Former captain Ryan Jones believes the Wales team have now been given”a enormous elevator” before the Rugby World Cup, after 15,000 people queued to observe their receptive training session in Kitakyushu.
Wales arrived in the stadium where they’re training from locals to some rendition of the Welsh national anthem, and are based at the southern town, which won’t host any games during the tournament.
The group of warren Gatland get their tournament under way on Monday, September 23 against Georgia, also triple Grand Slam winner Jones claims the reception they’ve received will reward the players.
“I’ve never experienced anything like this in my career. It is astonishing and it’s been really emotional,” said Jones, who played for Wales from 2004-2014.
“It has been hosting a celebration. This morning, we got up and we said’oh, I hope people will develop and it goes well today’.
“Then to see the temptations and then to observe the players’ faces when they came out, it was simply magical.
“It’s surpassed all our expectations. As the men are one week from our first match, and also to have an adventure like this makes it home how amazing an event it is, it is great.
“It’ll give the players a massive lift. The fantasy was to turn the town reddish and we’ve done that.”
Jones, who helped construct links between the Welsh Rugby Union and Kitakyushu, included:”When you look back on things in your career, establishing this was magnificent.
“Seeing the players when they arrived in the welcome party the other night, and watching their faces , they didn’t comprehend it.
“They have not seen anything like that and they’ll remember it forever. I understand we’ll be back – and long may it last.”
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