 | |||
| Full name | Kubota Spears | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | Japan Rugby Football Union | ||
| Nickname(s) | Spears | ||
| Founded | 1978 | ||
| Location | Funabashi, Chiba, Japan | ||
| Ground(s) | Various stadiums | ||
| Coach(es) | Frans Ludeke | ||
| League(s) | Top League | ||
| 2021 | 3rd, Red Conference Playoffs Semi-finalist | ||
| |||
Kubota Spears is a Japanese rugby union team based in Funabashi, Chiba participating in the Top League.
The Kubota Spears squad for the 2021 season is: [1]
| Kubota Spears squad | ||
|---|---|---|
Props
Hookers Locks | Loose Forwards
Scrum-halves Fly-halves | Centres Wingers
Fullbacks |
| (c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes player is internationally capped |
Joe Roff - Fullback/Wing
Barrie-Jon Mather - Centre/Wing
Marty Veale - Lock Justin Sampson 
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, 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.
Ricoh Black Rams is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. Placed 10th in the 2004-2005 season which meant it had to win a play-off against one of the top regional teams to stay in the league, as it did.
Joe Roff is a retired Australian rugby union footballer and a product of the Tuggeranong Vikings Rugby Union Club in Canberra, who played on the wing or at fullback for ACT Brumbies and Australia and played 5 tests as a centre in the early part of his Test career. He also had a spell at the French club Biarritz and in 2005–6 at Kubota Spears in Japan's Top League Of his 86 caps, 62 were won in consecutive games from 1996 to 2001. His final game saw him captain Oxford against Cambridge in the 2007 Varsity Match.
Kubota Corporation is a tractor and heavy equipment manufacturer based in Osaka, Japan. One of its notable contributions was to the construction of the Solar Ark. The company was established in 1890.
Shane Drahm is an Australian former rugby union player of Aboriginal descent. His usual positions were fly-half or fullback. Drahm played for Queensland in Super Rugby and Australia in rugby sevens, but went on to represent England in test rugby and played most of his professional rugby career in that country. He is the current head coach of the First XV at Brisbane Boys’ College.
Seilala Mapusua is a Samoan rugby player currently playing with the Kubota Spears of the Japanese Top League. Prior to his move to Japan in 2011, he also had long stints with the Highlanders in Super Rugby and London Irish in the Aviva Premiership.
Hugh McMeniman is an Australian retired professional rugby union footballer. He represented Australia in 22 tests and played for the Queensland Reds and Western Force in Super Rugby as well as for Kubota Spears and Honda Heat in Japan. His favoured position was blindside flanker but he also played as a lock.
Keegan Rhys Daniel is a South African rugby union player who last played for the Sharks in Super Rugby and in the Currie Cup and the Sharks XV in the Rugby Challenge.
The 2007–08 Top League was the fifth season of Japan's domestic rugby union competition, the Top League. The Sanyo Wild Knights became the first ever team in the Top League to win all their league games, but were defeated for the Top League title by Suntory Sungoliath 14-10 in the Microsoft Cup final on February 24, 2008 at Chichibunomiya.
Alando Soakai is a former professional rugby union player from New Zealand best known for his time with the Highlanders in Super Rugby and Otago in the ITM Cup, and as captain of Otago in their 2009 and 2010 campaigns. He currently serves on the coaching staff of the Kubota Spears in the Japanese Top League, the club where he finished his playing career.
Kade Poki is a rugby union player who plays for the Bayonne in the French Top 14 competition. Prior to his move abroad, he had represented Tasman in the ITM Cup and the Highlanders in the Super Rugby competition.
Hoani Matenga is a professional rugby player and musician. He has represented New Zealand in the Maori All Blacks, and has played professionally in France, Japan, Spain and New Zealand. Matenga is also known as a musician, as an early member of the band Six60. He can play electric bass, and in the position of either lock or loose forward.
Pieter Hermias Cornelius 'Lappies' Labuschagné is a South African rugby union footballer who regularly plays as a flanker. He currently plays in the Japanese Top League with Kubota Spears and is currently playing for the Sunwolves. He represents Japan at international level having satisfied residency requirements.
Grant Neil Hattingh is a rugby union player who plays as a lock, flanker or eighthman for Japanese sides the Sunwolves in Super Rugby and Kobelco Steelers in the Top League.
Ruan Botha is a South African rugby union player. He plays as a lock for Kubota Spears in the Japanese Top League. He made his provincial debut on 31 March 2012 as the Golden Lions thrashed the Griffons 71-25 in Johannesburg. Botha started the match before being replaced in the 62nd minute by Hendrik Roodt.
Michael Broadhurst is a New Zealand born Japanese rugby union player who plays at flanker, lock or number 8 for the Ricoh Black Rams in the Top League and the Japan national rugby union team.
Harumichi Tatekawa is a Japanese rugby union player who can play either as a fly-half or centre. He plays for the Kubota Spears in his native country and the Brumbies in the international Super Rugby competition.
Daisuke Inoue is a Japanese rugby union player who plays as a scrumhalf.
Takashi Akatsuka, is a former Japanese rugby union player. He played as lock.
Sione Teaupa is a Tongan-born, Japanese international rugby union player who plays as a centre. He currently plays for Sunwolves in Super Rugby and Kubota Spears in Japan's domestic Top League.He received Japanese citizenship in 2017.
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