Todd Blackadder is a retired New Zealand rugby union player and professional rugby coach. He captained the national team, the All Blacks, 14 times playing a total of 25 games and 12 tests. Blackadder captained the Crusaders to three Super Rugby titles during his time with the franchise while also winning two NPC titles with Canterbury. Blackadder coached the Crusaders for 9 seasons, without winning a title.
The Japan Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in Japan. It was formed 30 November 1926, and organises matches for the Japan national team.
Japan Rugby League One 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, to drive up the overall standard and popularity of the sport and improve the results of the Japan national rugby union team. 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.
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo is a Japanese rugby union team in the Japan Rugby League One. They are based in Fuchu, Tokyo, as is their local rival Suntory Sungoliath. They won the second ever Top League championship in the 2004-5 season and the Microsoft Cup in 2005 under their innovative and inventive coach Masahiro Kunda, himself a former hooker for Toshiba and Japan. They are particularly known for the strength of their mauls. Before the Top League was created, the team was called Toshiba Fuchu after their location. Their slogan for 2006 season was "Once again to the Pinnacle (Restart)". The team rebranded as Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to Japan Rugby League One in 2022.
Tokyo 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.
Richard Kahui is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He played for Western Force in Super Rugby AU. He previously played for the Highlanders and Chiefs in Super Rugby, Waikato in the National Provincial Championship, and New Zealand internationally. He played at centre and wing.
Steven Paul Bates is a New Zealand rugby union footballer, whose usual position is at Number 8. He played for Waikato at provincial level and the Chiefs in the Super 14. Bates made the traditional All Blacks route to the top with appearances for New Zealand Secondary Schools, New Zealand U-19 and the U-21s, during this time he played Rugby league and was good enough to be selected for the Warriors U-19s. He has only played one test so far for his nation.
Thomas Simon Maling is a retired New Zealand rugby union footballer and former All Black. His usual playing position was at lock. He played for most of his rugby career in New Zealand for the Otago Highlanders and the All Blacks from 1996 - 2004 before heading overseas to London to play part of one season at Harlequins in 2004 before heading to Japan. He joined the Scarlets at the start of the 2008–09 European season, leaving Suntory Sungoliath in Japan, where he played for three years from 2005 to 2008. In mid-2009, at age 34, Maling hung up his boots and retired from rugby and returned to his native New Zealand to live.
Tanerau Dylan Latimer is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who plays for the Bay of Plenty.
Christian Loamanu is a Tongan-born Japanese rugby union player who plays at wing but can also play centre and fullback.
Matthew Brendon Todd is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player. He is currently an assistant coach for the Crusaders.
Scott James McLeod is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former second-five eighth and centre. McLeod played 10 tests for the All Blacks from 1996 to 1998, and played domestic rugby for Waikato, Waikato Chiefs, and Toshiba Brave Lupus. McLeod is currently the assistant coach of the All Blacks. He replaced Wayne Smith as defence coach for the All Blacks after their third Bledisloe test against Australia on 22 October 2017.
Michael Harris is a professional rugby union football player for Pau in the Top 14. He has also been capped ten times for Australia. Harris began his career in 2007 with North Harbour in New Zealand's ITM Cup before moving to Australia in 2011. He played for the Queensland Reds and Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby and then joined French club Lyon for two seasons from late 2016. He moved to Japan for the 2018–19 season.
Michael William Vincent Collins is a professional rugby union player who plays as centre. He is a former captain of the Otago Boys' High School 1st XV and a former New Zealand Schools representative. He has turned down offers from the NRL franchise the Melbourne Storm and ITM Cup Premiership side Waikato to play for Otago. Collins most recently played for the Ospreys in the United Rugby Championship.
Michael Geoffrey Leitch is a professional rugby union player who plays as a number eight for Japan Rugby League One club Toshiba Brave Lupus. Born in New Zealand, he represents Japan at international level after qualifying on residency grounds.
Hiroki Yuhara was a Japanese rugby union player. Yuhara played 13 international matches for the Japan national rugby union team.
Joe Barakat is an Australian rugby union Coach. He has just returned home from two years in Japan as a forwards and defense coach for the NTT Communications Shining Arcs in Tokyo, Japan after an extensive national and international career.
Adam Grant Parker, was a New Zealand rugby union player who played as lock or as flanker. He played internationally for Japan.
Tom Parsons is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a lock for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and Urayasu D-Rocks in Japan Rugby League One.
Bernard Peter Upton is a New Zealand former professional rugby union player.