Moving abroad for work and adapting to a new culture while making connections and building a support network can be daunting.

But for some Japanese expats living and working in other parts of Asia, one activity has gone a long way toward easing such transitions: rugby.

Since 1997, Japanese expats from around Asia have been coming together for the annual Asian Japanese Rugby Cup (AJRC), with up to 17 teams slated to join this year’s tournament in Malaysia on Dec. 14.