IBM Big Blue (rugby union)

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IBM Big Blue
日本IBMビッグブルー
Logo ibmbigblue.png
Full nameIBM Big Blue
Union Japan Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s)Big Blue, BBB
Founded1976
Location Yachiyo, Chiba, Japan
Ground(s) IBM Yachiyodai Ground
Coach(es) Hiroki Ando
Kit left arm.svg
Kit body tealwavy.png
Kit body.svg
Kit right arm.svg
Kit shorts.svg
Kit socks long.svg
Team kit

IBM Big Blue is a Japanese semi-professional rugby union team in the Top League. The team was founded in 1976 by IBM. The company decided to make rugby, along with baseball and American football, one of the official company sports in 1989, which allowed the rugby club to gain support and momentum.

Contents

Big Blue won promotion from the Japan East Ten league to the Top League at the end of the League's first season (2003-4) but was then automatically relegated by coming 12th in the second season (2004-5). The team returned to the Top League for the 2006-7 season. It is based in Chiba prefecture in the Kanto area.

The former head coach, Ippei Onishi, is a former captain of Kobe Kobelco Steelers. As of 2007–2008, the coach is Hiroki Ando. USA Eagle flyhalf Mike Hercus is a notable alumnus.

Squad 2011/2012

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

PlayerPositionUnion
Atsushi Yamaga Prop Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Kochi Nakamura Prop Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Takayuki Kinoshita Prop Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Keisuke Ando Hooker Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Shinji Terayama Hooker Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Hiroshi Ebisawa Hooker Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Tatsuji Yoshida Hooker Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Hiromitsu Matsuba Lock Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Takamasa Maruyama Lock Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Takumi Nishikawa Lock Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Hiroaki Tatsumichi Lock Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Keisuke Omata Flanker Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Daigo Fujita Flanker Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Yosuke Watanabe Flanker Flag of Japan.svg Japan
PlayerPositionUnion
Nagamasa Miyazawa Scrum-half Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Katsuya Higuchi Scrum-half Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Kento Ikeda Scrum-half Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Sogen Masumoto Fly-half Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Takuya Himeno Centre Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Muso Imamura Centre Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Tatsunori Kojima Wing Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Hiromichi Ikeda Wing Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Hideki Ishibashi Fullback Flag of Japan.svg Japan
Yuta Kato Fullback Flag of Japan.svg Japan

[1]

See also

IBM Big Blue (X-League)

References

  1. "secom-rugguts - japonrugby". www.japonrugby.net. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02.