Japan international Takuma Asahara was fortunate to escape serious injury after being driven over by a car on a night out with his Toshiba Brave Lupus teammates.
The Sunwolves prop had taken a lie down in front of a parked car after a drinking session with team-mates in the Tokyo district of Fuchu in the early hours of Sunday morning.
With his senses dulled, Asahara did not respond when a man in his 40s start his car and pulled away, trapping the 31-year-old under the vehicle.
Rushing to the aid of their teammate, players including Japan captain Michael Leitch, lifted the car up to enable Asahara to free himself from trouble with only ‘light injuries’.
A team statement published on behalf of Asahara read: “We are extremely sorry that we have caused trouble to various people including the driver. We will ensure that such an incident will not happen again.”
As a result of the incident, the Japan RFU confirmed the player has been withdrawn from participating in the team’s current training camp.
Asahara has been capped 12 times by the Jamie Joseph-coached Cherry Blossoms, and his recent call-up to the training camp seemed to suggest he was back in the national team reckoning five years after last representing his country.
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