JRLO, JRFU and JICA Have Signed Three Year Co-Operation Agreement
rugbyasia247
Posted On June 18, 2025
Following the recent agreement between the JRFU and JICA, the Japan Rugby League One (JRLO) has also now signed a three-year tripartite agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency and Japan Rugby Football Association to work on new projects aimed at domestic projects in Japan to enrich lives and societies through rugby.
Photo – From the left, Hajime Tokairin, Managing Director of Japan Rugby League One, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Director of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, and Kensuke Iwabuchi, Managing Director of the Japan Rugby Football Union.
The Japan Rugby Football Union and JICA agreement was signed in May 2025, and it aims to develop rugby in Asia through initiatives such as the SCRUM Project.
The statement from the JRLO said that with Japan “aiming to return to the Rugby World Cup, there is an increasing need for Japan to deepen international cooperation with countries around the world through rugby.”
Kensuke Iwabuchi, Managing Director of the Japan Rugby Football Union, said, “As the only high-performance union* in Asia, World Rugby and many other unions, mainly in Asia, have high expectations for the development of rugby.
These expectations are backed up by the track record of not only promoting rugby but also empowering communities through rugby and contributing to the realisation of a better society through its efforts in gender equality and support for people with disabilities.
We believe that our efforts through the ‘power of rugby’ in Japan have been highly evaluated. With the conclusion of this tripartite agreement, we will promote collaboration that utilises each party’s strengths so that the ‘power of rugby’ can be further demonstrated and that we can contribute to the development of rugby and the realization of a symbiotic society not only in Asia and developing countries, but also in Japan.”
*We are not sure that the HKCR would agree with this.
What is the JICA, JRFU and JRLO Agremeent?
Photo Credit – JICA -SCRUM Project
The agreement is signed from June 17, 2025, to March 31, 2030. Hajime Tokairin, Managing Director of Japan Rugby League One General Incorporated Association, added, “Japan Rugby League One considers contributing to society through rugby to be an important mission, guided by the spirit of ‘For Everyone FOR ALL.’
Through this agreement, we will make the most of Japan Rugby League One, an international league in which a diverse range of players and staff participate, to actively promote sports promotion, education, and efforts to realise a symbiotic society in diverse communities within Japan as well as developing regions.
Together with JICA, the JRFU, the players, teams, and fans, we will strive to expand the circle of international cooperation through the power of rugby and contribute to the realisation of a better world.”
Among the agreements are three business plan approaches:
- Initiatives to promote multicultural coexistence in Japan
- Collaboration in providing technical training before the dispatch of JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteers
- Dispatch of League One players, team staff, and alumni to JICA projects
The collaboration between the three parties will focus on encouraging applications for JICA Overseas Cooperation Volunteer Rugby members, as well as the training for volunteers prior to deployment and supporting their activities.
International cooperation initiatives include:
- Holding events and programs that promote intercultural understanding, contribute to the realisation of a symbiotic society, and resolve development issues.
- Promoting participation in related events and programs for athletes and other overseas personnel, as well as human resource development through awareness-raising and development education.
- Cooperating in disaster relief, peacebuilding, and other development issues resolution in developing regions.
- Providing related equipment and goods.
Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Director of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, concluded, “I am very pleased to have signed this agreement with the JRFU and League One. In cooperation with the JRFU, we have dispatched more than 90 rugby members to 11 countries so far. Rugby is a sport that fosters values such as respect for diversity, teamwork and fair play, based on the ‘five values’ (dignity, passion, solidarity, discipline and respect), as well as the spirit of ‘No Side’ and ‘One for All, All for One’.
Based on this agreement, we will connect the hearts of people both at home and abroad through rugby, and contribute to the realisation of a peaceful society.”
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