Mr. Halman's death "is a huge setback for Dutch and European baseball, " said Steve Janssen, pitching coach for the Dutch national team, which last month beat Cuba in the finals to win the baseball World Cup in Panama.

WSJ: Mariners Outfielder Found Stabbed to Death

As a team sport it trails far behind football and baseball in popularity, but the Japanese RFU hope that a bid to host the 2015 World Cup will boost the sport, after the disappointment of losing out to New Zealand for the 2011 tournament.

BBC: Eastern Promise: Japanese rugby