Saturday's rugby test between Japan and New Zealand at Tokyo's National Stadium has sold out with more than 65,000 tickets purchased, the Japan Rugby Football Union said Wednesday.
The All Blacks brand of high-performance rugby, not to mention their famous pregame Haka ceremonial war dance, is as popular as ever in Japan, with interest in the sport growing since the country hosted the 2019 World Cup, when the Brave Blossoms made their best-ever quarterfinal appearance.
The number of match-day spectators is set to exceed the 57,011 who saw the Brave Blossoms host France on July 9, the largest rugby crowd officially recorded in Japan other than at the World Cup.
The record for the new stadium, built to host last year's Tokyo Olympics, is 64,922 for the July 20 soccer match between Paris Saint-Germain and Kawasaki Frontale.
Uncharacteristically, the All Blacks have lost four of their nine tests this year, falling to a worst-ever fifth in the world rankings at one stage.
New Zealand have won all six of their games with Japan. The All Blacks won 106-4 on their first visit here, in 1987, and set a point-scoring record in their 145-17 victory at the 1995 World Cup in South Africa. Their last test, in 2018, ended 69-31.
"We just have to go find a way to win," Japan prop Keita Inagaki said.
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