The 2019 Rugby World Cup has so far lived up to the hype. The first-ever Rugby World Cup in Asia looks set to break a number of records, including total commercial revenue gained by any previous host nation of the tournament.
It is safe to say that Japan 2019 has been a success. Interest in the sport of rugby is at an all-time high and Rugby World Cup fever has gripped the nation by the scruff of the neck. With record numbers from merchandise sales, and revenue from betting on rugby projected to outshine every other Rugby World Cup held since the inaugural tournament in New Zealand back in 1987, things are looking very rosy indeed.
Organizers predict that over 1.8 million fans in total will visit Japan for the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Interest in the competition has been nothing short of phenomenal, with more than 96% of tickets sold prior to the opening ceremony on September 20th. In total, over 400,000 foreign fans are expected to travel to the Land of the Rising Sun throughout the six-week rugby extravaganza.
The Japanese economy looks set to benefit heavily from the World Cup. The total figure projected is ¥437.2 billion (£3.3 billion) in revenue, a figure that encompasses a ¥216 billion boost to GDP, ¥21.6 billion in tax revenue, and the creation of 25,000 jobs. Foreign fans’ spending is expected to account for a sizeable portion of that figure, with ¥100 billion expected to come from the pockets of overseas fans. The average daily spent by individual visitors should be around ¥20,000.
Furthermore, the majority of that ¥100 billion figure should come from the sale of beer alone. Heineken Kirin K.K., the company that handles production and distribution for Heineken in Japan, – the World Cup’s official beer sponsor – projects a year-on-year rise of approximately 70 per cent between the months of September and November. Fans from Australia, England, and Ireland are expected to drink four times more than locals.
It helps that the tournament is being considered a success so far, in terms of the rugby on show. Japan’s win over Ireland and Uruguay’s shocking defeat of Fiji has backed up many experts’ claims that the 2019 Rugby World Cup will be the most competitive yet. With the type of cricket scores of previous tournaments looking as a thing of the past, this adds yet another charm to the success of Japan 2019.
Fans are clearly enjoying themselves and sapping up the famous hospitality of the nation. This might be the first Rugby World Cup held in Japan but it certainly does not look like it will be the last.
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