Saitama Wild Knights (formerly Panasonic Wild Knights) is a Japanese

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 orig ...

team formerly based in Ōta city,

Gunma prefecture is a landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of . Gunma Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture and Fuk ...

which played in the

Top League 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 ...

. In 2021 it relocated 13 kilometers south to

Kumagaya is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 195,277 in 87,827 households and a population density of 1200 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Kumagaya is one of the largest cit ...

Saitama prefecture is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Saitama Prefecture has a population of 7,338,536 (January 1, 2020) and has a geographic area of 3,797 Square kilometre, km2 ( ...

, and rebranded as Saitama Wild Knights accordingly. It now plays in

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, b ...

. Inspired by Tony Brown at fly half (though he was not captain), it dominated the league in the fifth season and was the first team to be unbeaten throughout a Top League season.

History

Early Years (1960 to 1975)

The Wild Knights were founded in 1960 by alumni of the Kumagai Industrial School and workers of the Tokyo Sanyo corporation. Initially an amateur company team, they competed in the Kantō Leagues during the 1960s, rising gradually through the ranks of the prefecture's rugby pyramid. In 1968 they undertook the first tour in their history when they travelled to South Korea to face a number of university and company teams there. In 1971 they won their first ever Kantō Rugby Championship, after arising from the 4th division only 9 years earlier. This success was followed the next season with a successive championship title, a testament to the increasing fortunes of the

Gunma is a landlocked prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of . Gunma Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture and Fukushima Prefecture to t ...

club.

Growth and Success (1975 to 2002)

After a few runners-up places, the club won seven back-to-back titles between 1976 and 1982, becoming the dominant rugby force in Kantō-chihō. Further titles were added in 1986 and 1987, before the Wild Knights were entered into the new

East Japan Rugby Championship East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that eas ...

against other top clubs from Kantō and Tōhoku. Rugby in Japan was a growing sport, gradually gaining popularity and competitiveness outside of its normal strongholds in company break-rooms and college campuses. Although still nominally amateur, the Wild Knights nonetheless used their position in the Tokyo Sanyo corporation to hire talented foreigners to 'work' for the company with the real intention of playing for the rugby team. Known as "

shamateurism Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. The distinction is made between amateur sporting participants and professional sporting participants, who are paid for the time they spend competing a ...

", it became rampant in rugby union, as well as football and baseball. Due to the merger of Tokyo Sanyo Electric with Sanyo Electric in 1986, the team name was changed to Sanyo Electric Rugby Team. The maiden season of the new East Japan league was captured in 1988, with further crowns captured in 1990 and 1991. Further titles were nabbed during the 1990s and in May 1997 the club's new ground at Ryumai-cho was officially unveiled.

Early Top League Era (2003 to 2012)

In 2003 the

Japan Rugby Football Union The Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU; ) is the governing body for rugby union in Japan. It was formed 30 November 1926, and organises matches for the Japan national rugby union team, Japan national team. The JRFU is currently one of only two fede ...

launched the

, Japan's first nationwide domestic rugby competition. Held annually between September and February, the Top League would mark a new future for the sport in Japan and a fully professional structure would help clubs like the Wild Knights to attract better players. Immediately prior to the launch of the Top League in 2003, the club renamed the name to "Sanyo Wild Knights". In the maiden season of the Top League, the club finished in 7th but did manage to win the Fair Play Award for 2003–04. The league that year was won by the

Kobe Kobelco Steelers The Kobelco Kobe Steelers are a Japanese rugby union team owned by Kobe Steel, and based in Kobe. They were the first ever Top League champions when the League started in the 2003-2004 season. The team rebranded as Kobelco Kobe Steelers ahead of ...

. The Wild Knights fans were also awarded the Japan Special Award for their support and atmosphere. The club's starting scrum-half

Wataru Ikeda Wataru Ikeda (born 17 November 1975) is a Japanese former professional rugby union player. Born in Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, Ikeda attended Miyagi Fisheries High School and got involved in rugby union as his elder brother was a player ...

was also chosen for the league Best XV that year. The following season seemed to mirror the first, as the Wild Knights fans were again awarded the Special Award and the club finished in 7th. They exited the

Microsoft Cup The Top League Championship is Japan's highest-level knockout tournament for rugby union clubs. Held annually, the leading teams from the Top League regular season qualify for the playoffs to decide the Cup title. From 2018 onward, the All-Japa ...

in the first round. 2006 saw them finish runners-up in the league and see team-members Tony Brown and

Yamauchi Tomokazu Yamauchi or Yamanouchi (やまうち or やまのうち, lit. "inside mountains") is a Japanese surname. Either name is written in kanji as 山内 while Yamanouchi can also be written as 山ノ内. Notable people with the surname include: * Yamano ...

selected for the league's Best XV. In 2008, the club was crowned Top League champions, managing to go on a 13-game unbeaten record on their way to the title. The club won their second Top League crown in 2010 only to lose out in the playoffs. However, the club's success was mirrored in the fact that

Naoki Kawamata (born 31 October 1985 in Tokyo, Japan) is a Japanese rugby union player. Kawamata has played 18 international matches for the Japan national rugby union team. Kawamata was a member of the Japan team at the 2011 Rugby World Cup The 2011 Ru ...

Shota Horie Shota may refer to: * Shota (dance), a traditional dance from Kosovo * Shota (vehicle), Albanian mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle * Shota (Georgian given name), a Georgian given name * Shōta, a Japanese given name * Shota (wrestler), Japanes ...

Seiichi Shimomura Seiichi (written: , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese karateka *, Japanese cult member *, Japanese politician *, Japanese photographer *, Japanese philosopher *, Japanese art di ...

Tomoki Kitagawa is a former Japanese rugby union player who played as a wing. He spent his whole career playing for Panasonic Wild Knights in Japan's domestic Top League, playing over 80 times. He was named as a replacement in the Japan squad for the 2007 Rug ...

and

Atsushi Tatanabe Atsushi is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: * Atsushi (musician), Japanese singer *, Japanese voice actor *, Japanese synchronized swimmer *, Japanese professional wrestler *, Japanese water polo player *, Jap ...

selected in the league's Best XV. Fullback

was also crowned the league's top scorer and best kicker for 2009. In 2011, despite finishing in 3rd during the regular league season, the club won the Championship play-offs by beating

Suntory 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 t ...

28–23 in the final.

Akihito Yamada is a Japanese rugby union player who plays as a winger. He also plays for Top League side the Panasonic Wild Knights in his home country. Career Yamada has been a prolific try-scorer for the Wild Knights in Japan's Top 14 competition since m ...

was named MVP for the entire season. The club were runners-up in the play-offs in 2012.

Panasonic Wild Knights (2012 to 2021)

Prior to the start of the 2012–13 season, the club was sold to

Panasonic is a Japanese multinational electronics manufacturer, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka, Kadoma, Japan. It was founded in 1918 as in Fukushima-ku, Osaka, Fukushima by Kōnosuke Matsushita. The company was incorporated in 1935 and renamed and c ...

corporation and renamed the Panasonic Wild Knights, the name they currently bear. The team colours were switched from red and black to predominantly blue and black. In 2014, Head Coach Norifumi Nakajima left the club on the back of a historic double championship

and

All-Japan Rugby Football Championship The All-Japan Rugby Football Championship (日本ラグビーフットボール選手権大会 ''Nihon Ragubi- Futtobo-ru Senshuken Taikai'') is played at the end of the season and is doubling as the title playoff in the Top League. The first champ ...

during the 2013–14 season. On 21 April 2014, it was confirmed that former

Wallabies A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same taxonomic family as kangaroos and som ...

and

Crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding ...

Head Coach

Robbie Deans Robert Maxwell Deans (born 4 September 1959) is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player, currently the head coach of Japanese club Saitama Wild Knights. He was head coach of the Australian national team between 2008 and 2013. Deans prev ...

would become the new coach of Panasonic Wild Knights.Robbie Deans nouveau manager de Panasonic Wild Knights!
/ref> In August 2021, it relocated from the Ōta No. 2 Soccer-Rugby Ground (太田市第2サッカー・ラグビー場) in Ōta city,

to Kumagaya Rugby Ground,

, 13 kilometers south of the original site.

Honours

* Japanese Rugby Championship winners: 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021, 2022 * All-Japan Champions: 2008, 2011

Personnel

Coaching staff

Current squad

The Saitama Wild Knights squad for the 2024-25 season is: * * denotes players qualified to play for the

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

on dual nationality or residency grounds.

Past

Epi Taione Epi Taione (born 2 March 1979) is a former Tongan rugby union footballer whose last club was London Welsh. He normally played at centre but could cover the wing or back row. Rugby career He started his professional career at Newcastle Falcons. ...

- Tongan Centre/wing/Flanker who has played for

Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...

, Sale and more recently

Super Rugby Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It has previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Super Rugby started as the S ...

side *

Semi Taupeaafe Samuela H. S. "Semi" Taupeaafe (born in Nuku'alofa, on 29 July 1972）is a Tongan former rugby union player. He played as wing and centre. Career He represented Tonga in rugby union, Australia in rugby sevens, and Japan at the COBRA Rugby Tens ...

- former Wallabies sevens,

New South Wales Waratahs The New South Wales Waratahs ( or ;), often referred to as the Waratahs, are an Australian professional rugby union team based in Sydney that represents the majority of New South Wales in the Super Rugby Pacific competition. The Waratahs play t ...

and Tongan international *

Sinali Latu Sinali Latu (born in Tonga in 1965) is a retired Tongan-Japanese rugby union player.Bath, Richard (ed.) ''The Complete Book of Rugby'' (Seven Oaks Ltd, 1997 ), p70 He played in Japan for Sanyo and also played for the Japan national rugby union te ...

- now coach of Daito Bunka University R.F.C. * Murray Henderson - former Sanyo Wild Knights coach, Portugal National team forwards coach, current Oxford Uni OURFC Head Coach *

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 ...

- South African international centre *

Sonny Bill Williams Sonny William Williams (born 3 August 1985) is a New Zealand heavyweight boxer, and a former professional rugby league and rugby union player. He is only the second person to represent New Zealand in rugby union after first playing for the cou ...

- former utility New Zealand international. * Tony Brown - Fly-half, New Zealand international * Daniel Heenan - Lock, Australian international * Mitsugu Yamamoto (2004-11, 102 games) Hooker, Japanese international (2004-07, 10 caps) *

Koliniasi Holani , born 25 October 1981, is a Tongan born, Japanese professional Rugby union player. He is the nephew of the former Japan international number eight for Top League">Nofomuli Taumoefolau He plays at Rugby union positions#Number Eight">number eigh ...

(2006-19, 148 games) Loose forward, Japanese international (2008-16, 45 caps) *

Fumiaki Tanaka Fumiaki Tanaka (田中史朗, born 3 January 1985) is a Japanese rugby union player. He plays as a scrum-half for Japan on international level and for the NEC Green Rockets and the at domestic level. Career Tanaka was not seen as one of the ...

(2007-19, 157 games) Scrum-half, Japanese international (2008-, 75 caps) *

(2008-17, 133 games) Prop, Japanese international (2008-11, 18 caps) *

(2010-19, 115 games) Winger, Japanese international (2013-18, 25 caps)

References

External links

* (Japanese)
Sanyo Wild Knights win 45th All-Japan Championship
- JRFU English website {{Panasonic Japan Rugby League One teams Rugby clubs established in 1960 Sports clubs and teams in Gunma Prefecture Sports clubs and teams in Saitama Prefecture Panasonic 1960 establishments in Japan