Japan Unveils Official Mascots for 2019 Rugby World Cup

Tokyo, Jan. 26 (Jiji Press)--The organizing committee for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan unveiled Friday the event's official mascots, Ren-G, based on the shishi lion-like sacred mythical creature seen in kabuki and other forms of Japanese culture. The faces of the mascots, a parent-child pair, are shaped like a rugby ball. The parent, named Ren, has white hair, while the child, G, has red hair. This is the first time that an official mascot has been adopted for a Rugby World Cup since the 1999 tournament. The organizing committee selected the shishi mascots in consultation with the international governing body World Rugby after soliciting proposals from design teams. The 2019 event will be the first Rugby World Cup to be held in Asia, Akira Shimazu, chief executive officer of the organizing committee, told a press conference. As the shishi projects an image of Asian countries, such as China, the mascots are well suited to the concept of the 2019 tournament, he added. END