Abe Visits Mecca of Rugby

January 11, 2019

London--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, together with his British counterpart, Theresa May, on Thursday visited Twickenham Stadium, known as a mecca of rugby, located in the suburbs of London.

The visit was aimed at calling attention to the Rugby World Cup to be held in Japan in autumn this year.

Visiting the World Rugby Museum adjoining the stadium, Abe viewed a special exhibition of goods related to Japanese rugby, including the Japanese national team jersey worn at the time of the 2015 World Cup.

The prime minister also watched a rugby match between teams of local elementary school children and presented to them a replica of the official ball of this year's World Cup.

Britain hosted the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012 and the Rugby World Cup in 2015.

Also in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Abe heard from British government officials about security measures taken at times of the major sporting events. Jiji Press