# Rugby: The Japan Rugby Football Union is in talks with both the Six Nations and the Rugby Championship to ensure regular international games. They say they would, however, prefer to be part of the Southern Hemisphere competition. The Brave Blossoms won only one of their six matches last year, against Portugal. The union’s CEO Kensuke Iwabuchi says while Japan is technically in the Northern Hemisphere, from a time-zone perspective they’re  closer to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific nations.