Japan

Scotland wing Sean Lamont has urged his team to take the upcoming Test series against Japan seriously in order to avoid a tougher group in the 2019 World Cup.

We wrap up our recent previews of the World Rugby U20 Championship by examining Pool C, after looking at both Pools A and B over the last few days.

Scotland stand-off Finn Russell will miss Scotland's summer tour to Japan as he continues his stay in hospital recovering from a head injury.

Scotland have included seasoned centre Sean Lamont as a replacement for their injured winger Tim Visser for the tour of Japan which is scheduled to begin in June.

Scotland have added centre Matt Scott to the squad for the upcoming Japan tour as a replacement for Alex Dunbar, who was ruled out for the remainder of the season owing to a knee injury.

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.