Japanese Rugby
-
@Stargazer said in Japanese Rugby:
@Kiwiwomble It seems to be the result of a reorganisation.
This what the official media release on the Japan Rugby League One website says (translated by google):
We are pleased to inform you that Urayasu D-Rocks has been launched due to the reorganization of the NTT rugby team.
Shining Arcs and Red Hurricanes are both NTT teams.
新チーム浦安D-Rocksの発足に関するお知らせ | 【公式】ジャパンラグビー リーグワン ニュース
JAPAN RUGBY LEAGUE ONE（リーグワン）公式サイトでは試合速報、ニュースリリース、日程結果、順位、チーム/選手情報などをご覧いただけます。
I think it's primarily a business decision - having two teams across the same conglomerate costs a lot and companies are under pressure. The biggest weakness of the Japanese model is that the strength of a team can vary significantly from year to year (or be reorganized as in this case) based on the performance of the firm or strategic direction. In this case, NTT communications and NTT Docomo (two NTT subsidiaries) have got together (40% stake each) with NTT (20%) to form a new firm, NTT Sports X, that will have the rugby under it.
-
-
@Stargazer said in Japanese Rugby:
Need a bit of context though, looking at their squad on wiki - that Panasonic missing 7 players in Japanese touring squad and 2 players in the Springboks squad.
Reds would also be missing players though, of course
Are the Reds crap or good, though? I guess I should know that, but I don't watch. In the context that Panasonic are champions of their league.
-
Oh oh. This is the club Augustine Pulu, Simon Hickey and TJ Faiane play for. Faiane was already sitting out a 4-week suspension for a high tackle with head and neck contact, the past few weeks.
Japanese club plunged into scandal over bar incident
The Japan rugby side Hino Red Dolphins has suspended its operations following a media report that has accused its players of stripping...
-
Japan League One - NZ player* transfers ahead of the 2023/2024 season
(as officially announced by the clubs)
Players leaving their club/retiring
Ash Parker (Hino Red Dolphins)
TJ Faiane (Hino Red Dolphins)
Ryan Crotty (Kubota Spears Funabashi/Tokyo Bay)
Beaudein Waaka (Kobelco Kobe Steelers)
Alapati Leiua (Shizuoka Blue Revs)
Male Sa'u (Toyota Verblitz)
Michael Allardice (Toyota Verblitz)
Jamie Henry (Toyota Verblitz)
Sam Chongkit (Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars)
Heiden Bedwell-Curtis (Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars)
Dylan Nel (Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars)
to Southland
Tom Rowe (Kyushu Electric Kyuden Voltex)
Matt Todd (Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo)
Jack Stratton (Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo)
Tom Taylor (Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo)
George Risale (NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu)
Whetu Douglas (NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu)
Kaleb Trask (Mie Honda Heat) to Chiefs
Yeremia Mataena (Hanazono Kintetsu Liners)
Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa (Hanazono Kintetsu Liners)
Sam Caird (Hanazono Kintetsu Liners)
Jackson Garden-Bachop (Hanazono Kintetsu Liners) to Brive
Rob Thompson (Toyota Verblitz)
Tom Sanders (Tokyo Sungoliath)
Blake Gibson (Tokyo Sungoliath)
Aaron Cruden (Tokyo Sungoliath)
Tevita Li (Tokyo Sungoliath)
Players staying**
..Players signed
Aaron Smith (Toyota Verblitz)
Beauden Barrett (Toyota Verblitz)
Brodie Retallick (Kobe Steelers)
Jacob Abel (Mazda Sky Actives Hiroshima)
Joseph Domoni (Kintetsu Liners)
Charles Piutau (Shizuoka Blue Revs)
Coaches leaving their club
Grant Keenan (Hino Red Dolphins)
Aland Soakai (Kubota Spears Funabashi/Tokyo Bay)
Mose Tuiali'i (Shizuoka Blue Revs)
Carl Hoeft (Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars)
Shaun Webb (Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars)
Deane Lutton (Kamaishi Seawaves)
Robert Taylor (NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu)
Tai Lavea (Kobe Kobelco Steelers)
Jason O'Halloran (Tokyo Sungoliath)
Coaches staying**
..Coaches appointed
Dave Rennie - Head Coach (Kobe Kobelco Steelers)
Wes Clarke - Assistanc Coach (Defence) (Kobe Kobelco Steelers)
Phil Healey - Head Athletic Performance Coach (Kobe Kobelco Steelers)
*may include non-NZ players who've - for example - played NPC
**the "staying" group is usuall small on this list, because Japanese clubs never seem to publish contract durations and rarely re-signingsupdated 31 May 2023
-
Rugby: Japan hooker Horie to retire at end of new season
Japan and Saitama Wild Knights hooker Shota Horie said Wednesday the 2023-24 League One rugby season will be his last before he retires.
-
By the way, Japan Rugby League One starts this weekend and it looks we won't be able to watch it in NZ (legally). Just like the Top 14, nobody seems to have the rights to broadcast/stream the competition in NZ or they don't use those rights to broadcast or stream it.
-
-
@Stargazer I am assuming Gatland played too.
Anyone of note in the Honda team?
-
@Bovidae Yeah, Gatland converted 8 of Kobe's tries. Also Ngani Laumape (1 try), Gerard Cowley-Tuioti & Michael Little. I also recognised a few Brave Blossom players in that team.
Kiwis in that Honda Heat team were Mitch Hunt (who scored a penalty, a conversion and got a yellow card), Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa and Tevita Li. Also in that team: Franco Mostert, but otherwise not really familiar names, unlike that stacked Kobe team, although I do not recognise all of Japan's internationals.
-
And in the least surprise of 2023:
Jones appointed as Japan head coach
Former England and Australia boss Eddie Jones has been confirmed as Japan's new head coach through to 2028.
-
I'm think this is the right place and right team for him. The players will likely put up with his shit and might appreciate his eye for detail, and his reputation and understanding of Japan helps him enormously. From a JP perspective, I think this is great result after losing Joseph. It should also scare away some kiwi coaches who we'd like in NZ>
-
Well he's so toxic no other union would take the gamble on him now.
