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Japan Rugby League One
Japan Rugby League One (), formerly known as the Top League (), is a rugby union competition in Japan. It is the highest level of professional rugby competition in the country. The Japan Rugby Football Union created the competition in 2003, by absorbing the Japan Company Rugby Football Championship. The chief architect of the league was Hiroaki Shukuzawa who strongly felt the urgency of improving Japanese domestic company rugby to a professional level which would allow Japan to compete more convincingly at Rugby World Cups. Until 2022, it was an industrial league, where many players were employees of their company and the teams were all owned by major companies. While the competition was known for paying high salaries, only world-class foreign players and a small number of Japanese players played fully professionally, which meant most of the players still played in an amateur capacity. The delayed 2021 season was the final season of the Top League, with the JRFU adopting a n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rugby Union
Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in England in the first half of the 19th century. Rugby is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an Rugby ball, oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped Goal (sports)#Structure, goalposts at both ends. Rugby union is a popular sport around the world, played by people regardless of gender, age or size. In 2023, there were more than 10 million people playing worldwide, of whom 8.4 million were registered players. World Rugby, previously called the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) and the International Rugby Board (IRB), has been the governing body for rugby union since 1886, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jaque Fourie
Jaque Fourie (born 4 March 1983) is a South African former professional rugby union player. He was a versatile backline player whose usual position was in the centres. He was a member of the 2007 Rugby World Cup winning team, playing at outside centre for 6 out of 7 matches, including all 80 minutes of the World Cup Final, which South Africa won 15–6. Career Fourie made his international debut on 11 October at the 2003 Rugby World Cup at outside centre for the Springboks against Uruguay at Subiaco Oval in Perth, and scored a try on debut. He also played against Georgia during the pool stages, scoring another try. He was a reserve for subsequent World Cup games against Samoa and the All Blacks. He next played for the Springboks in June 2004, playing on the left wing against Ireland, which South Africa won 26–17. He played a further three times for the Springboks that year; against England at Twickenham, Scotland at Murrayfield in November as well as a match against Argentin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Green Rockets Tokatsu
NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu (formerly NEC Green Rockets) is a Japanese rugby union team in the Japan Rugby League One. The team's captain is Ryota Asano. The previous captain was Takuro Miuchi, who was also the captain of the Japan national rugby union team. Before the semi-professional Top League was created, the team was just known as "NEC". The amateur club was founded in 1985 in the Kantō region. NEC Green Rockets won the All-Japan Championship final for the second time on 27 February 2005, beating Toyota Verblitz 17-13. They drew 6-6 with Toshiba Brave Lupus in the 43rd Japan Championship final on 26 February 2006 after an effective defensive effort and the sin-binning of Glen Marsh in the last ten minutes of the game. The team rebranded as Green Rockets Tokatsu ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One in 2022. Honours * All-Japan Championship ** Champions: 2005, 2006 (with Toshiba Brave Lupus) Current squad The Green Rockets Tokatsu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hanazono Kintetsu Liners
Hanazono Kintetsu Liners are a Japanese rugby union team owned by Kintetsu Corporation which was founded in 1929. They have won the All-Japan Championship three times as an amateur team. Their home is at Hanazono Rugby Stadium, which was also opened in 1929 and is in Higashiosaka, Japan. Early in 2008 Kintetsu won promotion back to the Top League for the 2008–9 season, and it was announced that former All Blacks coach Peter Sloane would be head coach. Sloane coached the team for three years before Ryusuke Maeda succeeded him in 2011. The team rebranded as Hanazono Kintetsu Liners ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One in 2022. Honours * All-Japan Championship ** Champions: 1966, 1967, 1974 ** Runner-up: 1961(NHK Cup), 1963 * Company Championship ** Champions: 1953, 1956, 1957, 1961, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1974 ** Runner-up: 1948, 1951, 1955, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1965, 1973 History Early periods In 1927, a team was founded by some em ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mie Honda Heat
Mie Honda Heat is a Japanese rugby union team based in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan. The owner of the club is Honda Motor. (Suzuka is known for the Suzuka Circuit and the presence of car companies. Conveniently, the team uses Suzuka to jog on as part of their training programme.) They play in the Japan Rugby League One, the top tier of Japan's rugby union hierarchy. In 2011–12, Honda Heat were relegated to regional events for 2012–13. Winning 2 and drawing 1 of their 13 games in the regular season. The team rebranded as Mie Honda Heat ahead of the rebranding of the Top League as the Japan Rugby League One in 2022. History Honda Motor Co. established its rugby club in 1960 at the Suzuka Factory. The team gained promotion to the Kansai A-League for the 1978 season, and then finished sixth in the seven-team competition for that year. Honda remained a fixture in the Kansai A-League, being demoted only once (for the 1985 season) before it was renamed the Top West A-Lea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black Rams Tokyo
Black Rams Tokyo (formerly Ricoh Black Rams) is a Japanese rugby union team in the Japan Rugby League One. Being ranked tenth meant that, in order to continue in the league, it had to defeat one of the top regional clubs in a play-off, which it achieved. Slogan for 2006 season: TAFU ("Tough" in English). The acronym stands for Team, Aggression, Faith, Unity. In January 2008 it was announced that Stephen Larkham would be joining the team next season, but the team was relegated back to the Japan East League where Larkham would begin his career in Japan. In April 2008, Todd Louden was announced as head coach, to be assisted by Pote Human (''Daily Yomiuri'', April 26, 2008). The team rebranded as Black Rams Tokyo following the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One ahead of 2022. Schedule/Results 2005 February 13. Ricoh Black Rams v Toyota Jido Shokki - placed third in the Top League Challenge Series. Players Current squad The Black Rams Tokyo squad for t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Toyota Verblitz
Toyota Verblitz is a Japanese rugby union team in the Japan Rugby League One. Verblitz is a portmanteau of ''verde'' (Italian, Spanish and Portuguese for 'green') and ''blitz'' (German for 'lightning'). The team is owned by Toyota Motor Corporation and is not to be confused with the Aichi Shuttles rugby team, owned by Toyota Industries. It shares Toyota Stadium in the city of Toyota, Aichi with the football club Nagoya Grampus which also used to be owned by Toyota Motors. Honours * All-Japan Championship ** Champions: 1969, 1968, 1987 ** Runners-up: 2007 Results Verblitz (surprisingly given the team's pedigree) failed to make the cut for the first season of the Top League (2003-4) but entered the Top League in the second season and were a contender for the second Microsoft Cup. They lost the Japan Championship final on February 27, 2005, to NEC Green Rockets 13–17. Current squad The Toyota Verblitz squad for the 2024-25 season is: * * denotes players qualified to play ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay
Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay (commonly known as the Kubota Spears) is a Japanese rugby union team based in Funabashi, Chiba participating in the Japan Rugby League One. The team rebranded as Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay ahead of the rebranding of the Top League as the Japan Rugby League One in 2022. History The original rugby club was formed in 1978 by volunteers at the Kubota companies headquarters. In 1984 the team won the Kanto Amateur League Division 4 and later on won the promotion match to be moved up to the Kanto Amateur League Division 3. After promotion in 1994 the team won all of their games in the Kanto Amateur League Division 2, and after winning the promotion match were finally promoted to the first division. In 1996 after only one year into them being in the first division, they had won their first championship, but later failed to win the promotion match 19-22 to enter the East Japan Amateur League. The year after in 1997 the team won their second cha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tokyo Sungoliath
Tokyo Sungoliath (formerly known as Suntory Sungoliath) is owned by the Suntory beverage company and is one of the Japanese rugby union teams in the Top League. The team is based in Fuchū, Tokyo, as is their local rival Toshiba Brave Lupus. The team rebranded as Tokyo Sungoliath ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One in 2022. Suntory coached by Katsuyuki Kiyomiya won the Microsoft Cup on February 24, 2008 by defeating Sanyo Wild Knights in a close and exciting game, 14-10. Suntory therefore became the champion of the Top League for the 2007–08 season. On June 18, 2008 it was announced that George Gregan, the most-capped player in the sport's history, had joined the club on a two-year contract.Daily Yomiuri June 19, 2008) Gregan remained with the club until he announced his retirement at the end of the 2010–11 season. Honours * All-Japan Championship ** Champions: 1995, 2000, 2001, 2011, 2012 ** Runner-up: 2008 * Microsoft Cup ** C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Urayasu D-Rocks
Urayasu D-Rocks, commonly known as the D-Rocks, or the Shining Arcs, is a rugby union team owned by NTT Communications and is part of Japan's Rugby League One competition, currently in Division 1. Given the name, the team is based in Urayasu City, Chiba Prefecture in the Kantō region. The team has undergone several ''re-brands'' throughout its history, most recently in 2022, rebranding from Shining Arcs Tokyo-Bay Urayasu in line with the newly formed Japan Rugby League One competition in 2021/22, to the Urayasu D-Rocks in 2022 onwards. History and name NTT Communications RFC was founded in 1976. They won promotion to the expanded Top League of 14 teams at the end of the 2009–10 season. They made their Top League debut for the 2010–11 season. After their first season, they finished 12th place with 4 wins and 9 losses. They had to play a play-off to keep themselves in the Top League, in which they beat Canon Eagles 31–19. In the 2011–12 season, they finished in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars
also known as Mitsubishi Juko Sagamihara Rugby Club, are a Japanese rugby union team based in Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The owner of this club is Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The club was founded in 1981. It came second in the Top East 10 league in 2004-5 and entered the Top League (Japan Rugby)#Top League Challenge series, Top League challenge series play-off. The club won the Top East 11 league in 2006–07 and entered the Top League in 2007–08. The team was named Dynaboars (a conflation of "dynamic" and "boars") as part of their promotion to the Top League; however, they were demoted at the end of the season. The Dynaboars signed ex-Wales international and IRB World Player of the Year 2008 Shane Williams in 2012, retiring in 2014. Players Current squad The Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars squad for the 2024-25 season is: Former players * Simon Kasprowicz - lock * Blair Urlich - No. 8 * Kohei Matsui - center three-quarter back * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shizuoka Blue Revs
Shizuoka Blue Revs (formerly the Yamaha Júbilo) are a rugby union team based in Iwata, Shizuoka, Japan. The team came second behind Toshiba Brave Lupus in the second season of Japanese rugby's Top League (2004–05). They were coached by former All Black Grant Batty and Fijian player-coach Tabai Matson. Founded in 1984, its name was " Yamaha Motors Rugby Football Club". The team rebranded as the Shizuoka Blue Revs ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One in 2022. The team name Júbilo means 'joy' in Portuguese, which has had a notable influence on the Japanese language. The name was also shared with the also Yamaha-owned Júbilo Iwata from J2 League. Current squad The Shizuoka Blue Revs squad for the 2024-25 season is: * * denotes players qualified to play for the Japan on dual nationality or residency grounds. Notable former players * Wataru Murata (2001-08, 68 games) Scrum-half, Japanese International (2001-08, 41 caps) * Leon Mac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
