Watanabe dies

Former Japan flanker Yasunori Watanabe has died after being hit by a train at the weekend, police said on Monday.

Eurosport

Image credit: TNT Sports

The 35-year-old, who played for Japan's 'Brave Blossoms' in three World Cups from 1999-2007, fell from a platform at Kamakura, south of Tokyo on Saturday.

Watanabe represented his country 32 times before retiring from rugby in 2009.

An employee at the station witnessed Watanabe's tumble on to the tracks at about 9.30pm local time on Saturday and said there were no other people around him, according to police.

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Watanabe joined the Toshiba Brave Lupus club in Tokyo in 1997 after graduating from Nippon Sport Science University.

He helped the team win a hat-trick of domestic league titles between 2004-06.

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