With the 2019 Rugby World Cup coming to Japan in two years, local governments hosting the event in the Chubu region are eagerly working to promote the sport, especially among women.
They are hoping the epithet ragāru — combining the terms "rugby" and "girl" — will do for the sport what sūjo (female sumo fans) and kāpu joshi (female fans of a professional baseball team Hiroshima Toyo Carp) did for sumo and baseball.
Some municipalities are organizing rugby game-watching tours that explain the rules and offer opportunities for female fans to interact with players.
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