Several Irish players facing tattoo dilemma at next year’s Rugby World Cup

Rugby players with tattoos have been asked to cover up their ink at next year's Rugby World Cup in Japan.

Tattoos have long been associated with “anti-social elements” and Yakuza mobsters in Japan and as a mark of respect to the local culture World Rugby have asked competing teams to have their tattooed players cover up around public facilities. Head of the Rugby World Cup Alan Gilpin said that players will be expected to cover up by wearing a rash vest when swimming in a public pool or when visiting bath houses. "We will make [Japanese] people aware around the facilities that players will use, that people with tattoos in a Rugby World Cup context are not part of the Yakuza," Gilpin said. "We have done a lot in the last year or so with the teams to get them to understand that. When we raised it with the teams a year or so ago, we were probably expecting a frustrated reaction from them but there hasn't been at all. "That is a great tribute to the sport itself and to the rugby players themselves. They all also buy into the idea of putting on a rash vest in the pool or in a gym as they want to respect the Japanese culture. "If they are using a public pool, they will have to cover up. Players will also have to wear different trainers indoors and outdoors. It will all be self-policing. "We won't force any teams to cover up but they will want to because they want to be seen to be respecting the culture. Whether it is Scotland, Ireland, Wales or Italy, who have all been there recently, they all get it." IRFU Media & Communications Officer David O'Siochain confirmed that the Irish squad adhered to the request for next year's Rugby Word Cup and that the team also operated under the same guidelines on their summer tour of Japan last summer. The Rugby World Cup will on September 20 next year with Japan kicking off the tournament against Russia at Tokyo Stadium.