Michael Leitch concerned by Japan's lack of progress since Rugby World Cup heroics

Brave Blossoms were a major highlight at their home tournament, reaching the quarter-finals

Japan's and Scotland's players line up prior to their Rugby World Cup Pool A game. AFP

Scotland lock Grant Gilchrist and Japan flanker Michael Leitch jump for the ball in a line out. AFP

Scotland fly-half Finn Russell scores the first try of the game. AFP

Scotland players celebrate with Finn Russell after his opening try. AFP

Japan wing Kotaro Matsushima scores his team's first try against Scotland. AFP

Japan players celebrate with Kotaro Matsushima after scoring their first try. Reuters

Japan fans celebrate their team's first try. Reuters

Japan prop Keita Inagaki scores his team's second try against Scotland. AFP

Japan players celebrate Keita Inagaki's try against Scotland. Reuters

Japan wing Kenki Fukuoka scores his team's third try against Scotland. AFP

Japan's Kenki Fukuoka celebrates after scoring his team's third try. AP Photo

Kenki Fukuoka scores Japan's fourth try. Reuters

Kenki Fukuoka is congratulated by Japan teammates Kazuki Himeno, left, after scoring his second try. AP Photo

A Japan fan cheers on his team against Scotland. AP Photo

Scotland players celebrate after teammate Willem Nel scores a try. AP Photo

Scotland prop Zander Fagerson scores his team's third try against Japan. AFP

Scotland's prop Zander Fagerson celebrates after scoring his team's third try against Japan. AFP

Japan and Scotland players tussle during the Rugby World Cup game. AFP

Japan captain Michael Leitch says he is concerned that not enough is being done to ensure the progress of the rugby team following their remarkable run to the World Cup quarter-finals on home soil last year.

Almost six months after Japan's emotional victory over Scotland in Yokohama secured their spot in the last eight for the first time, rugby, like the rest of world sport, has been brought to a standstill by the coronavirus pandemic.

Even before the unprecedented shutdown, however, questions were being raised as to whether Japan was fully capitalising on the success of rugby's first World Cup in Asia.

There had been talk of bringing Japan into the southern hemisphere's Rugby Championship or even Europe's Six Nations, but Leitch said getting Japanese rugby back to a place where it could compete with the world's top sides was a big ask.

"To get to that point [at the World Cup] took a lot of hard work, four years of hard work, and we did that for a short period," Leitch told Reuters.

"To do it back-to-back ... would be a very difficult process. If that was going to happen, you would have to change the way Top League operates and have certain times when the national team can get together and train.

"But at the moment ... we are not focusing on the Japanese team at the moment."

In an unprecedented move last year, the corporations that own Japan's domestic clubs allowed players to train with the national team for nine months ahead of the World Cup.

Since then, however, the Top League returned to normal, meaning the players would only be available to Japan for short periods before test matches.

If the coronavirus shutdown is lifted and Test matches go ahead this year, Japan will face tier one nations New Zealand, England and Ireland as part of a packed schedule. Leitch said there was a lot riding on those tests.

"If we start losing those test matches then we could get back to only playing against tier two countries," he said. "There is a lot of pressure on us to keep playing well and to be competitive against those top tier one countries.”

Japan has also lost its Super Rugby side, the Sunwolves, who will not be returning to the competition in 2021 after the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) and southern hemisphere governing body, Sanzaar, were unable to agree terms on a deal.

"It is very disappointing," Leitch said. "It was such a great tool for us to develop good Japanese players, and for us to not be a part of that next year ... I don't know how else we are going to develop good Japanese players."

The JRFU hope to fill the void with an improved domestic competition. Some big names, including Kieran Read, Dan Carter and Will Genia, had been playing in Japan before the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

The JRFU has also announced there will be a new league format from 2021, though it has been short on details.

For Leitch, who was born in New Zealand and moved to Japan when he was 15-years-old, any new structure must prioritize the development of young Japanese talent.

"It is great that a lot of international players are playing in our Top League but if we look five years ahead we need to start bringing up strong Japanese players," he said.

"I don't want to see Japanese rugby turned into a league that has no Japanese players, or the national team with no Japanese players.

"There needs to be a way where we promote Japanese rugby players and I think that is the next step we need to take."