The qualifying pool for the Rugby World Cup is also very close. There is a baseball player who is watching the fierce battles taking place in France with a keener gaze than anyone else. Infielder Kotaro Kiyomiya (24 years old) of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters is in his sixth year as a professional. His father, Katsuyuki, was a No. 8 player at Waseda University and Suntory, and currently serves as vice president of the Japan Rugby Football Union. Kiyomiya’s unknown rugby talent, many of the “Kotaro legends,” and his passionate love for rugby. Along with his treasured photos, he speaks for the first time (Continues from the first part and the second part of the two-part series).
If there is a parallel world, Kotaro Kiyomiya might be the one running around the Toulouse pitch in the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He is 184cm tall and weighs 94kg, giving him the title of “Thoroughbred” due to his blessed physique. If he had continued playing rugby back then…what kind of rugby player would Kotaro Kiyomiya have become?
Naturally, his childhood was all about rugby. When he could remember, he played with oval balls, not round balls.
“There were a lot of rugby balls lying around at home. We had a rugby ball made of soft material, and we would often kick it around the house. My father (Katsuyuki) would raise his arms and play the role of “pole.” I would kick at the target. We also played rugby. I would dive into the sofa and say, “Try!” (laughs)
Kiyomiya says this with a big smile on his face. He has an impressive career as a baseball player, and surprisingly, this is the first time he has been interviewed about rugby. His eyes lit up and he said, “I love rugby. Please ask me anything!”
In the year Kiyomiya turned two years old, his father, Katsuyuki, retired from active football and became the coach of Waseda University’s rugby and soccer club. His earliest memories of his childhood include watching his father as Waseda University coach and watching university rugby matches.
“It was the final match between (Waseda University) and Kanto Gakuin University at the National Stadium.I don’t think they were even young yet, but Daigo Yamashita and Tatsuhiko Ootao (current Waseda University coach) I remember clearly. I was a fan of Mr. Otao when I was a child. I admired Mr. Otao when he wore red spikes, so much so that I also wore red spikes. Back then, rugby was more popular than baseball. completely”
2023-09-28 05:35:53
#Kotaro #Kiyomiya #years #fast #big #boy #rugby #baseball #true #strong #teammates #quit #tackled #teammate #Japan #Rugby #National #Team #Professional #Baseball #Number #Web
