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Agence France-Presse

Japanese rugby pin-up Ayumu Goromaru, one of the stars of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, has added a new weapon to his already formidable arsenal after being made a certified “Master of Ninjas”.
The Japan Ninja Council said it awarded the fullback the honour on Wednesday because his kicking pose – hands clasped together with index fingers pointing skywards and knees bent – evoked images of the ancient stealth warriors.
The 29-year-old played a key role as Japan's Brave Blossoms upset the odds by posting three wins during England 2015, including a stunning 34-32 victory over two-time world champions South Africa in their opening game.
Goromaru’s talismanic kicking helped elevate him to hero status at home after further victories over Samoa and the United States, as Japan narrowly missed out on a place in the quarter-finals.
WATCH: Ayumu Goromaru unveils golden Christmas statue in Tokyo

“I’m glad to be awarded the title of ninja at a time when Japanese rugby players are earning attention from overseas,” said Goromaru, who will play for the Queensland Reds when the 2016 Super Rugby season begins in February.
“At the World Cup, we tried to give ourselves ninja bodies to take on the world,” he told NHK television. “I’d like to be able to transform my body so I can move like a ninja.”
Ninjas were covert agents in feudal Japan, skilled in espionage, sabotage, guerrilla warfare and assassination.
It is not the first honour for Goromaru since he rocketed to mega-stardom in Japan.
A life-size bronze statue of the player was unveiled in Tokyo last month as part of the city’s Christmas illuminations, while a baby giraffe at a zoo in Shizuoka prefecture was named after him.
His fans have also flocked to a three-metre (nine feet) Buddhist statue at a temple in Gifu Prefecture because its hand gesture is similar to that of their hero.


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Japan World Cup hero Ayumu Goromaru becomes a ‘ninja master’

Japanese fullback Ayumu Goromaru receives his “Master of Ninjas” award from a Japan Ninja Council official in Iwata, Shizuoka prefecture on Wednesday. Photo: AFP

Scrums of Japanese rugby fans make pilgrimage to see Buddha statue with the Ayumu Goromaru pose

Japan pivot Ayumu Goromaru strikes the pose he learned from England great Jonny Wilkinson as he prepares to kick a penalty during the Rugby World Cup. Photo: AFP

Visitor numbers have soared at the Seki-Zenkoji temple in Seki central Japan with rugby fans wanting to see a golden Buddha statue which shares a hand gesture with their beloved World Cup hero Ayumu Goromaru. Photo: AFP

Young supporters mimic Ayumu Goromaru’s goal-kicking pose. Photo: Kyodo

Sport

Rugby

Japanese rugby pin-up Ayumu Goromaru, one of the stars of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, has added a new weapon to his already formidable arsenal after being made a certified “Master of Ninjas”.


Rugby World Cup 2015