Japan Rugby League One International rugby players Nathan Hughes (capped for England but now eligible for Fiji) who plies his trade for the Ricoh Black Rams and ex-Wales player Jake Ball, currently at the NEC Green Rockets addressed media in April about their life in the top-flight of Japanese rugby, personal goals and why the JRLO is a great league to be involved in.
Nathan Hughes – JRLO – Ricoh Black Rams
Hughes was a latecomer to rugby union even though he was born in rugby-obsessed and naturally talented Fiji. The forward’s sport of choice was field hockey but once he transitioned to union in 2009, he played professional rugby in England, earning 22 caps between 2016 and 2019 for the national team before making a move to the Japan Rugby League One this season.
Photo Credit: JRLO – Nathan Hughes – Ricoh Black Rams
Hughes has not given up on his international aspirations although he has closed the door on a return to English rugby and is hopeful of representing Fiji and perhaps heading to France 2023 RWC.
“I have put my name forward, but with the new Super Rugby team, the Drua, I know there’s a lot of young talent there and they’re playing really well. All I can do now is just focus on playing well for Ricoh, and if I get selected it’s great, but if not then I just keep trucking along.”
He would be proud to play for Fiji but is under no illusion of the competition for places in the squad. Fiji will take on Samoa, Tonga, and Japan in the Pacific Nations Cup, before the final warmup matches pre-RWC 2023 and then the big dance itself.
“It’ll mean a lot playing for your home nation and playing in front of your family. I would be not just representing myself but representing the family. It’s something that I can give back and my family can share – as they have supported me throughout my whole rugby career.”
Hughes told the media that he was “ready to go” and due to his eligibility for selection in Fiji, his performances will place him on the new Fijian coach Simon Raiwalui’s radar – even though his Black Rams lost their JRLO match on the weekend following his media appearance 9in the final moments of the match 34-36) to Toyota Verblitz. The result means that Ricoh drops out of the running to win the mid-table ‘mini league’ by finishing sixth.
Hughes had scored five tries in a run of six matches leading up to the loss but is loving life in Japan. “The culture is different and it is something that we knew that we wanted to come to, and try to adapt to. The rugby is different as well, it’s quicker and less physical than back in the UK but I’m enjoying it, I’m enjoying my time here so far.”
He added “I’m also loving the club which has been very welcoming from day one. I’m enjoying the style of rugby the Black Rams play – we like to move the ball around and play a bit more. No team in Japan is easy, everyone is tough every week. You have also got to look after those knees, the Japanese boys love chop tackles (he says laughing).”
Commenting on the end of the JLRO season, he told us “The main thing is enjoying it as a squad and as a team. Some of the players will be leaving so we need to try and send them off on a high.”
Photo Credit: JRLO – Nathan Hughes – Ricoh Black Rams
Of the Japanese rugby fans, Hughes is equally impressed. “Even when you lose, they’re always there to support you and they’re very, very kind and they’re very polite and respectful as well…..They’re diehard supporters – we’ve got 15,000 fans coming in even though the season hasn’t gone to plan.”
Hughes is another admirer of Japanese food and has made the most of his downtime to explore the country and has already ticked off a number of places as a tourist.
Jake Ball – JRLO – NEC Green Rockets
The Welsh international earned 50 caps and was a Grand Slam winner in the six nations and played at the RWC 2019 in Japan. In 2021, Ball retired from international rugby to join NEC Green Rockets in Japan where he still plays now. He was also quick to agree with Nathan Hughes on complementing the food in Japan as well as the structure of the JRLO.
Photo Credit: JRLO
By the time we spoke with Jake, his team was already confirmed to play for relegation survival in the JRLO and they had suffered a 45-17 loss to the Yokohama Canon Eagles the weekend before we heard from him. The weekend after we spoke, he was not included in the squad that lost 17-59 to Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo as coach Rob Taylor was keeping the Welshman for the relegation matches to come.
“It’s been tough. NEC was a project and I knew that. When I first arrived, it was obviously the first year, we didn’t actually win a game in the first season but we managed to avoid relegation. This year we’ve won some matches and probably could have picked up another couple of wins. We’ve got a fair bit of work to do on our squad to get really competitive. The level of some games is very, very, very, good.”
Jake Ball on Life in Japan
“It’s been great. The way their seasons are structured here, I get four months in the off-season to head back to Australia and see the family. And during the season, every four games, we get a down week and I fly back to Perth and see my family and come back again. So it’s worked out really well.”
Ball is less aspirational on a return to international duty even though he is now qualified since the WRU changed the eligibility for overseas players down from 60 caps to 25. “I’m just concentrating on being here and playing for my club”. He did say that if Welsh selectors were to reach out, then that’s a conversation that might happen, but there had been no communication from Gatland thus far.
“I’ve been very lucky to play international rugby and I feel I’ve been able to achieve a few things there as well. I’m happy with the way I left, and the intention was never to come back and play for Wales. I had to make peace with the fact that I may never play for Wales again. I’m enjoying playing here in Japan, and hopefully, I’ll stay here for another few years.”
In terms of the challenges, he adds that “a large number of players don’t speak English. So you have to come up with systems and things that everyone can understand. That’s part of everything you have to adapt to and I’ve really enjoyed the challenge.”
On the Japanese national team and their development, he said it’s exciting to see the game grow and added “It’s such a big step up from club rugby to being a Japanese international. So now I’m excited to see them play and I’m playing against them all the time as you know, they’re hard workers.”
On the club and Japanese fans, he also was also complimentary “We have great fans as well. They travel around Japan and they rock up to our games. It’s been a tough few years down here at NEC and they still rock up and they still cheer you on.”
Photo Credit: JRLO – Jake Ball – NEC Green Rockets
On More Rugby Players Joining the JRLO
Hughes hinted that all of the international players get asked by other players about life in Japan and the economic state of the game in countries such as England and the new salary caps mean it’s likely more players will be making a move.
“It’s gonna be quite tough – France is offering players what they’re worth and I think players are gonna take it because our rugby career is not that long. People tend to forget that. For me, it was probably the right time to move, I’m 31 so I have maybe two more years, but I think you’ll see a lot of boys leaving the Premiership….In the UK, you play in 30+ games a season and here, you play 16 matches.”
Jake Ball also keeps tabs on Welsh rugby from Japan, and the country he represented at the international level has had its own ongoing financial complications. He added: “It’s difficult when players are uncertain with their futures, and they’ve been told that their salaries have been cut, and by a lot. It’s a difficult situation for them to be in.”
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