“I arrived just before sevens season. I joined the practice and everyone was kind and welcomed me. I was so happy.
“I was so nervous because I had never experienced being a foreigner and still didn’t have perfect English. So, I couldn’t tell what I thought and I couldn’t understand when people were talking fast. But I could feel that everyone was kind and everyone helped me.
“I feel that New Zealand club teams are really close to the community but in Japan, it’s not like that. We belong to a provincial union but it’s not a community thing. We don’t have our own field, no clubhouse, no van. Being a member of a big community is a big difference and I like that.”
Ōhaupō hooker Akira Kitamura runs at the Leamington defence during 2023. Photo / Arthur Uden
A hooker and prop, Kitamura played all 15 games for Ōhaupō in 2023, playing almost every minute.
He says that’s more than double the games his team in Japan, Rokko Rugby Football Club, play in a season.
Kitamura said New Zealand club rugby is played with a lot more freedom.
“In Japan, people like to play more structured but in New Zealand, it’s so different. They get the ball and play more freely. Everyone enjoys rugby and it’s a lot more physical.”
A highlight for Kitamura was proving himself on the field - proving that size doesn’t matter.
“I wanted to prove that a small Japanese guy can tackle the bigger boys.”
His experience as a whole was that New Zealanders were very kind.
Rugby teammates and his Lawn and Turf Contracting workmates were more than happy to drive him around when he didn’t have a car.
On October 1, Kitamura will have his first match of the season for Rokko with four matches to follow for the As and three games for Bs.
“If we win the local league, we will play in a national club tournament.”
Hoping to return to Ōhaupō for the 2024 season, Kitamura said, in the meantime he would miss his rugby family and culture but most of all, L&P.
“I want to thank every Kiwi, even the people at Ōhaupō bakery. They’re so nice and every morning I would stop for a pie and V.
“I really appreciate everyone. Workmates, teammates and especially Jordan Farrington - thank you for making it all possible, a big experience just from one email.”
Kitamura wants to be a coach that provides players opportunities in rugby, which is what Farrington did for him, paying it forward to the next generation.
