BY STEVE MCMORRAN
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — As professional rugby teams and tournaments around the world contend with tough financial headwinds, Japan continues to buck the trend with historic growth in teams and crowds.
The Japan Rugby League One will add three new clubs next season, growing to 26 teams over three divisions.
The Secom Rugguts, based in Saitama, Yakult Levins, based in Toda, and LeRIRO Fukuoka, based in Ukiha City, will join the third division. The first division will have 12 teams, the second division will have eight and there’ll be six in the third division.
Large corporations in Japan continue to show a strong interest in getting involved in rugby through team sponsorship. Top foreign players are being drawn to Japan at a younger age than in the past, and they’re staying for longer.
At the same time, the picture for professional rugby is challenging in many
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