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These photos of 90-year-old Japanese men competing in full-contact rugby are all the fitness motivation you need

Sep 7, 2019, 14:58 IST

Photo by Reuters/Kim Kyung Hoon

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  • The Fuwaku Rugby Club, which stages full-contact rugby matches for players over 40 years old, was the first club of its kind in Japan.
  • Players as old as 90 still play competitively for the Tokyo side.
  • "Since I joined Fuwaku Club, I have broken ribs many times and broke my collarbone too." 86-year-old Ryuichi Nagayama told Reuters, adding: "I don't mind dying playing rugby."
  • The Rugby World Cup kicks off in Japan later this month, when the host nation face Russia at the Tokyo Stadium on September 20.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Rugby isn't a sport you would typically suggest as a way for the elderly to keep fit.

But at Fuwaku Rugby Club in Tokyo, men in their 90s are still getting their boots dirty and their bodies bruised in anticipation for first ever Rugby World Cup to be held on Japanese soil.

Fuwaku, founded in 1948, was the first club of its kind, but is now just one of 150 across Japan to hold competitive, full-contact games for over 40s.

Read more: People heading to the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan are being warned about a disease that can cause seizures, paralysis, and death

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From mauls to scrums and from line-outs to rucks, the veteran players at Fuwaku take a no-holds-barred approach to the sport they love, playing just as they would have done as youngsters, and just as the pros will when the World Cup kicks off on September 20.

"Since I joined Fuwaku Club, I have broken ribs many times and broke my collarbone too," 86-year-old lock Ryuichi Nagayama told Reuters.

"There are many other things too. When I noticed an irregular pulse, I would take medicine to adjust. So, I can still do it. I can't stand not playing. That's it. This may sound strange, but I have lost my wife years ago and now I would say I don't mind dying playing rugby."

Scroll down for all the exercise motivation you'll ever need.

Stretching before a game becomes even more important when you're nearly 90 years old.

The tackling can be a bit tougher, but that doesn't stop them from putting their heads where it hurts.

Rucks are just as chaotic as they are in other leagues...

...But line-outs prove a bit more difficult, especially with the sun in your eyes.

That one's going to hurt in the morning.

Every club needs a solid number 9...

...As well as a sturdy front row. (scrum hats on, boys)

Flip-flops are a rugby essential for a post-match shower.

As ever with rugby players, however, the after game social remains the most important part.

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