TOKYO (AP) Team camps spanning some 1,500 kilometers (925 miles) for next year's Rugby World Cup in Japan were announced on Friday by the sport's governing body.
World Rugby said the 20 teams competing in the tournament starting Sept. 20 will utilize 52 camps during the group stage, ranging from the northernmost island prefecture of Hokkaido to Miyazaki on the southwestern island of Kyushu.
Sites were chosen in consultation with teams after applications were received from 90 cities and prefectures around the country.
Top-ranked and two-time defending champions New Zealand will hold camps in Tokyo, Urayasu in neighboring Chiba Prefecture, Ichinomiya in central Japan's Aichi Prefecture, and Beppu in Kyushu.
England will use sites in Sapporo, Kobe, Miyazaki as well as Tokyo.
The team camps for the knockout stage will be announced later. The final is scheduled for Nov. 2, 2019.
The Rugby World Cup in Japan is the ninth edition of the sport's showcase global event and the first to be held in Asia.
