Before the start of the Japan-France test match, the two teams gathered in honor of the former Prime Minister, who was shot dead.
A minute of silence in tribute to former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot dead on Friday, was observed before the kick-off of the test match between Japan and the XV of France, Saturday in Tokyo. Just before the national anthems of the two teams, opposed for the second time in eight days, the Olympic stadium in Tokyo was silent to pay tribute to the politician, who governed the archipelago for more than eight years.
«He had done a lot for rugby, in particular the realization of the 2019 World Cup. The players, the staff and the French team wanted to pay tribute to his memory for all he did for rugby in Japan and for world rugby“Reacted coach Fabien Galthié at a press conference. At the end of the match, the captain of the Blues Charles Ollivon gave “to the Japanese captain a wreath of flowers as well as a jersey of the XV of France bearing the name of Shinzo Abe in his memory“Said the French Rugby Federation in a press release.
Longevity record holder in his country as Prime Minister, which he left in 2020, Shinzo Abe died in hospital on Friday following a gunshot attack in the middle of an election rally in Nara, in the west. from Japan. The XV of France ended its summer tour in Japan on Saturday with a second success (20-15) in two matches in front of the Brave Blossoms.