The Ives are the proud parents of Japan lock Justin Ives, who has been named in the Cherry Blossoms squad to take on the All Blacks at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Stadium on Saturday.
Ives (29) was picked in the Japan team for the World Cup in New Zealand in 2011.
His parents bought tickets for games Japan was going to play in Auckland and Hamilton, but unfortunately never got to see their son take the field.
Ives was injured in a match against Italy before the tournament began and, although it was hoped he would come right, he was eventually pulled out of the tournament, without playing even a minute.
It was discovered he had done some serious damage to the anterior cruciate ligament in one of his knees and he was subsequently out of the game for six months.
He returned to Dunedin last year and played six games for Otago and then moved back to Japan.
He is playing for the Canon side in Japan, alongside former Otago, Highlanders and All Black loose forward Adam Thomson.
Ives has impressed enough to be named in the Japan side to play the All Blacks in Tokyo on Saturday.
Neville and Cathy Ives flew to Japan earlier this week, and have tickets to the test on Saturday.
Ives went to Taieri College and played for University A before heading to Japan in 2007.
He qualifies for Japan under residency rules.
Ives is not the only player in the the Japanese squad with Otago connections.
Otago and Highlanders halfback Fumiaki Tanaka has been picked for the squad and may go up against Highlanders team-mate Aaron Smith, although both sides have yet to be picked.
Also in the Japan side is former Otago hooker Shota Horie, who is now with the Melbourne Rebels.
Winger Aki Yamada is a new cap in the Japanese team.
Yamada came to Dunedin earlier this season and played a few games for University A in the hope of making the Otago team. He did not make the final squad and returned to Japan.
One interesting player in the Japanese side is former Australian rugby league player Craig Wing.
The 33-year-old made his debut for the Japan side this year having, like Ives, qualified for the side through residency.
Wing is joined by Ives and two other New Zealanders, Luke Thompson and Michael Broadhurst, as overseas-born players in the Japanese team.
