This weekend past, the Japanese rugby world said farewell to two men who etched their names into the history books during the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Luke Thompson, the veteran 38-year-old, bowed out after his Kintetsu Liners side completed a clean sweep of the Top League second division with a 62-0 demolition of Kurita Water Gush (Top League club names never cease to amaze). The day before, Kenki Fukuoka cut his budding 15-a-side career short with a final try-scoring appearance in the Panasonic Wild Knights thrilling 40-20 victory over Steve Hansen’s Toyota Verblitz. Fukuoka will now shift his attention to the 2020 Olympics where he’ll appear for Japan’s sevens before the curtain falls on his ephemeral existence in the limelight.
Both men’s profiles, for very contrasting reasons, ascended to icon status during the Brave Blossoms’ historic autumn. Thompson was an absolute rock in the second row, and consistently received plaudits for playing like a man many years his junior. Whereas Fukuoka set the world alight with some of the tournament’s most memorable tries, including the clincher in Japan’s victory over Ireland. In a fitting show of respect, Japanese fans packed out stadiums in Tokyo and Toyota respectively, to give the two stars the send-offs they deserved.
Luke Thompson: A Veteran Journeyman
New Zealand-born lock Luke Thompson represented Japan in 71 tests over four World Cups during a career that spanned over 15 years at the top level. As a youngster, he plied his trade for home club Canterbury Crusaders, but as a young man still wet behind the ears, his chances of selection were slim behind one of New Zealand’s most imposing second row duos: Chris Jack and Brad Thorn. So in 2004, Thompson made an audacious transition to the young Japanese Top League, where he spent two years with Sanyo (now Panasonic) Wild Knights. Two years later he moved southward to the city of Osaka, where he joined the Kintetsu Liners; the club he has played for ever since.
After gaining Japanese citizenship, Thompson represented the Brave Blossoms at the 2007 World Cup in France as a part of a new-look Japanese team that was increasingly adopting foreign-born players. Three World Cups, nine test tries, and countless attritional and inspiring performances later, Thompson was set to represent Japan as they hosted rugby’s greatest showcase for the first-ever time in 2019.
This was in spite of ‘retiring’ after the 2015 World Cup (he was called back to action in 2017 to help out with Japan’s injury crisis). But there seemed to be an element of chasing the white dragon when he agreed to return. And when the opportunity to play in one more World Cup came along, Thompson just couldn’t resist. “My wife saw how animated I was and asked ‘Do you still want to do it?’ And I thought to myself, ‘Maybe.’ Thought about it more and realized I did,” he told reporters in the wake of Japan’s quarterfinal exit. It’s one of the most cliched tales in storytelling: the guy who’s supposedly passed his best, yearning to go back for one last roll of the dice. And aren’t we lucky he did?
Thompson was a breath of fresh air this autumn past; not a term you often hear used to describe athletes in their late 30s. But to play 60-plus minutes of brutally physical tests, when players over 10 years his senior seemed to be struggling in similar conditions, was a testament to his determination and conditioning. It was a permeating theme throughout Japan’s World Cup squad.
His final national appearance came against South Africa in their 26-3 victory over Japan in the quarterfinal. When asked how he felt post-game, he replied with tears in eyes and a quivering lip, “chotto sabishii” (“a little sad/desolate”). But there was underpinning element of pride in his words, clear for all to see. He was exemplary for other players approaching the twilight of their careers and will be sorely missed as one of Japan’s most loyal servants.
The World Cup would essentially be the denouement to Thompson’s rugby story. The credits would roll a little later after his final few performances for Kintetsu Liners, culminating on January 19 with a rampant victory, in which he even got the opportunity to toe-poke a novelty conversion over the uprights after the game had long been put to bed –I’d say he hasn’t bagged too many of those in his career. During the post-game festivities, Thompson was given the hero’s goodbye he deserved; the scenes will last long in the memory.
Kenki Fukuoka: The Pocket Rocket
Kenki Fukuoka became a headline act during the World Cup for his scintillating try-scoring displays, along with a shock decision to call time on his career way ahead of schedule. At only 27 years old, he’s got plenty of gas left in the tank, both literally and figuratively. But unfortunately for Japanese rugby fans, Fukuoka’s calling in life is the hospital ward, as he aims to start training to become a doctor over the course of the next year.
Fukuoka’s playing career may not have had as much depth as his compatriot Thompson’s did, but similarly, the 2019 World Cup is when the sporting world really began to take notice of him. He had, however, represented the Brave Blossoms since 2013, and was selected for the 2015 World Cup squad. The following year he joined his current club Panasonic Wild Knights. And though oft forgotten now, at the start of last year’s World Cup, Fukuoka played second fiddle to Lomano Lameki, warming the bench behind him for Japan’s first three tests before reclaiming the number 11 jersey for their final pool game against Scotland.
The clash with the Scots in Yokohama was arguably the competition’s most memorable collective performance. Fukuoka delivered a man of the match display with two lightning-quick tries on either side of half time. The latter of these made the difference on the scoreboard, and with that, Fukuoka and Japan’s 2019 rugby alumni were immortalized in rugby lore.
The appraisal Fukuoka received wasn’t based purely on statistics, it was the manner in which he played which endeared pundits to him just as equally. Every time the ball touched his hands there was a palpable sense of energy in the stadium; a feeling that anything was possible. He typified the startling ambition with which Japan played, and bagged four brilliantly finished tries along the way. His career, much like his playing style, was like a machine gun burst. But I’m sad to say there are no more clips of ammo left.
Fukuoka bowed out of international rugby at the end of Japan’s campaign. But his final 15-a-side performance came on January 18 in the Top League for the Wild Knights. He scored one and assisted one on the day, finishing with the kind of performance we have come to expect from him over this past year. Fans came out in droves to see him in action one last time –37,050 of them, the largest ever at a Top League game– and were reciprocated with one last, enduring hurrah.
The silver lining is that Fukuoka will be appearing for Japan’s sevens side in the 2020 Olympics (if selected). He seems positive about the new direction, telling reporters, “My goal is to be able to produce the ultimate results I am capable of.” If he can deliver on that, Japan sevens could have a formidable strike force this summer. And who knows, maybe there’s another fairy tale ending for the flying Fukuoka.