Toyota Verblitz is a Japanese rugby union team in the Japan Rugby League One. Verblitz is a portmanteau of verde and blitz. The team is owned by Toyota Motor Corporation and is not to be confused with the Toyota Industries 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.
Troy Vandem Flavell is a former New Zealand rugby union player. Flavell won 22 caps for New Zealand, and mainly played lock. He is known for his power in the scrum. He attended Massey High School alongside Ron Cribb and both played for Massey Rugby Club.
Rodney So'oialo is a New Zealand rugby union player who recently played in Japan for the Honda Heat. He is now the director of rugby and head coach at Trinity College Kandy, Sri Lanka. Previously, he had been a stalwart for the Hurricanes in the Super Rugby competition, making 101 appearances for the franchise. He also made 62 test appearances for the All Blacks between 2002 and 2009. His usual position is at number eight.
Katsuyuki Kiyomiya is a notable Japanese rugby union coach, formerly of Waseda University RFC (2001–06) and now of Suntory Sungoliath. Many in Japan had hoped he would coach the national side in the future however after he criticized the then current coach Eddie Jones in August 2015 support has dramatically dropped. He is the father of Japanese baseball prodigy, Kotaro Kiyomiya.
Stephen Brett is a New Zealand rugby union former player. He is the head coach for Los Angeles Rugby Team in Major League Rugby (MLR).
Ben Herring is a professional rugby coach currently Head coach of Toyota Verblitz. Previously Head coach of the Otago. Herring has coached with two national sides, Canada and Japan, and with two super franchises.
Mark Garry 'Hammer' Hammett is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player. Having represented Canterbury provincially 76 times, and the Crusaders 81 times and the All Blacks 30 times – including 29 Test matches, Hammett later went on to coach both Canterbury and Crusaders as a forwards/assistant coach. He is currently on the assistant coach of the Highlanders in Super Rugby and the Tasman Makos in the Mitre 10 Cup.
James Whitinui Joseph is a New Zealand-born Japanese former rugby union player and current rugby union coach. A flanker, Joseph represented Otago at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1992 to 1995, before representing Japan in 1999. Joseph, now head coach of the Japanese national side, has coached since his retirement, coming through the ranks in New Zealand before his first national stint.
The Southern Kings were a South African professional rugby union team that competed in Super Rugby and Pro14. They were based in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape province and played their home matches at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. They were created in 2009, and had their first match against the British & Irish Lions during their 2009 tour. After competing in Super Rugby in 2013, 2016 and 2017, they joined Pro14 prior to the 2017–18 season, along with the Cheetahs.
Takashi Kikutani is a Japanese rugby union player, who plays at number 8 or flanker for Canon Eagles and previously Toyota Verblitz. He also represented Japan at international level, and is the second highest try scorer for a forward of all time.
Apisai Namata Naikatini is a Fijian rugby union footballer. He plays lock and blindside flank for Fiji and Old Glory DC of Major League Rugby (MLR) in the United States.
The Sunwolves – previously known as the HITO-Communications Sunwolves for sponsorship reasons – were a professional rugby union team and Japan's representative team in SANZAAR's international Super Rugby competition. The team was based in Tokyo, Japan, but also played some home matches in Singapore. They made their debut in Super Rugby in 2016. In March 2019, it was announced that 2020 would be the final season for the Sunwolves, after failing to negotiate a contract due to financial considerations.
Chase Tiatia is a rugby union player, who currently plays as a utility back for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition and the Western Force in Super Rugby. He was born and raised in New Zealand, but is eligible to represent Manu Samoa internationally due to his Samoan heritage.
Derek Carpenter is a New Zealand born rugby union footballer who plays as either a Second Five-Eighth or Centre. He represented Japan at the international level, starting at inside centre against Romania and Ireland in the 2017 July Tests.
Kaito Shigeno is a Japanese international rugby union player who plays in the scrum-half position. He captains Toyota Verblitz in Japan's domestic Japan Rugby League One.
Taiyo Ando is a Japanese international rugby union player who plays in the loose forward position. He currently plays for Toyota Verblitz in Japan's domestic Top League.
Kazuki Himeno is a Japanese professional rugby union player who plays as a number eight for Japan Rugby League One club Toyota Verblitz and captains the Japan national team.
Tiaan Falcon is a New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays as a fly-half or fullback for Toyota Verblitz in the Japan Rugby League One competition. He formerly played for the Chiefs in Super Rugby and for Hawke's Bay in New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition.
George Konia is a New Zealand former rugby union player who played for New Zealand Maori and for Japan. He played mainly as centre, but also as wing.
Kenta Fukuda is a Japanese professional rugby union player who plays as a scrum-half for Japan Rugby League One club Toyota Verblitz and the Japan national team.
