CAPTIONS BY ABLE. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. WWW.ABLE.CO.NZ COPYRIGHT ABLE 2019 (DRAMATIC MUSIC) YOU ARE REPRESENTING YOUR COUNTRY AT THE WORLD CUP, SO I WANT TO DO WELL. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS ABOUT A WORLD CUP THAT IS DIFFERENT. IT IS BASICALLY A SQUAD OF US, 50 OR SO INCLUDING MANAGEMENT, AGAINST THE WORLD FOR ME IT IS THE PINNACLE. EVERYONE WANTS TO WIN THE WORLD CUP. IF YOU CAN WIN MORE THAN ONCE, IT IS EVEN BETTER. JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE HAD SUCCESS AT PREVIOUS WORLD CUP'S, THAT DOESN'T ENTITLE YOU TO ANYTHING. YOU STILL HAVE TO FIND YOUR OWN WAY TO BE SUCCESSFUL. THE BOYS WILL BE READY TO GO. GOOD EVENING. THE WAIT IS OVER. THE RUGBY WORLD CUP RETURNS AND WE WILL BREAK NEW GROUND, AS JAPAN HOSTS THE FIRST WORLD CUP IN ASIA. A HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE GLOBAL GAME. FOR YEARS ON FROM NEW ZEALAND'S TRIUMPH, WE WILL BE WITH THEM EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, AS THEY SEARCH FOR A THIRD STRAIGHT TITLE. A WARM WELCOME TO OUR GUESTS FOR THE EVENING, INCLUDING A QUAD NATIONAL AND RUGBY LEAGUE, SEVENS, TOUCH AND 15S. AND JOHN PRESTON. CHRISTINA, LET'S START WITH YOU. WHERE ARE THE EXCITEMENT LEVELS AT? I HAVE A SMILE GOING FROM EAR TO EAR. I AM EXCITED TO WATCH THE OPENING CEREMONY AND SEE SOME EXCELLENT FOOTBALL UNFOLD OVER THE NEXT SIX WEEKS. JOHN, YOU HAVE BEEN COACHING RECENTLY. TELL US ABOUT THE HYPE AROUND THE PLACE. JAPAN NOT SO MUCH RECOGNISED AS THE TRADITIONAL HOME OF RUGBY, BUT THEY STARTED PRETTY EARLY. IT HAS BEEN BUILDING FOR SOME TIME. I HAVE BEEN BACK BEFORE WEEKS NOW. AND OSAKA, THERE IS A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF ANTICIPATION. SIGNS EVERYWHERE, QUITE A FEW FOREIGNERS, SOME ON EXTENDED TRIPS. THE JAPANESE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO HOSTING ONE, AND THE FIRST GAME AS WELL. THE FIRST OF 48 GAMES. SOME ARE CALLING THIS THE MOST OPEN WORLD CUP WE HAVE HAD SINCE 1987. SINCE 2015 TO NOW, THE GAP HAS CLOSED. EVERYONE WAS CHASING THE ALL BLACKS, BUT NOW YOU SEE THESE OTHER SIDES CHIPPING AWAY. ENGLAND, IRELAND, SOUTH AFRICA. I HAVE SEEN HOW THESE TEAMS HAVE EVOLVED, AND THERE IS A LOT OF COMPETITION NOW. LOTS TO LOOK FORWARD TO OVER THE NEXT SIX WEEKS. 20 COUNTRIES, 48 MATCHES ACROSS THE PAN, JAPAN. STARTING TONIGHT IN THE CAPITAL. THE OPENING CEREMONY AND OPENING MATCH TAKE PLACE AT TOKYO STADIUM, 40 MINUTES OUTSIDE CENTRAL TOKYO, ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST VIBRANT CITIES, HOME TO 9.3 MILLION PEOPLE. IT IS A SPECTACULAR MODERN METROPOLIS. THE SUMMER OLYMPICS NEXT YEAR, CAPPING A BIG 12 MONTHS AT THE HEART OF THE SPORTING WORLD. FROM TONIGHT IT WILL OPEN A NEW CHAPTER IN THE RUGBY WORLD CUP. THE ALL BLACKS WERE THE 1ST TO HOLD THE WILLIAM WEBB ELLIS CUP ALOFT IN 1987. IT WOULD BE ANOTHER 24 YEARS BEFORE WE WOULD DO IT AGAIN. IN 1991 IT WAS AUSTRALIA'S TURN. IN 1995 THE RUGBY WORLD CUP CHANGE THE FACE OF SOUTH AFRICA FOREVER. GLORY IN A FIRST WORLD CUP APPEARANCE, AS NELSON MANDELA STOOD ALONGSIDE FRANCOIS PIENAAR. AUSTRALIA BECAME THE FIRST TWO-TIME CHAMPIONS. IN 2003 ENGLAND BEAT AUSTRALIA AND BECAME THE FIRST NORTHERN HEMISPHERE NATION TO WIN. AND 2007 THE SPRINGBOKS BECAME WORLD CHAMPIONS FOR THE SECOND TIME. AND 24 YEARS AFTER IT ALL BEGAN, SO DID NEW ZEALAND IN 2011. THE ALL BLACKS DID IT AGAIN IN 2015, BECOMING THE FIRST AND ONLY TEAM TO WIN THREE WORLD CUPS. AS A SEARCH FOR THE NEXT CHAMPION BEGINS, LET'S HEAD TO JAPAN FOR THE FIRST TIME, WITH KIMERLY DOWNS ALONGSIDE SIR GRAHAM HENRY. WELCOME TO TOKYO STADIUM AHEAD OF THIS MASSIVE NIGHT FOR RUGBY. GRAHAM, THIS IS YOUR SEVENTH WORLD CUP. YOU ARE YET TO SEE AN OPENING CEREMONY. WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED FOR? I AM EXCITED FOR THE JAPANESE PEOPLE, WHO HAVE BEEN SUPERB SINCE WE HAVE BEEN HERE. LOOK AT THEM ALL. RED AND WHITE JERSEYS. 20 YEARS AGO THE GAME WAS NOTHING IN THIS COUNTRY. IT IS BOOMING, RIGHT THROUGH ASIA. IT IS THE FUTURE. LIKE SIR GRAHAM, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO WITNESS AN OPENING. SO WANTING TO SOAK UP THE ENERGY AND BE A PART OF IT. CAN'T WAIT FOR THAT MOMENT. THAT IS US ON THE SIDELINE FOR NOW. BACK TO THE STUDIO. THAT IS THE SEEN PITCH SIDE. LET SET UP TO THE STANDS. OUR COMMENTARY TEAM FOR THE EVENING, STEPHEN DONALD AND SCOTT STEVENSON. THE LIGHTS HAVE DROPPED BEHIND YOU. IT IS IMMINENT NOW. GOOD EVENING. THE ATMOSPHERE HAS BEEN BUILDING ALL AFTERNOON. WE ARRIVED ABOUT TWO THIS AFTERNOON. THE FANS WERE AHEAD OF US. THEY HAVE BEEN HERE FOR HOURS. THE EXCITEMENT IS UNBELIEVABLE. THE STREETS OF TOKYO TODAY, PEOPLE IN JERSEYS EVERYWHERE. CAN'T WAIT FOR IT TO GET STARTED. THE NOISE AROUND THE STADIUM IS GROWING. IT IS A BEAUTIFUL STADIUM HERE IN TOKYO. THE CONCOURSE HAS BEEN IN FULL SWING. PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ENTERTAINED. NOW THEY WANT THE GAME TO BEGIN. YOU ARE ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE HOW PASSIONATE THE JAPANESE ARE ABOUT RUGBY UNION. THAT IS THE BEAUTY OF BEING HERE TODAY. THE ANTICIPATION IS BEING HERE ALL WEEK. YOU JUST CAN'T IGNORE IT. A CITY THE SIZE OF TOKYO, YOU WOULD THINK IT WOULD GET SWALLOWED UP. THAT IS NOT THE CASE. EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK AT IS RUGBY WORLD CUP. EXCITING IN THE COMMENTARY BOX. WE WILL JOIN YOU FOR THE OPENING CEREMONY. A MENTION TO OUR FRIEND BLAIR VINING. IT WAS A BRAVE MOVE TO TAKE THE TOURNAMENT TO NEW GROUND. THEY ARE BREAKING IT. NOW THAT IT IS HERE, AN ENORMOUS CITY LIKE TOKYO, IF YOU ARE FEELING IT, THEN IT HAS LANDED. THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN IT FOR SO LONG. THE ANTICIPATION HAS BUILT SO MUCH. IN A CITY THE SIZE OF TOKYO, YOU COULD THINK IT WOULD GET LOST. IT IS EVIDENT. THERE HAS BEEN THAT EXCITEMENT. EVERYONE HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR SO LONG. AFTER THE OPENING CEREMONY, WE WILL BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE MATCH ITSELF. THE EXCITEMENT HAS GOT TO BE BUILT AROUND JAPANESE RUGBY IS ON THE UP. YOU SEE THE HOME PEOPLE EMBRACE IT. JAPANESE RUGBY IS ON THE RISE. THE STYLE OF PLAY, THE, CAMARADERIE. LET'S RETURN TO TOKYO FOR THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF RUGBY WORLD CUP 2019, THE OPENING CEREMONY. THE OPENING MATCH TO COME IN LESS THAN AN HOUR. SCOTTY STEVENSON TO TALK YOU THROUGH THE FORMALITIES. AS JAPAN WELCOMES THE RUGBY WORLD. GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. WELCOME TO SPARKS PORT AND TVNZ'S COVERAGE OF RUGBY WORLD CUP 2019. WE ARE 20 SECONDS AWAY FROM THE OPENING CEREMONY HERE AT TOKYO STADIUM. CROWD OF 50,000 IS EXPECTED FOR THE OPENING MATCH. PLEASE SIT BACK AND ENJOY WHAT WILL BE A WONDERFUL SHOW. (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) (DRAMATIC JAPANES MUSIC) (MAN CHANTS IN JAPANESE) (WHOOSHING) HE SAYS, WE HOPE ALL PEOPLE CELEBRATE THIS OCCASION, AS IT WILL STRENGTHEN THE BONDS OF THE WORLD AND BRING A BRIGHTER FUTURE. AND WITH HIS MASK HE HAS SUMMONED 14 GODS, MAKING A TOTAL OF 15. (ROARING) THE GODS REPRESENT SEE, MOUNTAIN, EARTH, FIRE, SUN, THUNDER, CLOUD, WIND, AND STONE. (DRAMATIC DRUM MUSIC) AND NOW THE DANCERS OVER THE SUNRISE AND THE EARTH IS COVERED WITH YEARS OF RICE AND DYED IN GOLD. AND EXPRESSION OF THE HOPE FOR A GOOD HARVEST, AS A CELEBRATION OF THE RUGBY WORLD CUP 2019. (LOUD DRUMMING) 40 TAIKO DRUMMERS DRUMMING FOR 220 DRUMMERS, MAKING PATTERNS INSPIRED BY A FAMOUS DANCE FESTIVAL. (DRAMATIC FLUTE MUSIC) (DRUMS POUND) (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) (DRUMS RUMBLE) ALL THE HOST CITIES NAMED. THE USE OF JAPANESE BANNERS AND THE JAPANESE LANTERN. (DRAMATIC FLUTE MUSIC) (DRUMMING CONTINUES) (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) = A 400 YEAR OLD TRADITION. ON SHOW HERE IN TOKYO TONIGHT. NOW THE STORY OF REN-G SHI AND MOUNT FUJI. (EERIE MUSIC) THE TRADITION OF KABUKI DATING BACK TO THE 17TH CENTURY. THE ORIGIN OF REN-G, THE OFFICIAL MASCOT OF RUGBY WORLD CUP 2019. THIS KABUKI DANCE DATING FROM MAY 1861. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) (TRADITIONAL JAPANESE MUSIC CONTINUES) (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) (WOMAN SINGS IN JAPANESE) FROM THE BIRTHPLACE OF RUGBY ALL THE WAY TO JAPAN. THE FOUNDATION PERIOD OF RUGBY IN JAPAN IS PLAYED ON THE SCREEN. THE FIRST MATCH HERE IN 1866 IN YOKOHAMA, DEVELOPING A RUGBY CULTURE, ALL FOR ONE, ONE FOR ALL. (DRAMATIC MUSIC) (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) (CHEERING) (CHEERING, WHISTLING) (CHEERING, WHISTLING) ( (CHEERING, APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS) 350 CHILDREN OF VARIOUS NATIONALITIES REPRESENTING THE 20 PARTICIPATING NATIONS. ('THE WORLD IN UNION' PLAYS) # THERE'S A DREAM I FEEL # SO RARE, SO REAL. # ALL THE WORLD IN UNION, # THE WORLD AS ONE. # GATHERING TOGETHER, # ONE MIND, ONE HEART. # EVERY CREED, EVERY COLOUR # ONCE JOINED, NEVER APART. # SEARCHING FOR THE BEST IN ME. # I WILL FIND WHAT I CAN BE. # IF I WIN, LOSE OR DRAW, # THERE'S A WINNER IN US ALL. # IT'S THE WORLD IN UNION, # THE WORLD AS ONE. # AS WE CLIMB TO REACH OUR DESTINY, # A NEW AGE HAS BEGUN. # WE FACE HIGH MOUNTAINS, # MUST CROSS ROUGH SEAS. # WE MUST TAKE OUR PLACE IN HISTORY # AND LIVE WITH DIGNITY. # AS WE CLIMB TO REACH OUR DESTINY, # A NEW AGE HAS BEGUN. # IT'S THE WORLD THE WORLD IN UNION. # A NEW AGE HAS BEGUN. # A BEAUTIFUL RENDITION OF WELDON UNION FROM THE TOKYO CHILDREN'S CHORUS. (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS) THE WILLIAM WEBB ELLIS CUP. IT MAKES ITS FIRST APPEARANCE AT TOKYO STADIUM. IT IS HELD ALOFT BY A MAN WHO HAS LIFTED IT IN TRIUMPH TWICE BEFORE. (CHEERING) 148 TEST MATCHES, CAPTAIN OF THE ALL BLACKS, WINNERS OF THE 2011 RUGBY WORLD CUP, CAPTAIN OF THE ALL BLACKS, WINNER OF THE 2015 RUGBY WORLD CUP AND NOW HERE IN JAPAN TO HANDS THAT WONDERFUL SYMBOL OF POWER AND SUPERIORITY OVER TO THE ORGANISERS OF THIS, THE FIRST RUGBY WORLD CUP ON ASIAN SOIL. (DRAMATIC MUSIC CONTINUES PLAYING) AND ONE LAST LINGERING LOOK FROM RICHIE MCCAW. (FIREWORKS POP) (CHEERING) (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS) THE RUGBY WORLD CUP 2019. HERE IS THE WORLD RUGBY CHAIRMAN. (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS) (APPLAUSE) IMPERIAL HIGHNESS CROWN PRINCE AND WORLD RUGBY CHAIRMAN. (CHEERING) I CAN SEE NOW PROMISE ABE AND RUGBY FANS AROUND THE WORLD, THIS IS A MOMENT WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR. JAPAN'S RUGBY WORLD CUP, THE FIRST IN ASIA. (CHEERING) THIS IS THE MOMENT THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE, THE HOST CITIES, AND SO MANY JAPANESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR WITH GREAT DEDICATION AND PASSION. YOU CAN ALL BE VERY PROUD TONIGHT. YOU HAVE MADE HISTORY. OVER THE NEXT SIX WEEKS, WE WILL EXPERIENCE THE VERY BEST OF RUGBY, THE VERY BEST OF JAPAN UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS WILL BE SHARED ON AND OFF THE FIELD. EXCITEMENT WILL SWEEP THIS GREAT NATION. (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) I KNOW JAPAN WILL BE THE MOST WELCOMING OF HOSTS. YOU ARE THE BEST HOSTS. (APPLAUSE) NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT A PARTNERSHIP THANKS TO THE CROWN PRINCE, THE GOVERNMENT, ORGANISING COMMITTEE, THE JAPAN RUGBY FOOTBALL UNION, THE HOST CITIES, THE VENUES AND ALSO THE THOUSANDS OF VOLUNTEERS. (APPLAUSE) TO THE TEAMS, THIS IS YOUR MOMENT TO SHINE ON OUR GREATEST STAGE. I KNOW YOU WILL INSPIRE A NEW GENERATION OF FANS AND PLAYERS BY COMPETING AT YOUR VERY BEST, PROMOTING RUGBY VALUES, INTEGRITY, SOLIDARITY, RESPECT, DISCIPLINE AND PASSION. (APPLAUSE) THE WAITING IS OVER. THIS STAGE IS SET. IT IS NOW OVER TO THE TEAMS, THE FANS AND THE PEOPLE OF JAPAN TO MAKE THIS THE BEST RUGBY WORLD CUP EVER. (CHEERING) ARRIGATO. (APPLAUSE) THANK YOU. (SPEAKS JAPANESE) (APPLAUSE) (SPEAKS JAPANESE) (APPLAUSE) (CHEERING) (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS) (MUSIC BUILDS) (CHEERING) THE 2019 RUGBY WORLD CUP IS OFFICIALLY OPEN.