Photo/Illutration France's Damian Penaud runs with the ball during the Rugby World Cup Pool A match between France and New Zealand at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on Sept. 8. (AP Photo)

Baron Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937), the French educator known as the father of the modern Olympic Games, also played a central role in popularizing rugby in France in the 19th century.

Inspired by a hugely popular novel set at Rugby School (where rugby was invented), the French aristocrat visited the English public school at the age of 20. It is intriguing to know that rugby caught his attention before the Olympics.

At that time, France was suffering from a devastating loss of confidence after a humiliating military defeat at the hands of Prussia in the Franco-Prussian War in 1870-71. Coubertin thought his country should learn from Britain and its rise to global dominance to regain its pride.

He deeply admired the British school’s educational philosophy, which led to him “enthusiastically promoting rugby as a game for the French and especially for the French education system,” according to “The Oval World: A Global History of Rugby” by Tony Collins.

When I visited Rugby School years ago for an article, the school’s headmaster at that time said with amusement that disregard had given birth to discipline and courage.

The memorial tablet commemorating “The Exploit of William Webb Ellis” states he was someone “who with a fine disregard for the rules of football as played in his time first took the ball in his arms and ran with it thus originating the distinctive feature of the rugby game” in 1823.

I was surprised to learn that rugby, a sport that places great importance on discipline, has its origins in a violation of rules for another sport.

The Rugby World Cup, the sport’s premier tournament held every four years, has begun. The national team for France, the host, is apparently in top form. I woke up at 4 a.m. to watch the opening game live and was glued to the TV.

When the French side defeated the New Zealand squad, I felt the explosive jubilation that engulfed the stadium through the screen.

France was once famous for its “champagne rugby,” a style of play focused on attacking by continually moving the ball around the field through quick passing, with players running as if they were floating upward in unexpected, elegantly fluid ways like bubbles in a glass of champagne.

In the opening game, the French side instead demonstrated its kicking prowess.

Rugby has been attracting a growing number of fans around the world while struggling to deal with the consequences of professionalism.

Japan is scheduled to face Chile in its first match of this tournament on Sept. 10. During the next several weeks, I will be a bit short on sleep. (Japan defeated Chile 42-12.)

--The Asahi Shimbun, Sept. 10

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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