About Osaka

ABOUT THE TEAMS

- Hanazono Kintetsu Liners...Founded around the same time as the completion of Hanazono Rugby Stadium in 1926, this team has a long history, having won the national championship eight times.

・NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes Osaka...A new and dynamic rugby team founded in 1993. Their challenging spirit is creating a red whirlwind.

Osaka is one of Japan's leading rugby cities, and is also characterized by the overwhelming number of rugby players among junior and senior high school students.

DID YOU KNOW?

Rugby is played with 15 players on each team, for a total of 80 minutes, with two halves of 40 minutes each. The basic strategy of rugby is for the player with the ball to lead the charge into the opponent's territory and advance towards the scoring area (in-goal) at the very back.
The highlights of the match are the fierce tackles and the eight-on-eight scrums.
The most exciting part of the game is scoring a try, where five points are awarded if the ball crosses the goal line into the opponent's territory and hits the ground.

Experience the thrilling matches up close!

You can watch rugby matches up close. You can hear the sounds of players colliding with each other and the sounds of catching the rugby ball released at high speed, which makes cheering even more exciting. Enjoy the sense of unity and excitement that can only be experienced by watching a sport up close.

Interact with the players!

At the stadium, you can not only watch the game, but also have many opportunities to interact with the players, who are still in high spirits. One of the attractions is the ability to talk to them, take photos, and interact with them casually.
Telling the players your thoughts on today's game might even motivate them!

Osaka Rugby Culture

Osaka Hanazono Rugby Stadium, which completed renovations in September 2018, is known as the holy land of rugby. It opened in 1929 as Japan's first stadium dedicated to rugby.
It is a popular rugby spot that has also been selected as a venue for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Did you know? Rugby Museum

The newly renovated Hanazono Rugby Stadium Museum is the only rugby museum in Japan that displays the history of Hanazono Rugby Stadium and jerseys and balls that have been used in the past. For beginners, there is also a corner where you can experience rugby in VR.