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Nice to see administrative bodies setting themselves real targets.
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Apr 3, 2007
The Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) is set to send a wave of young players to New Zealand and Australia in a bid to raise the level of the Japanese game.
"We have already selected three to go to New Zealand and hopefully that will increase to about 10 this year," said the JRFU's chief media officer Yasutaka Nagai.
"The basic plan is the forwards will go to New Zealand and the backs to Australia. We hope to continue this trend this year and beyond with increased numbers."
Locks Tomoaki Taniguchi of Toyota Motors and Secom's Manabu Suzuki along with Chuo university flanker Shinya Makabe have been chosen to go to New Zealand.
The trio will take part in a player development programme in New Zealand.
The JRFU devised the plan under the so-called "quarter-final project" as part of a long-term goal to reach the knockout stages of the 2011 World Cup.
Source: Reuters