Tokyo Sungoliath (formerly known as Suntory Sungoliath) is owned by the

Suntory (commonly referred to as simply Suntory) is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan, and ...

beverage company and is one of the 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 ...

teams 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 ...

. The team is based in

Fuchū, Tokyo file:FuchuCityHall2023091.jpg, 260px, Fuchū City Hall is a Cities of Japan, city located in the western Tokyo, western portion of the Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. Fuchū serves as a regional commercial center and a commuter town for workers in cent ...

, 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

for the 2007–08 season. On June 18, 2008 it was announced that

George Gregan George Musarurwa Gregan AM (born 19 April 1973) is a former rugby union player who played as scrum-half. Born in Lusaka, Zambia, Gregan represented Australia at an international level, and is Australia's second most capped player. He played S ...

, 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 ** Champions: 2007–08 ** Runner-up: 2005–06, 2006–07 * All-Japan Company Championship ** Champions: 1995, 2001, 2002 * Top League Championship ** Champions: 2011–12

History

The club was established in 1980, and since then they have won the All-Japan Championship on numerous occasions. They have also competed in the

since its founding in 2003. The team has been improving in the League over the past few years. Suntory Sungoliath famously beat Wales 45-41 on Saturday 3 June 2001 whilst they were on tour in Japan.

Top League Results

In the first season of the Top League, 2003–04, Suntory finished 4th. In 2004–05 they finished 8th. The team was 6th in the 2005–06 season and jumped up to 2nd in the 2006-7 season under new coach Katsuyuki Kiyomiya and assisted by Michael Jones. In 2006 Suntory Sungoliath lost the final of the Top League and Microsoft Cup title to Toshiba Brave Lupus by a score of 33-18. Then in February 2007, Suntory Sungoliath again lost the final of the Top League and Microsoft Cup to Toshiba Brave Lupus before a crowd of 23,076 at Tokyo's Chichibunomiya Stadium (home to Mark Secker), the first sellout at the ground in 10 years, with the final score being just 14-13 to Toshiba Brave Lupus. In the first Top League game of the 2007-8 season Suntory gained revenge over Toshiba with a 10-3 win on October 26, 2007. At the end of the 13-game season Suntory was second behind Sanyo Wild Knights, having lost to Sanyo and by just one point to Coca-Cola West Red Sparks, and drawn 31-31 with

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 Corporat ...

in the final round. Sanyo and Suntory met again in the Microsoft Cup final on February 24 to decide the 2007–08 Top League champion. Suntory won that game 14-10 with a very strong mauling attack.

Top League Table

The table begins with the first season of the

, 2003-04.

Current squad

The Tokyo Sungoliath 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.

Notable former players

* Tusi Pisi – Manu Samoa international fly-half *

Schalk Burger Schalk Willem Petrus Burger Jr. (born 13 April 1983) is a South African former professional rugby union player. He played as a Flanker (rugby union), flanker for Saracen F.C., Saracens in the English Premiership (rugby union), English Premiershi ...

– South African flanker * Fourie du Preez – South African scrum half *

Uche Odouza Uche Oduoza (born 15 October 1986 in Glasgow, Scotland) is an English retired rugby union player. Oduoza's position of choice is wing although he can also play fullback. Career Born in Glasgow, Oduoza grew up in Exeter where he joined his lo ...

– winger, England (England 7s) *

– Australian scrum-half and the 2nd most-capped player in international rugby history * Rocky Havili – Tongan centre * Toru Kurihara – Japan fullback or wing *

Simon Maling Thomas Simon Maling (born 3 June 1975) is a retired New Zealand rugby union footballer and former All Black. His usual playing position was at Lock (rugby union), lock. He played for most of his rugby career in New Zealand for the Otago Highlan ...

– former All Black lock from 2001 to 2004 *

Beauden Barrett Beauden John Barrett (born 27 May 1991) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays as a First five-eighth or Fullback for the Blues in Super Rugby and Taranaki in the Bunnings NPC. Barrett won the World Rugby Player of the Year awards ...

- All Black five-eighth, 2015 Rugby World Cup Winner * Jamie Washington * George Smith – former Australian flanker 2000-2009, 2013 *

Norm Hadley Norman Hadley (2 December 1964 – 26 March 2016) was a Canadian rugby union player. "Stormin' Norman" was a massive , Lock (rugby union), lock. He played professionally first for Wasps RFC, London Wasps and then Bedford Blues in the 1990s. In C ...

– lock, former Canadian captain, Barbarian * Glenn Ennis – former Canadian No. 8, Barbarian

Coach

* Katsuyuki Kiyomiya (2006–09) * Eddie Jones (2009–12) * Naoya Okubo (2012–14) * Andy Friend (2014–16) * Keisuke Sawaki (2016–2019) * Milton Haig (2020-)

Notes

References

{{Tokyo Sungoliath squad Japan Rugby League One teams Rugby clubs established in 1980 Rugby union teams in Tokyo Suntory Fuchū, Tokyo 1980 establishments in Japan