Europe

Rugby event in honor of late Japanese diplomat held in U.K.

Courtesy of the organizer of the Oku Memorial Trophy Rugby Tournament
People participating in the Oku Memorial Trophy Rugby Tournament held in a suburb of London on Saturday

By Koya Ozeki / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

17:44 JST, November 15, 2022

LONDON — An amateur rugby tournament to honor Katsuhiko Oku, a diplomat who was shot dead at the age of 45 in Iraq in 2003, was held in a suburb of London on Saturday.

The Oku Memorial Trophy Rugby Tournament was held the same day that a rugby match between the Japanese and English national teams was held at nearby Twickenham Stadium, making for a day of bonding between the Japanese and British people.

The memorial tournament between Japanese living in the U.K. and local teams was organized by friends of Oku from his days at the University of Oxford, as he was a great rugby enthusiast. It has been held annually since 2005.

The Oxford Kobe Scholarships program decided this year that the scholarship for the top student among its recipients will now be awarded in the name of Oku, according to the memorial tournament organizers.