As part of the planning for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, the organising committee has urged business operators to order in sufficient quantities of beer to avoid upsetting travelling fans, Japan’s Jiji Press agency reported.

The concerns were among issues raised as part of briefing sessions held in Sapporo and Oita, which are among the Japanese cities tipped to deal with the largest influx of international visitors. The event runs from September to November and is expected to draw more than 400,000 fans from abroad.

Takuma Shin, who’s responsible for ensuring the region doesn’t run out of beer, said Oita is stock-piling beer in anticipation of the hoardes of rugby fanatics.

“We’ve been told by the World Cup organising committee that foreign rugby fans drink about four to six times more than Japanese people, so we will need to secure at least that much beer,” Takuma Shin told ABC News.

Organisers have warned the city of the serious risks of running out of beer.

Numerous restaurants and taverns in Japan entice customers with all-you-can-drink packages for a set number of hours. Venues offering these nomihoudai deals have also been advised by Oita Prefecture to take care not to run out of beer.

At a Bledisloe Cup Test in Japan in 2009, some parts of the stadium ran out of beer before the match even started.

And problems have persisted more recently as well. During a Rugby World Cup test event in north-eastern Japan, there were beer and soft drink shortages at the Kamaishi stadium.

Organisers have attributed it to the fact it was a hot day — and say they have learnt much from it.

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