Japan

Scotland head coach Vern Cotter on Monday unveiled a "tight" 27-man squad for Japan tour scheduled this summer.

A concise roundup of this week's Super Rugby action.

In the build-up to the 2016 Super Rugby season, one story, above all others, painted a troubling picture for the future of southern hemisphere rugby.

Marcell Coetzee, Ayumu Goromaru, Liam Gill and David Pocock

Wales will welcome Japan to Cardiff in November for the first time since the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

Stuart Lancaster will not be replacing Eddie Jones as the Japanese national team's head coach, Press Association Sport understands.

Japan number eight Amanaki Mafi will join Bath on a short-term contract until the end of the season, the club have announced.

Super Rugby is currently preparing itself for an exciting new era that will see it expand to an 18-team format in 2016, with two teams hailing from the previously unrepresented nations of Argentina and Japan.

The latest whisperings, murmurs and rumours from the world of rugby union, picking up bits and bobs from the written press, online and social media.

Vern Cotter will lead his Scotland side to Japan for a two-Test series with the Brave Blossoms next summer, the Scottish Rugby Union has announced.

The odds on Eddie Jones becoming the next England head coach continue to tumble, but the Stormers are adamant their new boss will remain in Cape Town.

The opening match of the 2019 Rugby World Cup will take place on September 20 and the final on November 2, it was announced on Tuesday.

Championship club Bristol have announced the appointment of former England captain Steve Borthwick as forwards coach.

The quarter-finals of Rugby World Cup 2015 are now set and although no Tier 2 sides were unable to escape from the pools, they have been the shining lights of the tournament so far.

Japan becoming the first team in 28 years to win three pool stage matches and still fail to qualify from their group following a 28-18 victory over the USA.

Japan captured the hearts and minds of the rugby-following world last weekend with a momentous and historic 34-32 victory over South Africa.

Welcome to a new regular feature at Talking Rugby Union where will take a look back at the good, the bad and the funny of the Rugby World Cup over the past week.

Japanese captain Michael Leitch has warned Scotland that the Brave Blossoms have no intention of being World Cup one-hit wonders.

Scotland head coach Vern Cotter will put out a near first-choice line-up as he looks to avoid becoming the second side to slip up against World Cup shock troops Japan.

Japan have moved above their next World Cup opponents Scotland in rugby union's official world rankings.