The Japan national rugby union team, often a.k.a “Cherry Blossoms”, or a.k.a “Sakura”, and more a.k.a “The Brave Blossoms” is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia and has enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years. Rugby union in Japan is administered by the Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU), which was founded in 1926. They compete annually in the Pacific Nations Cup and previously in the Asia Rugby Championship. They have also participated in every Rugby World Cup since the tournament began in 1987.
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.
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.
Tai McIsaac is an Australian rugby union football coach, and a former professional player. He is currently the head coach of the Perth Spirit team in Australia's National Rugby Championship. McIsaac played as a hooker for the Western Force and Queensland Reds in the Super Rugby competition before retiring from playing in 2009.
Kerry Cooper Vuna is a professional rugby footballer who plays on the wing for Newcastle Falcons in Premiership Rugby. He played rugby league as a wing for the New Zealand Warriors and Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League competition, before switching to rugby union to play Super Rugby for the Melbourne Rebels.
Tusi Pisi is a Samoan rugby union player who plays for the Toyota Industries Shuttles in the Top Challenge League. His position is fly half, but he has also played at centre and full back. He is the current first choice flyhalf for the Samoa national team.
François Philippus Lodewyk Steyn is a South African former professional rugby union player. A utility back who represented his country, he was able to play as a centre, fly-half, full-back and wing.
Lagi Setu is a Samoa international rugby league footballer. In rugby league he primarily plays second-row, prop or lock.
Jonny Fa'amatuainu is a Samoan rugby union player, who currently plays for Colomiers in the French Pro D2 competition. Fa'amatuainu's position of choice is flanker, but he also plays lock.
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.
Pakisonasi Afu is a professional rugby footballer who has represented Tonga in rugby league and Tonga A in rugby union. He is contracted to Austin Elite Rugby to play Major League Rugby in the United States. Afu previously played rugby league in the NSW Cup for New Zealand Warriors and Wyong Roos as a prop. His usual position in rugby union is centre.
Havelock Sports Club is a Division 'A' rugby union team based in Sri Lanka that plays in the Dialog Rugby League. The club has a long history and Rugby is the club's main sporting activity. The "Havies", as they are commonly known amongst its members, is situated in Colombo and the club's ground is known as Havelock Park. The club has produced some excellent players over the last few decades including Sri Lankan Nationals such as Michael Jayasekera, Hisham Abdeen, Graham Raux, Sanjeewa Jayasinghe and Rajeev Ganapathy. The club has struggled over the last decade to retain its players with their star performers crossing over to more star-powered clubs.
Johannes Jacobus Engelbrecht is a former South African professional rugby union player who played as a wing or outside centre.
Andries Stephanus Ferreira is a South African rugby union player for the US Carcassonne in the Pro D2. His regular playing position is lock.
Bryce Hegarty is an Australian rugby union player who plays either as a fly-half or fullback. He currently plays for Western Force in Super Rugby. He previously played for the Queensland Reds, the Melbourne Rebels and the New South Wales Waratahs in Super Rugby, Toyota Industries Shuttles in Japan, and Leicester Tigers in England's Premiership Rugby.
Sione Talikavili Vatuvei, also known by his middle name Talikavili or Kavili, is a Tongan-born Japanese rugby union footballer. He represented Japan at the 2003 Rugby World Cup. His preferred position is blindside flanker.
Lopeti Oto is a Tongan-Japanese former rugby union player. He played as wing. His younger brother Nataniela Oto also had acquired Japanese nationality to play for Japan in the 2007 Rugby World Cup and his other brother, Ofa Topeni, plays for Toyota Industries Shuttles since 2009.
Shannon Michael Frizell is a Tongan born New Zealand rugby union player. His position of choice is flanker.
Lui Naeata is a Japanese rugby union player, who most recently played as a flanker for Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi in the Japan Rugby League One competition.
Shotaro Onishi is a former Japanese rugby union player who played as a centre. He spent his whole career playing for both Kintetsu Liners and Toyota Industries Shuttles in Japan's domestic Top League, playing over 560 times. He was named in the Japan squad for the 2007 Rugby World Cup, making 3 appearances in the tournament. He made a further 30 appearances for Japan in his career, scoring 71 points.
