ABSTRACT
New Zealand and Japan have very different rugby systems and cultures. In New Zealand, rugby is the traditionally dominant sport for men and is supported by a competitive club and school system that produces numerous successful athletes for the Super Rugby competition and the World Cup–winning All Blacks. This chapter presents the case study of a Taro. It focuses on Taro's early years as a school rugby player in New Zealand and examines his migration to Japan to take up a professional contract and an opportunity to represent a Japanese national team. The chapter argues that each of the periods included very different learning environments for Taro and, in being so different, acted as turning points where Taro experienced significant growth and deep learning. Taro's rugby progress was impressive, as he ended up playing in the First Fifteen for one of the most prestigious high schools for rugby in New Zealand.
