What’s it like to be in an earthquake for the first time in Japan?

Well, the Newcastle Falcons rugby team, touring Japan from the UK, was “shaken but not stirred”, after being caught in the earthquake on Tuesday. The team was staying in a 33-story Tokyo hotel, and the entire squad was in the hotel at the time preparing for lunch, according to the team’s website.

Falcons director of rugby, Rob Andrew, said: “I was in the dining room in the basement level when it happened, and I can tell you it was a pretty scary moment.”

“The buildings here are designed to withstand these earthquakes, and in fairness there was not even the smallest bit of damage done to the hotel. But the walls were shaking for a few minutes, and for those of us who haven’t experienced anything like that before, we won’t forget it in a hurry.”

Falcons fitness and conditioning coach, Steve Black, added: “I was having a bath at the time, so it was actually quite a terrifying experience when all the waves started in the bathroom…”