Former Japan international Watanabe killed in rail fall

FORMER Japan internationalist Yasunori Watanabe has died after being hit by a train at the weekend.

The 35-year-old, a flanker 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 on Saturday and said there were no other people around him, according to police.

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 and 2006. Watanabe played against Scotland at the 2003 World Cup in Australia, coming on as a replacement in the 32-11 defeat in the group stages in Townsville.