Former captain Ryan Jones considers the Wales team have now been awarded”a huge elevator” before the Rugby World Cup, following 15,000 people queued to watch their open training session at Kitakyushu.
Wales arrived at the stadium where they’re training from sailors to some rendition of the Welsh national anthem, and are located in the southern city, which won’t host any games during the tournament.
Warren Gatland’s group get their championship also also triple Grand Slam winner Jones states the reception they’ve received will reward the players.
“I have never experienced anything like this in my career. It is astonishing and it has been very emotional,” said Jones, who played for Wales in 2004-2014.
“It’s been like hosting a celebration. This afternoon, we got up and we were saying’oh, I hope individuals will turn up and it goes well’.
“Then to see the queues and then to observe the gamers’ faces when they came out, it was just magical.
“It has exceeded all our expectations. Since the men are one week out from our match, and to get an adventure like this brings it home how beautiful an event it is it’s great.
“It’ll give the players a huge lift. The dream was to turn the city reddish and we have done this.”
Jones, who helped construct links between the Welsh Rugby Union and Kitakyushu, included:”If you look back to things on your career, establishing that has been magnificent.
“Seeing the players when they came at the welcome party the other night, and seeing their faces here, they did not understand it.
“They’ve not seen anything like that and they’ll remember it forever. I know we’ll return and long may it last.”
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