On May 10, 2026, "rice paddy rugby," a game where players chase a ball in muddy fields before rice planting, was held in Nakata, Maizuru City, Kyoto Prefecture. Residents involved in community development on the Oura Peninsula formed an organizing committee and held the event for the first time.
Four teams of elementary and junior high school students, and nine teams of high school students and older competed in a league format.
The elementary and junior high school teams were the local "Wakaura Junior High School Student Team," while the adult team, "Doronko Dosanko's," comprised of Hokkaido University rugby club alumni residing in Maizuru and other parts of western Japan, won both undefeated.
In the adult division, the "Teacher Team" from Wakaura Junior High School, who had not yet secured a win, challenged their students to a match, resulting in an unsparing contest where both teams competed without holding back. Cheers of support echoed under the blue sky.
