| Full name | Kakeru Okumura | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 10 June 1998 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Japan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 180 cm (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 87 kg (192 lb; 13 st 10 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Fushimi Technical High School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Teikyo University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Kakeru Okumura (born 10 June 1998) is a Japanese rugby union fullback, playing at Toulouse in the Top14 he is on loan from Japan Rugby League One side Shizuoka Blue Revs. [1] [2]
Okumura joined Shizuoka Blue Revs after 3 years at Teikyo University, making a solitary appearance in the 2020-21 season against the Kubota Spears, where in which he scored a try. [3]
In his second season he saw much more game time playing 11 games, scoring 84 points, and starting all his matches. In the 2022-23 however he only featured 6 times scoring 36 points. [4]
In 2023 he joined Toulouse on a two-month loan. [5] [6] He supported in the absence of Thomas Ramos, Melvyn Jaminet and Ange Capuozzo, who were at the time playing for their respective national teams in the Rugby World Cup 2023. [7]
He made his debut for the Japan A side, the Emerging Blossoms, in a match against Tonga Samurai XV. [8]
The Japan national rugby union team, also known as the Cherry Blossoms, the Brave Blossoms, or simply Sakura, represents Japan in men's international rugby union. Japan 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 (PNC) and previously in the Asia Rugby Championship (ARC). They have also participated in every Rugby World Cup (RWC) since the tournament began in 1987, and hosted the event in 2019.
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. 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.
The Stade Ernest-Wallon is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Sept Deniers district of Toulouse, in southwestern France. Described as a "temple to the oval ball", it is the home ground for the rugby union club Stade Toulousain and the rugby league club Toulouse Olympique.
The Toulouse International Rugby Masters were two international rugby union tournaments organised by Toulouse rugby club. The first, held in 1986 and known as the "Matra Espace or Matra Masters" for sponsorship reasons, is sometimes informally referred to as the first World Club Championships due to the participants within the competition representing seven clubs and one touring side from seven countries across three continents. The second tournament, held in 1990 and referred to as the Centenary Masters, marked the centenary of the club. Toulouse were the champions of both editions. The tournaments are viewed as the precursor to the European Rugby Champions Cup, in which Toulouse were crowned the winners of the first edition in 1996.
Jean-Claude Skrela is a former coach of the French national rugby union team. His son, David Skrela, is a French rugby union player and his daughter, Gaëlle Skrela, is a professional basketball player.
Finau Maka started his playing career for Auckland Rugby Union and NZ age group teams. He played over 50 games for Auckland NPC Team and the Hurricanes, Blues and Highlanders before leaving to play for the Stade Toulousain club in French Top 14. Whilst at Toulouse he helped them win the 2003, 2005 and 2010 Heineken Cups, as a replacement in 2003 and starting in the 2005 final. He played in two Rugby World Cups for Tonga and was one of the stars of the 2007 Rugby World Cup. In 2011 he led his country to beat France in the biggest upset in Rugby World Cup history. France went on to almost beat the All Blacks in the final.
Urayasu D-Rocks, commonly known as the D-Rocks, or the Shining Arcs, is a rugby union team owned by NTT Communications and is part of Japan's Rugby League One competition, currently in Division 2. Given the name, the team is based in Urayasu City, Chiba Prefecture in the Kantō region. The team has undergone several re-brands throughout is history, most recently in 2022, rebranding from Shining Arcs Tokyo-Bay Urayasu in line with the newly formed Japan Rugby League One competition in 2021/22, to the Urayasu D-Rocks in 2022 onwards.
Pablo Nicolás Matera is an Argentine professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker for Japan Rugby League One club Mie Honda Heat and the Argentina national team.
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The 2017–18 Top League was the 15th season of Japan's top-tier domestic rugby union competition, the Top League.
Murray Douglas is a Scottish professional rugby union player who currently plays for the Shizuoka Blue Revs in Japan Rugby League One. His position is lock or blindside flanker.
Simana "Joe" Mafileo is a Tongan former rugby union player. He played as centre.
The 2018 Top Challenge League was the second season of Japan's second-tier domestic rugby union competition, the Top Challenge League.
Louis Johannes Conradie is a South African rugby union player for Utah Warriors in the MLR. His regular position is lock.
The 2022 Japan Rugby League One – Division 1 was the inaugural season of Japan's new professional three-tier Rugby union competition. It consisted of twelve franchises and played five teams twice and six teams once resulting in each team playing a total of sixteen games home and away. The top four sides at the end of the regular season contested the annual play-offs, whilst the bottom three sides went into a promotion and relegation playoff against the top three sides from the 2022 Japan Rugby League One – Division 2. The champions were the Saitama Wild Knights for the second season in a row. They beat Tokyo Sungoliath in the final 12–18.
The 2022–23 Japan Rugby League One – Division 1 season was the twentieth top flight league season played from December 2022 through to May 2023, in the newly rebranded Japan Rugby League One. The competition consisted of twelve teams, including two promoted teams from Division 2, Sagamihara Dynaboars and Hanazono Liners.
Atsushi Kashimoto is a Japanese rugby union player who plays for Hanazono Kintetsu Liners in the Japan Rugby League One.
Lee Seung-sin is a Japanese professional rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Japan Rugby League One club Kobelco Kobe Steelers and the Japan national team.
Kota Kaishi is a Japanese rugby union player who plays as a loose-head prop for Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay in the Japan Rugby League One.
Kanji Shimokawa is a Japanese rugby union player who plays for Tokyo Sungoliath in the Japan Rugby League One.
