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, 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 absorbing the Japan Company Rugby Football Championship. 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.
Hanazono Kintetsu Liners are a Japanese rugby union team owned by Kintetsu Corporation which was founded in 1929. They have won the All-Japan Championship three times as an amateur team. Their home is at Hanazono Rugby Stadium, which was also opened in 1929 and is in Higashiosaka, Japan.
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.
Saitama Wild Knights is a Japanese rugby union team formerly based in Ōta city, Gunma prefecture which played in the Top League. In 2021 it relocated 13 kilometers south to Kumagaya, Saitama prefecture, and rebranded as Saitama Wild Knights accordingly. It now plays in Japan Rugby League One.
Mike Hercus is an American former professional rugby union player who played at fly-half for the United States national team and several top level professional clubs around the globe.
Maama Molitika is a Tongan former rugby union footballer. He is 6'5". He has played numerous times for the national Tongan team, making his debut in June 1997 against Fiji. He was also in the Pacific Islanders rugby union team squad that toured Europe in 2006. He played as a blind-side flanker.
Gideon "Kees" Lensing is a former Namibian rugby union player and former head coach of the Seattle Seawolves of Major League Rugby (MLR). He played as a prop for six different teams over more than 11 years.
The 2009–10 Top League was the seventh season of Japan's domestic rugby union competition, the Top League. The Toshiba Brave Lupus defeated Sanyo Wild Knights by 6–0 in the final of the Microsoft Cup to claim their fifth Top League championship.
Peter Henry Sloane is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player. A hooker, Sloane represented North Auckland from 1972 to 1983, and made 15 appearances for the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, including one test match, between 1973 and 1979. He has also been a coach, acting as assistant All Blacks coach to John Hart from 1998 to 1999, assistant Crusaders coach from 1997 to 1999, Highlanders head coach in 2000 and 2001, and Blues head coach between 2002 and 2005. During his time in Auckland he led the Blues to the 2003 Super 12 championship.
The Yokohama Canon Eagles is a Japanese rugby union team founded in 1981 that competes in the Japan Rugby League One and is owned by Canon. The team was previously based in Machida, Tokyo, Japan. According to the official website, it was founded as Canon Rugby Team in 1980, and determined the nickname Eagles in 2010. The team moved to Yokohama ahead of the rebranding of the Top League in 2022, becoming the Yokohama Canon Eagles.
The 2006–07 Top League was the fourth season of Japan's domestic rugby union competition, the Top League. The league was expanded to from 12 to 14 teams for the 2006–07 season.
The 2005–06 Top League was the third season of Japan's domestic rugby union competition, the Top League.
The IBM Big Blue are an American football team located in the Tsukuba, Ibaraki. They are a member of the X-League.
The 2004 Top League Challenge Series was the 2004 edition of the Top League Challenge Series, a second-tier rugby union competition in Japan, in which teams from regionalised leagues competed for promotion to the Top League for the 2004–05 season. The competition was contested from 10 to 24 January 2004.
The 2006 Top League Challenge Series was the 2006 edition of the Top League Challenge Series, a second-tier rugby union competition in Japan, in which teams from regionalised leagues competed for promotion to the Top League for the 2006–07 season. The competition was contested from 15 to 28 January 2006.
Tsuyoshi Fujita, is a former Japanese rugby union player. He played as hooker.
Tomoya Haneda is a former Japanese rugby union player. He played as a lock.
Shin Hasegawa is a Japanese former rugby union player who played as prop and hooker. Currently forwards coach of Yamaha Júbilo.
Toshikazu Nakamichi is a Japanese former rugby union player who played usually as hooker or as prop. He earned 16 caps without scoring in his international career.
