Opinion | With Ichiro Suzuki retiring, the stage is finally clear for rugby – and Japan – to step forward at the World Cup
- Retirement of national icon and baseball god Ichiro Suzuki has grabbed the headlines this week
- Eyes and ears of the country can now be firmly fixed on the upcoming Rugby World Cup in six months’ time
But another story of great significance arose this week that threatens to shake the country’s sport establishment to the core when Tsunekazu Takeda, the President of the Japanese Olympic Committee, announced he will resign amid allegations of corruption over Tokyo’s successful bid to host the 2020 Games.
With the Olympics less than 500 days away, organisers are hoping that the removal of Takeda will put the focus back on the games.
But good luck with that because while Japan is quite adept at protecting one of their powerful scions, Takeda is also under investigation for bribery in France where prosecutors will not be nearly as accommodating.
Lost in the shuffle of Ichiro and the Olympic scandal this week was the official six-month countdown to the Rugby World Cup (RWC), which kicks off on September 20 when hosts Japan play Russia at Tokyo Stadium.
