Timothy Lafaele was a star for Japan at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Now he's not sure he belongs

TOKYO (AP) — Timothy Lafaele is among the rugby players who have made their lives and playing careers in Japan, and hold Japanese passports even though they were born outside the country.

In Lafaele's case, he has played 28 times for Japan's national team, including a monumental victory over Ireland in the 2019 Rugby World Cup , which Japan hosted.

He was a star back then as Japan's rugby prowess shocked many.

But under new rules proposed by local rugby officials that are set to go into effect in December when the Japan Rugby League One season opens, Lafaele and the others will be classed as foreigners, clouding their future in Japan.

This limits their playing opportunities on domestic teams where Japan-born players will get preference.

Seiji Makino, a lawyer who is representing 24 players in a suit pending before several Japanese courts, said he's hopeful changes can be made before the season opens — through the courts or through negotiations with rugby officials.

“This is a very simple story,” Makino said Thursday. “It is about players who built their lives and careers in Japan under one set of rules and are now having the ground moved from under their feet.”

He and Lafaele spoke on Thursday in Tokyo at a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan.

Lafaele said the rule change came “out of the blue.” He declined to discuss any link to current politics around immigration in Japan, and also declined to talk about the affect on his contract.

A larger immigration debate in Japan

The rugby rule change comes as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been pushing tougher policies on immigration and foreigners. Many Japanese complain of struggling with stagnant salaries, rising prices — and some link it to a surge in foreigners to sustain a shrinking workforce as Japan's population declines.

Lafaele, who is Samoan-born, came to Japan at 18, played for a Japanese university, and now has a Japanese passport. But that's no longer good enough to guarantee playing time in Japanese rugby's top professional league.

The new rules specify that players had to reside in Japan for “at least 6 of 9 years” of elementary school and junior-high school to qualify for the highest category of eligibility.

“I probably could answer for all the boys that are represented on this case,” Lafaele said. “It quite saddens us. To come to Japan, having given so much to the rugby here and the community and being treated this way. It just saddens us.”

’’Insulted is a strong word as well,” Lafaele added. “To me, when this first rule came I did feel insulted.”

Of the 24 players who filed the case, only five want to be identified. Many fear that speaking out could cause more problems.

Makino was asked if there was a racial element to the new rules, and he said he didn't think “of it as racism” at the core of the dispute.

Players left in lurch wondering about their future

“It’s been a hard time for the players these last couple of months,” Lafaele said. “Some players are forced into retirement. Some players are just waiting at home at the moment for this decision to change so they can have the opportunity to provide for their families and get playing contracts. It’s been a tough time for most of the players.”

Many sports bodies across the globe consistently bend eligibility rules for commercial reasons, or to gain a competitive edge. And changing eligibility rules often faces pushback, particularly when local players seem to be sidelined.

Japan rugby officials say the player pool of Japan-born players is shrinking, and limiting foreigners will help boost it. Lafaele said he supports the idea of getting more Japan-born players, but doubts limiting the foreign influence will help.

“I don’t think kids will look at this competition and say ‘there are too many foreigners, I’ll stop playing,’” Lafaele said. “I see both sides of it. I see where the Japanese boys are coming from. They see it as more opportunities for them to play.”

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