The Sanix World Rugby Youth Invitational Tournament is a prestigious international rugby union tournament for 15-a-side youth teams which is held every year during the Golden Week holidays (April 29 - May 5th/6th) in Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. Participation is by invitation only, and the overseas schools selected by their respective unions to represent their country are generally expected to be of a high standard and among the top five in each country. The event is hosted by the Japan Rugby Football Union and supported by various local bodies including the Kyushu RFU, the Sanix Sports Foundation and Munakata City.
The Global Arena in Munakata, Fukuoka on the island of Kyūshū is the venue for this tournament. In 2000 the first tournament was contested by 11 Japanese and five foreign high school teams from various countries. (The tournament expanded from 16 to 20 schools in 2009, thus increasing in both size and importance.) It is a unique competition in world rugby for high schools, and is almost a "mini World Cup". The idea was devised and initially funded by the Sanix company president Mr. Munemasa. Sanix still provides about half the substantial costs for overseas teams to participate.
Three or four of the Japanese teams are from the local area Kyūshū, where high school rugby is particularly strong. The rest are from elsewhere in Japan. A Scottish pipe band is a regular fixture, though there was no band in 2007. However Dollar Academy has participated twice as Scotland's sole representative so far in the tournament in 2000 and 2004, and George Watson's College pipe band provided background music in 2008 and 2009. One Italian team (Istituto Casteller) took part in 2002, and Camarthenshire College from Wales has also participated. No Argentinian teams have yet participated, but this will surely happen in due course.
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(9 Overseas teams) Carson Graham Secondary School (Canada, 3rd time), Ivybridge Community College (England, 3rd time), Dax, Landes High School (France), Baekshin High School (Korea), Prairiewood High School (Australia), De La Salle College (New Zealand), Hamilton Boys' High School (New Zealand), Tonga High School (Tonga), Glenwood High School (South Africa, 2008 champions)
Truro college (England) Ireland sent no representative team this year for financial reasons. Two NZ teams participated because they drew the relevant national final.
(11 Japanese teams) Ryutsu Keizai Univ. Kashiwa High School, Kokugakuin Univ. Kugayama High School, Kyoto Seisho High School, Fushimi Technical High School, Josho Keiko Gakuen High School, Josho Gakuen High School, Gose Industrial High School, Tenri High School, Saga Technical High School, Oita Maizuru High School, Higashi Fukuoka High School
The tournament in 2009 consisted of two stages. There were five pools of four teams each in the first stage, and then a final knock-out tournament for the best eight teams, with play-offs to decide the final ranking from 1st to 20th. Games in the pool stage had 25-minute halves, but 30-minute halves were played in the final stage. They were played on three fields: on grass in the main stadium and within the athletics track, and on an artificial field newly built.
Pool A: Glenwood, Higashi Fukuoka, Tonga, Tenri
Pool B: Ivybridge, Josho, Baekshin, Saga
Pool C: De La Salle, Gose, Fushimi, Kokugakuin Kugayama
Pool D: Dax Landes, Josho Keiko, Hamilton, Ryutsu Keizai
Pool E: Prairiewood, Kyoto Seisho, Carson Graham, Oita Maizuru
Best Eight (Final tournament): Ivybridge, Hamilton, Glenwood, De La Salle, Prairiewood, Josho, Dax Landes, Higashi Fukuoka
Semi-finals: Higashi Fukuoka 26 De La Salle 25; Glenwood 10 Dax Landes 17
Third place play-off: De La Salle 10 Glenwood 37
Higashi Fukuoka 30 Dax Landes 38
This is the first time a French team has won the tournament. Higashi Fukuoka was in the final for the third time, and would have been the first Japanese team to win the tournament if they had won.
1. Dax Landes, 2. Higashi Fukuoka, 3. Glenwood, 4. De La Salle, 5. Hamilton, 6. Ivybridge, 7. Josho Gakuen, 8. Prairiewood, 9. Gose, 10. Kokugakuin Kugayama, 11. Kyoto Seisho, 12. Oita Maizuru, 13. Tonga, 14. Josho Keiko, 15. Tenri, 16. Saga Technical, 17. Ryutsu Keizai, 18. Fushimi Technical, 19. Carson Graham, 20. Baekshin
St Edmund's College, Canberra (Australia), Gisborne Boys' High School (New Zealand), Sinclair Secondary School (Canada), Tarbes High School (France), Gyeong High School (Korea), Ratu Kadavulevu School (Fiji), Glenwood High School (South Africa), St Benedict's School (England)
Ryutsu Keizai Univ. Kashiwa High School (Chiba), Toin Gakuen High School (Kanagawa), Fushimi Technical High School (Kyoto), Jyosho Keiko Gakuen High School (Osaka), Onomichi High School (Hiroshima), Nagasaki Hokuyodai High School (Nagasaki), Saga Technical High School (Saga), Higashi Fukuoka High School (Fukuoka)
The tournament consists of four pools, each with four Schools/Countries. Each game was played with 25-minute halves;
Pool A: Gyeong Sang, St. Edmunds College, Onomichi High School, Higashi Fukuoka High School
Pool B: Ratu Kadavulevu School, Gisborne Boys' High School, Jyosho Keiko Gakuen High School, Nagasaki Hokuyodai High School
Pool C: Sinclair Secondary School, Tarbes High School, Toin Gakuen High School, Saga Technical High School
Pool D: St. Benedict's School, Glenwood High School, Ryutsu Keizai Univ. Kashiwa High School, Fushimi Technical High School
The final was contested between Glenwood High School and Tarbes High School, with Glenwood winning easily, 39-0.
1. Glenwood, 2. Tarbes, 3. Gisborne, 4. St. Edmund's Coll. Canberra, 5. St. Benedict's, 6. Higashi Fukuoka, 7. Saga Technical, 8. Ratu Kadavulevu, 9. Josho Keiko, 10. Fushimi Technical, 11. Onomichi, 12. Toin Gakuen, 13. Ryutsu Keizai, 14. Nagasaki Hokuyoudai, 15. Gyeong San, 16. Sinclair
Eight foreign, eight Japanese teams
Carson Graham Secondary School (Canada), Tarbes HS (France), Saint Michael's College (Ireland), Gyeong San HS (South Korea), Westfields Sports High School (Australia), Christchurch Boys High School (New Zealand), Dr. E.G. Jansen High School (South Africa), Avele College (Samoa), Toin Gakuen HS (Kanagawa), Fushimi Technical HS (Kyoto), Osaka Technical HS (Osaka), Tokai University Gyosei HS (Osaka), Oita Maizuru HS (Oita), Nagasaki Kita HS (Nagasaki), Saga Technical HS (Saga), Higashi Fukuoka HS (Fukuoka)
The tournament starts with four pools of four teams which all play each other. The pools for 2007 were:
Group A: Carson Graham, Christchurch Boys, Toin, Oita Maizuru
Group B: Tarbes, Westfields, Osaka Technical, Saga
Group C: St Michaels, Avele, Tokai, Fushimi Technical
Group D: Gyeong San, E.G. Jansen, Higashi Fukuoka, Nagasaki Kita
After this each team plays two matches in the final tournament. The top teams of each pool play to decide the final order 1-4, the second-placed teams play to decide the final order 5-8, the third-placed teams play to decide the final order 9-12 and the fourth-placed teams play to decide the final order 13-16.
Westfields Sports HS 36 Higashi Fukuoka 19
1. Westfields, 2. Higashi Fukuoka, 3. Christchurch Boys, 4. Avele, 5. Tarbes, 6. E.G. Jansen, 7. Tokai, 8. Oita Maizuru, 9. Saga, 10. Toin, 11. St Michael's, 12. Nagasaki Kita, 13. Fushimi, 14. Osaka, 15. Carson Graham, 16. Gyeong San
The 2006 competition was held from April 29th to May 5, 2006. (May 1st was the day off as usual.) Bob Dwyer was one of the invited guests, along with Tony Philp the Waikato prop newly arrived in Japan as the IRB High Performance adviser responsible for improving the skills of the top players.
Christchurch Boys High School (NZ), Ivybridge Community College (England), Marist College Canberra (Australia), Lycee Bellevue (France), Monument High School (South Africa), Pai Chai High School (Korea), Tonga College (Tonga), Christian Brothers College (Ireland) and the following Japanese teams: Nagasaki Kita H.S., Toin Gakuen H.S., Saga Technical H.S., Tokai University Gyosei H.S., Ōita Maizuru H.S., Osaka Technical H.S., Higashi Fukuoka H.S., Fushimi Technical H.S
Result: Christchurch Boys 34 Monument 20
1. Christchurch Boys, 2. Monument, 3. Gyosei, 4. Higashi Fukuoka, 5. Ivybridge, 6. Marist, 7. Oita Maizuru, 8. Tonga, 9. Toin Gakuen, 10. Osaka Tech., 11. Christian Brothers, 12. Lycee Bellevue, 13. Nagasaki Kita, 14. Saga Tech., 15. Fushimi Tech., 16. Pai Chai
After ten tournaments the winning countries are: New Zealand (4 times), South Africa (3 times), Australia (2 times), France (1 time). The second-placed countries are: Japan (4), South Africa (2), Australia (1), France (1), New Zealand (1), Tonga (1)
2009 Dax Landes High School (France), Higashi Fukuoka High School (Japan)
2008 Glenwood High School (South Africa), Tarbes High School (France)
2007 Westfields Sports High School (Australia), Higashi Fukuoka High School (Japan)
2006 Christchurch Boys High School (New Zealand), Monument High School (South Africa)
2005 Christchurch Boys High School (New Zealand), The Southport School (Australia)
2004 Rotorua Boys' High School (New Zealand), Higashi Fukuoka High School (Japan)
2003 Rotorua Boys' High School (New Zealand), Tonga College (Tonga)
2002 Boland Agricultural College (South Africa), Sendai Ikuei High School (Japan)
2001 Grey College, Bloemfontein (South Africa), St. Peter's College (New Zealand)
2000 The King's School, Sydney (Australia), Paul Roos Gymnasium (South Africa)
