The 9th Rugby World Cup is now in full swing, bringing around 400,000 foreign tourists to the 12 host cities across Japan, from northern Sapporo to southern Oita. Rugby fans, both domestic and foreign, spent last weekend cheering for their favourite teams in the stadiums and Fanzones with a beer in one hand and some addictive stadium fare in the other.
Well... maybe just the beer. Unfortunately, last week’s opening weekend presented some challenges in the food department. Fans were faced with long queues while popular menu items sold out quickly. To please the fans’ appetite, Rugby World Cup organisers have decided to allow spectators to bring food into the stadium for their own consumption, a rarity in the world of professional sports.
However, this new rule stipulates that fans cannot bring any drinks into the stadium, only food items. As reported by The Guardian, the organisers said a ‘reasonable amount of food’ is allowed; however, this amount is not specified. As long as fans don’t plan on selling their meals, it should be fine.
In preparation for the event, a beer shortage fear was widespread throughout the country, not just for the in-stadium Heineken but also at the neighbouring izakaya and bars around the match venues. Luckily, the stadiums, Fanzones and local establishments prepared ahead. Heineken's domestic affiliate has tripled the amount of beer, according to Japan Today. Now the games and Fanzones are fully stocked with beer, so there's no need to panic.
The food shortage occurred during the opening weekend, where matches were held in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka and Sapporo. With this new policy, fans will be well fed throughout the rest of the tournament. Now we're wondering, can we bring our own food to next year's summer Olympics?
Couldn't get a ticket to the matches? You can still watch live screenings of the games at these Fanzones and sports bar in Tokyo. Also, discover the best things to do at selected Rugby World Cup host cities on our special rugby website.