
international tournaments among juniors in the world. You can say with conﬁdence that yourtournament bears similarities with the Champions League. Very strong teams take part in it.
Teams participants are highly skilled, which gives any participant a considerable experience andthe opportunity to test their strength with powerful opponents.
The tournament has an outstanding organization, it is remarkable to see the tremulous attentionof organizers and assistants to the problems of the teams during the tournament, the presence ofhigh-ranking oﬃcials and representatives of rugby federations that gives a special status andcolouring to this tournament.
We wish to address our special words of gratitude to the late Mr.Shinichi Munemasa who decided to organize these tournaments over 20 years ago. Such a formidable undertaking allows
young rugby players from all over the world to meet Japanese peers not only in the playing ﬁeld
but also in real life conditions, which provides participants with an opportunity to learn more
about culture of foreign countries and continents.
Every year our boys and girls look forward to the invitation for the tournament to gain life andathletic experience at Global Arena.
Four rugby players who participated in the tournament are already became part of the Russian
National Rugby Team. Two of them are getting ready to participate in Rugby World Cup 2019.
We wish further prosperity and success to the tournament.

Amazing Eventto meet Global Rugby,Global Friends
Panasonic Wild Knights
National Player of Japan

Shunsuke Nunomaki

As a high school student, this tournament was an event that I was truly looking forward to. The
matches were of high level, and I remember feeling very excited as I competed against overseas
teams for the ﬁrst time in my life. I also loved the vibe of the event created by all participants. We
slept together, ate together, spent time together, twenty-four seven. We talked about each other as welay on the lawn, took lots of photos and made numerous friends from in and out of the country. And,
there was the performance competition! Or was it called Welcome Party? I loved it! I had so muchfun. We all became good friends after the party, regardless of our nationalities.
My team was the runner-up in 2009, but at that time, I strongly believed that we would never lose
against any team. We were always aware of becoming the worldʼs number one.
Yet, in the ﬁnal, France came from behind to beat us. I was so devastated. The 2009 tournament
made me realize the eﬀectiveness of diﬀerent playing styles. What I learned then has been supporting me in the rugby career that followed. Without the defeat of 2009, I would not have gone abroad
as a student to experience international rugby; in fact, I would not have become the player that I amnow. This tournament is just amazing; no exaggeration. I wish I could take part in it again.
As a national and Top League player, I have experienced various training camps where we all struggle together all day to endure the hardship. This tournament is diﬀerent; once oﬀ the ﬁeld, we canspend time as we do at home. We can look back over the matches with our opposing teams and learn
from these talks. These interactions created a real sense of camaraderie among us. In recent international matches, I have met players who had previously taken part in SANIX tournament. “Hey, itʼs you
again!” We talk as if we are high school boys.
The list of previous participants include so many well-known names. Great players like Timothy Lafaele, Jack Nowell, Colin Slade, Tim Bateman, JP Pietersen, Owen Franks and Matt Todd have all taken
part in the event. How many All Blacks? Isnʼt this amazing? I feel so honored to have played in thesame tournament as these extraordinary players; it will always be my pride.
I sincerely hope this event will continue for many years to come. It would be nice if our kidsʼ generation will get the chance to play in the tournament. For some families, this event can be an occasion
where both father/ mother and son/ daughter have participated. It should be fun to meet the overseas players once again, this time as parents.
The exhibition match, which started last year, is a wonderful project. Players selected from both theinternational and domestic teams are put into two groups tocompete against each other. Itʼs like a competition by selected
youth players from around the world. This is something whichcannot be achieved anywhere else. Through this match, coaches
from diﬀerent teams can exchange opinions and interact with
one another. I believe this is very important. Also, it is a rareopportunity for high school rugby players to receive advice fromvarious perspectives. Iʼm sure new star players will emerge fromthese exhibition matches. SANIX WORLD RUGBY YOUTH TOURNAMENT is an essential event for all rugby players. Isnʼt it great The above photo shows Shunsuke Nunomaki playing for Higashi Fukuoka Highthat my home town hosts this outstanding event?
School. He participated in the tournament
three years in a row, from 2008 to 2010.

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