The 7 Steps October
1. CONTEXT
Mindmap
anything you
know about thetopic, including
vocabulary. Do
some research
online to help.

Rugby World Cup

Listening Questions 1
2. QUESTIONS

1. What are the two sporting events bigger than the Rugby World Cup?
.
2. How are the 20 teams split up for the 2019 Rugby World Cup?

Read the listening
questions tocheck yourunderstanding.
Look up any new
vocabulary.

.
3. How are the top 12 teams chosen for each World Cup?
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4. What was the controversy surrounding the 2019 Rugby World Cup?
.
5. Historically, what 4 teams dominate the Rugby World Cup?
.

3. LISTEN

Listening Questions 2
1. What number ranked sport is Rugby in terms of popularity in Japan?

Listen and answer
the questions
using fullsentences. Circle
the number oftimes and % you
understood.

.
2. When was Rugby introduced into Japan and who played it originally?

1

Listening 1
2 3 4

5%%%%

1

Listening 2
2 3 45%%%%%%.
3. What is the name of the stadium that honors a previous JRFU President?
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4. What level of Japanese Rugby has the biggest fanbase?
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5. What are two of the biggest university Rugby events in Japan?
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Discussion Questions
1. Are you interested in attending global sporting events in Japan?
2. What are the benefits and drawbacks of holding international
sporting events for a country?

4. CHECK ANSWERS

TRANSCRIPT 1
Boasted as the 3rd largest sporting event in the world next to the Olympics and FIFA World Cup,
the Rugby World Cup is the sport’s most challenging and prestigious event. Hosted once every
four years, the Rugby World Cup is comprised of 20 teams, split into 4 pools of 5 teams, with atotal of 48 matches being played overall. The top two teams automatically qualify for the nextstage of the tournament and a shot to win the number 1 crown in international rugby.

Read through thetranscript andunderline theanswers. Checkthem against yourown answers.

The road to the Rugby World Cup is not the same for all teams. 12 teams are automaticallyqualified due to their past world cup performances; however, the remaining 8 spots are decided
from a total of 80 other nations. Those 80 teams have to go through a complicated series ofregional play-off games and tournaments to get a chance to participate in the World Cup.

5. CHECK VOCABULARY
Read thetranscript andcircle any new
vocabulary youfind. Look themup and add themto your list.

The 2019 Rugby World Cup has already encountered some controversy as Romania, who had
qualified for the tournament, were found to have fielded ineligible players. This led to their
expulsion from the tournament and Russia taking their place. History has shown that the sport
is dominated by only a few teams. New Zealand, England, South Africa and Australia are theonly teams who have won the tournament.

Ineligible

ChampionBear

BoastExpulsion

Fill-in the blanks with the appropriate word / phrase above:

1. She was a shy, intelligent lady who never _______________ about her great
achievements.
2. Due to his low salary, he was _______________ for a bank loan.
3. The scandal involving the CEO and CFO’s unpaid taxes resulted in their_______________ from the company.
4. Last year, the Mayor _______________ for free education for all children.
5. People who have done remarkable things often have roads, buildings andstadiums that _______________ their name.

6. READ ALOUD

Read thetranscript aloudat least 5 times,
focusing on
intonation andpronunciation.

TRANSCRIPT 211223344

55

Rugby was born at Rugby School in Rugby, Warwickshire, England and was first introduced into
Japan in the late 1860s as a game mainly played by servicemen. Professor Edward Bramwell
Clark and Ginnosuke Tanaka, both Cambridge University graduates and lecturers at Keio
University, introduced the game to their students in 1899; however, it took until the 1920s before
the game’s popularity grew. Prince Chichibu, named the ‘Sporting Prince,’ championed the riseof the sport as the president of the JRFU, and to this day the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium inTokyo bears his name.

7. SHADOWING
Say the transcript
aloud at the sametime as the audio
without reading
it. Circle how
many times
below.

1
1

2
2

3
3

4
4

Japan is home to the 4th largest Rugby Union population in the world, with 3,631 official teams
and over 125,000 registered players. Despite the game being played in Japan for over ahundred years, it is still considered a minor sport and is ranked the 5th most popular team sport.

55Created in 2002, Japan’s professional league, ‘Top League,’ is dominated by company
sponsored teams; however, the popularity and fanbase remains at university level. The annual
game between Keio and Waseda Universities draw crowds of over 40,000 people, and the AllJapan University Rugby Championships has over 800 teams competing for the top prize. With
the rise of the Sunwolves professional team and Japan’s hosting of the 2019 World Cup, Rugby
Union in Japan looks set to continue its evolution.