Japan celebrate 'greatest Rugby World Cup shock ever', victory over South Africa perfect boost for 2019 host nation

The unfancied Japanese beat the two time winners 34-32

Japanese fans celebrated their team's shock Rugby World Cup win over heavily-favored South Africa early Sunday in a victory that is sure to give the sport a boost as the country prepares to host the event in four years.

The match started just before 1am. local time and it was mostly diehard rugby fans who decided to stay up and watch. Many in Tokyo got the news when they woke up Sunday morning.

Japan's 34-32 win against the Springboks on Saturday was immediately regarded as the biggest upset in Rugby World Cup history.

"Japan gets historical win over South Africa with dramatic comeback," read a headline on the Sports Hochi website.

Rugby has long been a niche sport in Japan where baseball and soccer dominate the headlines, but the win against the two-time world champions will vastly improve the sport's profile.

"As a Japanese citizen, I felt a lot of pride," said Takashi Sekine, an amateur rugby coach in Japan. "It's great that we were able to display our ability on the world stage. This win will inspire not only rugby fans in Japan but the entire country as well."

A public viewing event was held at Ecopa Stadium in Shizuoka, which will host matches at the 2019 tournament but the win was so unexpected, it caught many off guard.

"I can't believe it," office worker Yuji Nakanishi said. "I didn't see it but I'm going try to watch a re-broadcast tonight with some friends."

AP