Rugby: Japan's World Cup preparations frustrated

The International Rugby Board (IRB) has thrown a spanner into Japan's Rugby World Cup preparations by ruling that former New Zealand A and Australian Sevens representative, flanker Glen Marsh, is ineligible to play for the Brave Blossoms.
Marsh has played three Pacific Six Nations games for Japan and played for New Zealand A in 1999. IRB rules stipulate that rugby players can't take the field for another country if they've played senior games for another union.
Japan's coach and former New Zealand Rugby Union boss, John Kirwan, says the decision is bad for the development of the game in what is a burgeoning rugby heartland.
The former Chiefs flanker joins Blair Urlich and Damian McInally in having their requests to play for Japan turned down.
Urlich was ruled ineligible to play for Japan because of his appearances for the Croatia Sevens team while McInally previously played Sevens for Australia alongside current All Black Steve Devine.