TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) — A rugby ball made out of pure gold went on sale for the first time on Wednesday (July 13), at one of Japan’s oldest department store chains, Mitsukoshi, in downtown Tokyo.
Customers flocked to the exhibition hall from Wednesday morning to get a glimpse of the shining ball, weighing approximately 2.8 kilograms.
The exhibition organizer said the product was made to pay homage to Japan’s national rugby team’s victory over South Africa at the 2015 London Rugby World Cup, which some say was the greatest shock in Rugby World Cup memory.
It was made to also cheer the team on before its upcoming competition in the 2019 Japan Rugby World Cup.
“We made a rugby ball because we wanted a gold product that would inspire the same courage and awe ahead of Japan’s 2019 Rugby World Cup,” said the exhibition’s organizer Hideaki Shimura.
The gold rugby ball was made into the same size as the official ball used for men’s tournaments.
One of the visitors to the exhibition said the sensational play by Japan’s fullback Ayumu Goromaru during the last Rugby World Cup had probably inspired the creation of the luxury object.
“It is amazing. I feel like this was made because Goromaru did such a great job (in the previous Rugby World Cup),” said Hiroko Kawaguchi.
The ball, priced at 38 million yen ($373,057), was exhibited among other gold products that were on sale at the annual “Large Gold Exhibition.”
“I think the players will be more motivated if this is awarded as the prize for the number one Rugby team,” said another visitor, Yoko Kasuya said.
Organizers added that their sales expectation for this year’s gold products were much higher due to Britain’s recent decision to withdraw from the European Union, which caused market instability and gains in gold as investors sought refuge in safer assets.
