Wales face Georgia, Australia, Fiji and Uruguay in Pool D
Tuesday 4 September 2018 15:23, UK
Wales will prepare for the 2019 World Cup in the Southern Japanese city of Kitakyushu next September.
Warren Gatland's side will travel to Japan for their training camp at the City of Kitakyushu Stadium, to maximise their preparation and acclimatise to the host country.
In return, the WRU community team will deliver a range of community activities including working with local coaches and referees, the first of which they staged last month.
The 31-man World Cup squad will arrive in Japan on September 12, 2019, eight days before the tournament kicks off and 11 days before their opener against Georgia. In Pool D, Wales will also face Australia, Fiji and Uruguay.
It is the first time the Rugby World Cup will be held in Asia, and in support of Wales, Kitakyushu will be turning itself red during the tournament. Hundreds of the city's emergency response vehicles have already been decorated with messages of support for the team and local citizens wore read following last month's camp.
WRU head of rugby participation Ryan Jones told the team's website: "The people of Kitakyushu could not have been more welcoming and accommodating and we have formed a very unique partnership with the city.
"The RWC presents an opportunity to build long-lasting ties and we have kicked off our relationship ahead of the RWC to maximise the support for Wales.
"The city have been incredibly supportive of the team and we are very grateful to the mayor of Kitakyushu, Mr Kitahashi, for his help in securing the training camp in the city and for throwing the weight of the region behind and in support of Wales."
