The Japan national rugby union team, also known as the Cherry Blossoms, Brave Blossoms, or simply Sakura, 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.
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.
Saitama Wild Knights is a Japanese rugby union team formerly based in Ōta city, Gunma prefecture which plays in the Top League. Inspired by Tony Brown at fly half, it dominated the league in the fifth season and was the first team to be unbeaten throughout a Top League season. The team rebranded as Saitama Wild Knights ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One in 2022, with the team relocating to Saitama.
Tom Billups is an American former rugby union rugby player, who played for the USA Eagles as an international and Blackheath Rugby Club, Harlequin F.C., and Pontypridd RFC as a professional. After retiring as a player in 1999, he joined the staff of the United States national team and was the head coach from 2001 to 2006. In addition to coaching the Eagles, Billups managed the U.S. national sevens team program and coached the 2005 U.S. sevens team. In 2015 Billups was inducted into U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame, and was the first person to be inducted as both a player and coach. In 2018 Billups became the 14th recipient of the Craig Sweeney Award which was first award in 1979 in memory of former United States national team member and captain, Craig Sweeney. The Sweeney Award is presented to a former national team player who has contributed significantly to the game while displaying exemplary character on and off the field.
Yasuharu Sorimachi is a Japanese former football player and manager. He played for the Japan national team.
Satoshi Tsunami is a former Japanese football player and manager. He is the currently manager of Japan Football League club, Briobecca Urayasu. He played for Japan national team. His son Yuta Tsunami is also a footballer currently play in Nara Club.
Kazuaki Tasaka is a former Japanese football player and manager. He last played for Japan national team until 1999. He manager of Giravanz Kitakyushu from 2023.
Brian David Noble MBE, also known by the nickname of "Nobby", is an English rugby league coach and former rugby league footballer. As a footballer, Noble was a Great Britain representative hooker, but is best known for his coaching career, during which he coached the Bradford Bulls, the Wigan Warriors, the Crusaders RL and the Salford Red Devils in the Super League, and the Great Britain national team. He was the first coach to win three Super League Grand Finals, and is one of only two coaches to have achieved that feat along with Brian McDermott. He was formerly the Director of Rugby for the Toronto Wolfpack, and also works as a pundit for BBC Sport.
Yasuharu Kurata is a Japanese former footballer. He played for the Japan national team.
Katsufumi Miyamoto is a former Japanese rugby union player and coach. He played as flanker.
Tsuyoshi Fujita, is a former Japanese rugby union player. He played as hooker.
Wataru Murata is a former Japanese rugby player and coach. He played as scrum-half. He currently coaches Senshu University Rugby Football Club.
Mitsutake Hagimoto is a former Japanese rugby player and coach. He played as scrum-half.
Tatsuya Maeda is a former Japanese rugby union player who played as a fullback, as well as center and fly-half.
Kazuaki Takahashi is a former Japanese rugby union player who played as a prop.
Hirofumi Ouchi, is a former Japanese rugby union player who played as flanker. He is currently the coach of Ryukoku University Rugby Football Club.
Tomoya Haneda is a former Japanese rugby union player. He played as a lock.
Osamu Koyabu, is a Japanese former rugby union player and coach. He played as a fly-half.
Toshiro Yoshino is a former Japanese rugby union player. He played as a wing or as centre.
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.
