Moving abroad for work and adapting to a new culture while making connections and building a support network can be daunting.

But for some Japanese expats living and working in other parts of Asia, one activity has gone a long way toward easing such transitions: rugby.

Since 1997, Japanese expats from around Asia have been coming together for the annual Asian Japanese Rugby Cup (AJRC), with up to 17 teams slated to join this year¡¯s tournament in Malaysia on Dec. 14.