Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and JRFU Extend MoU on Scrum Project

The Japan Rugby Football Union has extended its memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Japan International Cooperation Agency for the JICA-JRFU Scrum Project which will see the project run until 2030.

The Asian Scrum Project has seen the JRFU send coaches to various countries, mainly in Asia, to promote rugby and develop domestic human resources through activities. The project is part of the legacy of the RWC 2019 Japan Tournament, and was intended to “create synergy through the collaboration between the JRFU’s activities to bring the RWC back to Japan and JICA’s JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteers.”

To date,  93 volunteers have been dispatched to 11 countries: Indonesia, Laos, India, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Senegal, Madagascar, Fiji, Mongolia, and Nepal.

The newly concluded MOU will consider expanding cooperation to include rugby-related activities by volunteers in professions other than rugby, and will cover all countries where JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteers are dispatched, said the JRFU.

The aim will be “promoting healthy youth development and social development in developing countries through rugby, as well as cultivating and expanding the base of rugby-related personnel in Japan.”

The MoU signed by JICA Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers Secretary-General Takuya Otsuka and JRFU CDO Naofumi Yasui will see the program extended until March 31, 2030.

Photo Credit – JRFU – JICA Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers Secretary-General Takuya Otsuka (left) and JRFU CDO Naofumi Yasui (right)

Naofumi Yasui, JRFU Project Manager (CDO Promotion and Development) said, “I am extremely pleased that we have been able to re-sign the agreement between JICA and the JRFU. Through this initiative, we have deepened our relationships with many countries and have worked together to promote rugby.

Through RWC legacy programs and other initiatives, rugby has grown significantly over the past decade, and this project has contributed greatly to this growth.

For countries where rugby is not popular, the dispatch of volunteers is extremely important for the spread of rugby in each country, and thanks to the activities of the volunteers, many players and children around the world are able to play and enjoy rugby.

As we look ahead to Japan’s bid for the next Rugby World Cup, we look forward to continuing to work through this agreement to promote rugby in many countries and develop human resources through the value of rugby as a legacy from 2019.”

JRFU’s Contributions:

• Public relations, such as announcements and information dissemination regarding the dispatch of JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, mainly rugby players
• Technical advice on rugby to volunteers before and during their dispatch

Takuya Otsuka, Secretary General, Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers Secretariat, JICA, added, “The year 2025 will mark the 60th anniversary of the start of the JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteers.

This project, which began in 2013, has dispatched more than 90 rugby members to date, achieving many results, including the promotion of rugby and the development of young people through rugby. The re-signing of this partnership agreement shows that the cooperative relationship between JICA and JRFU remains strong.”

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