The event marked a return to normality of sorts for the Carbine Club of Tokyo, as for the past two years our sole event has been the Melbourne Cup.
The Australian Schoolboys A Team 2022, was the focus of this event. This is the national team for the Australian Schools Rugby Union, which was founded in 1969. Many of the team’s players have gone on to professional success over the years. We welcomed the players, team officials, and parents on the tour. We also gave thanks the Japan Rugby Football Union for helping arrange matches with three top Japanese teams.
The event and the tour owe much to Peter Gibson. He was a friend of the Carbine Club of Tokyo from its inception, and is an overseas member.
Gibbo’s interest in Japan and all things Japanese began in 1985, when was the first foreigner to join the Japan Professional Tennis Association. He is passionate about the Japan–Australia ties. More recently, he helped 3,500 Aussies head to Japan for what was a very memorable Rugby World Cup. Tokyo 2020 saw him serve as Executive Advisor to the Australian Olympic and Paralympic teams. Current roles encompass assisting with student accommodation and clean environment technology and helping the NSW Waratahs deliver with their Japan strategy. Not long ago, he received the Foreign Minister’s commendation from the Japanese Government for services to the bilateral relationship. He is a sake sommelier, a lover of Japanese rugby and a mad Hanshin Tigers fan.
When Gibbo suggested that we hold a fundraiser for the tour, he got our attention because we share his enduring enthusiasm for deepening friendships across national boundaries through sport.
We offer our special thanks to Peter Roberts OAM, Chargé d’Affaires at the Australian Embassy, H.E. Hamish Cooper, New Zealand Ambassador to Japan, and Makoto Tsunoda, Chairman of the Kanagawa Rugby Football Union for joining the even. We are also grateful to our sponsors for helping make the event a success.
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