The Australian Embassy Tokyo launched today the official website of the AUS+RALLY campaign (australly.jp/en/), an Australian Government sports diplomacy initiative in Japan in 2019-2020. The website reports on Australian sports teams’ activities across Japan, features host towns and organisations advancing the relationship between Australia and Japan, and introducing Australia’s proud sport culture. The Embassy invites Japanese local governments and organisations to join the AUS+RALLY campaign through the website.
Launched in April 2019 in partnership with Rugby Australia, the Australian Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia, the AUS+RALLY sports diplomacy initiative celebrates Team Australia in Japan in 2019 and 2020. AUS+RALLY brings together new and existing sports diplomacy activities through a communications and events program. The program aims to support Japan’s hosting of the world’s greatest sporting events and their important legacy.
The website includes guidelines for AUS+RALLY partners wishing to become part of the campaign, as well as brochures and cheering materials for AUS+RALLY supporters.
The Embassy recognised Kanagawa’s Odawara City as the first official AUS+RALLY partner on 12 June. Odawara will provide an important training base for the Wallabies ahead of the Rugby World Cup 2019, and for the Australian Rugby Sevens teams ahead of the 2020 Olympics. Tokyo’s Fuchu City (baseball) and Niigata’s Nagaoka City (swimming) have also been recognised as AUS+RALLY “Friends of Australia”. In July, the Australian swimming team, the Dolphins, will visit Nagaoka City while the Australian Women’s Sevens team will train in Odawara. In November, the Australian men’s baseball team will stay in in Fuchu ahead of the Premier 12, a qualifying tournament for Tokyo 2020.
AUS+RALLY partner organisations are given the title “Friends of Australia”, recognising their valued support for Team Australia ahead of Japan’s hosting of major sporting events. Friends of Australia will actively cross-promote their activities in collaboration with the Embassy. AUS+RALLY invites people across Japan to rally around the best of Australia.
Please access to our website at https://australly.jp/en/
About AUS+RALLY
As the world’s sporting talent descends on Japan, there has never been a better time for Japan and Australia to engage through sport. From 2019 into 2020, sport can be a window into all that Australia and Japan celebrate – innovation, lifestyle, education, food and culture. AUS+RALLY invites all to rally around the best of Australia in Japan!
Background
AUS+RALLY is a sports diplomacy initiative of the Australian Embassy Tokyo, run in collaboration with the Rugby Australia, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) and Paralympics Australia in 2019 and 2020. The AUS+RALLY campaign name combines the Japanese name for ‘Australia’ with a rallying call for Team Australia as the world’s sporting attention turns to Japan. The AUS+RALLY communication and events program brings together new and existing sports diplomacy activities to support Japan’s hosting of the world’s largest sporting events.
As one of Japan’s closest regional partners, Australia already enjoys a deep sporting connections and a healthy sporting rivalry with Japan. Through the Australia-Japan Foundation, Australia played a leading role in the introduction of life-saving and touch football into Japan in the 1970s and 1980s. Since then, Australian and Japanese sports people have enjoyed a steady exchange of competitions and players. In 2017 and 2018, national teams from Australia and Japan played each other 23 times in Japan and around the world. Over the same period, eleven Australian teams visited Japan, and many elite Japanese athletes travelled to Australia to train and play, including in baseball, tennis, golf and surfing.