The 2019 Rugby World Cup was held in Asia for the first time. Japan's representative, the Brave Blossoms, made it to the quarterfinals for the first time, and the high level of hospitality of the Japanese people was also praised, making the tournament a great success.
The All Blacks, who were aiming for a third consecutive victory, missed out on the championship and came in third. To be honest, it was a disappointing result for the All Blacks, who are expected to win. NZ was also in a sad mood after their loss in the semi-finals, and was said to have been in "mourning."
nevertheless···
"It feels better to finish with a win in the third-place match than to finish with a loss in the final!"
"We beat the eventual winners South Africa in the qualifiers!"
Well, these Kiwis are very positive.
The third-place match was a re-energised affair, and for veteran players including captain Kieran Read it was their last time in an All Blacks jersey.
All Blacks players tend to retire while they are still playing and go to play for overseas rugby teams. Of course, we cannot ignore the reality that they can earn more money with an overseas team, but unlike the Japanese sports world, where "longevity" tends to be valued, there is also a custom of giving more opportunities to young people.
Captain Kieran Read moves to Toyota!
Kieran Read (34 years old), who led the All Blacks in his third World Cup, made a whopping 21 tackles in the match!
After the match, it was impressive to see Ciaran smiling and chatting with Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones.
His autobiography, "Straight 8", will be released on November 15th.
Kieran Read has decided to play for TOYOTA VERBLITZ from next year.
His teammate Ryan Crotty, who has now retired from the All Blacks, will join Kubota Spears .
By the way, Dan Carter, who was a great player at the 2015 World Cup, will continue to play for Kobe Steel .
Having talented New Zealand players come to Japan will not only add to the attractions, but it will also be an inspiration to Japanese players. I'm looking forward to next season's Japan Top League .
Popular Sonny Bill Williams moves to Canada for rugby's biggest transfer fee!
Sonny Bill Williams (34 years old), who has played in Japan and was cheered louder by the spectators every time he appeared on the field at this World Cup, also contributed to a try with a brilliant offload pass in the third place match.
There was much speculation about where he would go after the World Cup, but he signed a two-year contract with the Toronto Wolfpack , based in Toronto, Canada, worth $10 million (approximately 1 billion yen), the highest amount ever paid for a rugby player.
Sonny Bill is a super athlete who has played both rugby league and rugby union, competed in the Olympics in rugby sevens, and is also a successful boxer.
Still, that's an incredible salary in the world of rugby, especially for a Toronto team. Apparently, the contract also includes an appearance on Netflix. The Toronto Wolfpack are reportedly working on a three-season series.
Many people may wonder if there is such a thing as rugby league in Canada. Canada does not have rugby league, but instead participates in the British rugby league system.
We have high hopes for Sonny Bill's future success on the new stage.
All Blacks dad-figure Ben Smith scores two super tries!
He is set to move to Pau in France. Veteran Ben Smith is 33 years old. Having suffered from several concussions and the aftereffects of those, fans were moved to tears when he scored two tries in his final game and finished on a high note...
The first try, which had us counting ``How many people did he pass?'', started at 8:07 in the highlight scene, and the second try, which came at 10:40 after a great pass from Aaron Smith and where he ran through while slightly pushing into the opponent's face!
Ben Smith also features in the first episode, "The Black Jersey", of the All Blacks documentary "All or Nothing: The Transformation of the New Zealand All Blacks", available on Amazon Prime.
→ All or Nothing: The New Zealand All Blacks' Transformation (Subtitled)
The third place match against Wales was an unexpected highlight!
Just before the end of the match, Anton Lienert-Brown's pants were pulled down, revealing his buttocks!
He also posted the photo on Instagram, commenting, "Bummer🍑😅" (Bummer is a slang word, and Bum is a butt).
There must have been many people who were so excited by this incident that they didn't notice that the match ended right after that!
And after the incident, All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen was interviewed, and everyone was in tears...
During the interview, Steve Hansen shed tears as he raised his hands in response to the cheers from the crowd. Hansen, who has won two World Cups in his 15-year career with the All Blacks and is considered one of the greatest head coaches, described his experiences thus far in one word: "Just a privilege," before leaving the field.
South America's Springboks beat England to win World Cup
The South African representative, the Springboks, who lost to the All Blacks in the first qualifying round (all the Kiwis here emphasize this), defeated England in the final and won the championship. This was their third Rugby World Cup victory, tying them with the All Blacks in the number of championships.
The All Blacks were the first to celebrate the glory of the Springboks and show the world the no-side spirit of rugby.
"Congratulations to the Springboks, our fiercest rivals on the field but also our friends on the win. Enjoy every second of this moment."
After the World Cup, fans should check out the Instagram accounts of the All Blacks players, who have returned to New Zealand for the first time in two months and are enjoying their holidays in their home country. It's especially important to follow the Instagram accounts of the players' partners! There are often posts of players relaxing.
We will continue to follow All Blacks news to find out who the All Blacks' next head coach and captain will be!
