The tournament director of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, Alan Gilpin, praised the Organising Committee for the progress they have made this year following a set of "highly-productive" meetings in Tokyo.

Gilpin claimed organisers were "on track" to achieve a balanced budget, a problem faced by the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee in the lead-up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Next year's event, the first World Cup to be held in Asia, has already attracted a record ticket demand, with 4.5 million applications made. 

“With 287 days to go, we are confident that the solid foundations are in place for a very special, successful and game-changing Rugby World Cup that has teams and fans at heart and delivers an unprecedented legacy for rugby in Asia," Gilpin said.

“All aspects of delivery, from match and training venues to team and spectator services, are on track. 

"We have also commended the Organising Committee on their commitment to balancing the budget, which they are on track to achieve.

“We have experienced exceptional ticketing demand in 2018 with more than half of the total number of available tickets sold ahead of the 19 January general sales phase and strong demand for official travel and hospitality and travel packages from all corners of the world."

The 2018 team managers' meeting also took place, with officials from all 20 participating countries getting together to run through operational updates.

“From player welfare to team camps, training and match venues, this is a tournament that will have teams at heart," Gilpin added.

“No stone has been left unturned in pursuit of delivering an environment in which the teams can perform to their best on rugby’s biggest stage and the feedback received from the teams has been overwhelmingly positive.

“They are looking forward to playing their part in Asia’s first Rugby World Cup, engaging with local communities and helping inspire new participants and fans across Japan and wider Asia.”