Barça Rugby, on tour in Japan with the football team

Barça Rugby will be the first team, other than the football squads, who will go on a tour. They will join the football first team, on a tour that will begin on July 21 and will last until the 28th of the same month, and will include visits to the cities of Tokyo and Kobe.

The reaffirmation of the sports side of the club

This tour is the reaffirmation of the sports side of the club and the best way to show the world that FC Barcelona is a unique club in the world, true to its origins. Thus, a historic Barça sport, such as rugby (founded in 1924, but with records of matches between members since 1902), will be the first to participate in the summer tour.

In fact, the tour is a perfect opportunity to raise awareness of this part of the club and strengthen the Barça brand in a country where rugby is one of the most popular sports.

Following Barça women

This will be the second time that the football team will be accompanied, after last season when the women's team formed part of the FC Barcelona tour (on that occasion, to the United States).

Even so, this will not be the first time that the rugby rugby team has left the peninsula, since in 1928 a small tour of Europe was held between the best teams on the continent. 

The champions of Japan, hosting Barça

Throughout the seven days of the tour, Barça Rugby will visit two clubs in the Asian country. The first, located in the city of Tokyo, is the university team linked to Waseda University. It will be in these facilities where Barça Rugby will start its pre-season. One of the first training sessions will be shared with the first team at the Waseda University Club (Tuesday, July 22, at 5.00pm local time). That same day Barça will conduct a clinic, where their players, along with local players, will train coaches at the university's academy.

Barça will then visit the Kobelco Steelers, the current champion of the Japanese First Division, and who have world rugby stars such as Dan Carter, Brodie Reatallick and Andrew Ellis in their ranks. On Thursday 25, in the morning (10.30am local), a meeting will be held between the members of the staff from both sides, and Barça will continue to train at the Kobelco Steelers facilities.

A prize for a great year

This tour will be the culmination of an almost perfect year for Sergi Guerrero's squad. After beginning the season by winning the Catalan Super Cup, thanks to the victory against UE Santboiana (17-21), qualifiying for the Copa del Rey final (the first in 34 years) and having qualified to the playoffs for the league title, Barça Rugby's prize is to be part of this year's FC Barcelona tour.