It has been announced that WOWOW's special program, "WOWOW Rugby 2026 Opening Special: Exclusive Interviews with Key Players," will be broadcast and streamed free of charge on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand from 2:00 PM on February 1st. The program will feature three interviews with Japan national rugby team head coach Eddie Jones, Warner Deans, who served as captain of the Japanese team in last November's test match, and Richie Mo'unga of Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, who has 56 caps for the New Zealand national team.
Deans talks about his enthusiasm for the Super Rugby Pacific (starting February 13th) that he will be taking on as a member of the Hurricanes, as well as the players he is looking forward to playing alongside and against. The interviewer is former Japan national team player and current commentator Onishi Masataro. Deans commented, "There are some very tough matches ahead, but I will do my best, making the most of my physical ability, set pieces, and lineouts."
Jones looks back on last year's match against the Japanese national team and talks about his outlook for the Nations Championship, the world's most prestigious international tournament, which begins in 2026. His interviewer is Tanaka Fumiaki, a former member of the Japanese national team who played an active role in the first Eddie Japan. Jones enthusiastically stated, "This year we have the Nations Championship, and I think it's a great opportunity for us as the Japanese national team to grow even further. We have our sights set on our first match against Italy."
Mo'unga spoke about his desire to win League One for the third time in a row, as well as his impressions of the six European countries he closely monitors in the Six Nations tournament with an eye on playing at the 2027 World Cup, and players to watch. The interviewer was former Japan national team player Takashi Kikutani, who also serves as a commentator for WOWOW Rugby. Mo'unga said, "To all rugby fans, thank you for making Japan feel like home. I'm happy to be able to inspire you all by playing in Japan. I hope you enjoy my rugby."
The Six Nations Rugby Tournament will kick off on February 6th, with WOWOW broadcasting all 15 matches live. The Super Rugby Pacific will also kick off on the 13th, with former Japan national team players Deans and Harada Mamoru taking part. WOWOW On Demand will stream all matches live until the final in June.
