Players and fans advised to cover up tattoos at Japan Rugby World Cup

The Rugby Union governing body has advised players to cover up tattoos to avoid offending Japanese people.

Wallaby Israel Folau is one of many Australian Rugby Union players with tattoos.

Wallaby Israel Folau is one of many Australian Rugby Union players with tattoos. Source: AAP

Players have been asked by the governing body to wear rash vests when they use public gyms or swimming pools.

Tattoos have been associated in Japan with the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia, since the 1960s after a string of films showed heavily-inked gangsters.

Tournament director Alan Gilpin raised the idea to cover up tattoos in community springs, which he said teams were happy to accommodate.

"We will make [Japanese] people aware around the facilities that players will use that people with tattoos in a Rugby World Cup context are not part of the Yakuza," he said.

"We have done a lot in the last year or so with the teams to get them to understand that. When we raised it with the teams a year or so ago, we were probably expecting a frustrated reaction from them but there hasn't been at all.

"That is a great tribute to the sport itself and to the rugby players themselves. They all also buy into the idea of putting on a rash vest in the pool or in a gym as they want to respect the Japanese culture."

The New Zealand All Blacks have already agreed to respect the local culture when travelling next year.


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2 min read

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By Saleem Al-Fahad
Presented by Al Bayt Baytak
Source: AAP

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Players and fans advised to cover up tattoos at Japan Rugby World Cup | SBS Arabic