A report from Ernst & Young revealed that the 2019 Rugby World Cup will inject 216.6B yen ($2.03B) into host country Japan's economy, according to Joe Hall of CITY AM. As the first Asian host of rugby's flagship event, Japan is "estimated to see a 25,000 bump in jobs as some 400,000 visitors flock to the country for the 44-day tournament," which begins in Sept. '19. The EY report expects visitors to contribute 105.7B yen ($993.5M) in direct expenditure that will "spread across the country's 12 host cities." The 2015 Rugby World Cup in England attracted 406,000 visitors, injected an estimated £2.5B into the economy and was the "highest-attended sporting event in history behind the most recent football World Cups and the 2012 London Olympics." Although rugby "does not have the same cultural legacy in Japan as in England," the '15 tournament "captured the country's attention" after Japan "shocked" South Africa in the opening game. A record 25 million Japanese -- a fifth of the population -- watched the Brave Blossoms beat Samoa, winning an audience share of 64% to be declared the "largest national viewing audience in rugby history" (CITY AM, 3/21).
