Career
Hayashi played at Kobelco Steelers.
He had 38 caps for Japan, scoring three tries, 12 points in aggregate. His first game was at 19 October 1980, in a 23–3 loss to France XV, in Toulouse and his last came at 26 September 1992, in a 37–9 win over Hong Kong, in Seoul, for the Asian Championship. Hayashi played at the 1987 Rugby World Cup, being the captain in all the three matches, and at the 1991 Rugby World Cup. He was replaced this time by Seiji Hirao as the captain, but played once again in the three matches, scoring a try in the 32–16 defeat to Ireland, at 9 October 1991, in Dublin. In 1990 he studied at Oxford University and also participated in regular matches for Oxford against Cambridge University (Varsity match) and was also elected among the Oxford best 15 (Three of the 19th century players with 120 years of history are included) being the only non-British player elected, a feat achieved by the former All Blacks captain David Kirk, who was missing in the selection. He was also chosen to play for the Barbarians in 1992, [2] becoming the first Japanese player to be invited in the Babaas.
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.
Yukio Motoki is a former Japanese rugby union footballer. He played as a centre and was known for his powerful running and tackling.
The Kobelco Kobe Steelers are a Japanese rugby union team owned by Kobe Steel, and based in Kobe. They were the first ever Top League champions when the League started in the 2003-2004 season. The team rebranded as Kobelco Kobe Steelers ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One in 2022.
André Johan Joubert is a former South African rugby union player, widely known as "The Rolls-Royce of Fullbacks" for his pace, class, and seemingly effortless style. He was capped 34 times at fullback for the Springboks in the 1990s, and amassed 115 test points from 10 tries, 17 penalties and 7 conversions.
Mark Egan was an Irish rugby player who has played for Terenure College and Terenure College RFC. Egan graduated from Trinity College Dublin where he won three colours. He then went on to Oxford University and went from there to play rugby for Kobe Steel's team in Japan, now called Kobelco Steelers where he played in four consecutive championship winning sides until 1997. He was also a highly respected member of the Kobe Regatta & Athletic Club (KR&AC). Other notable rugby honours achieved by Egan were selection for Ireland U21s, Ireland U25s, Irish Universities, Connacht, selection for the British and Irish barbarians and Oxbridge.
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Seiji Hirao was a Japanese rugby union footballer and coach. He played as a fly-half, and was one of the most popular Japanese players of his time, earning the name of "Mr. Rugby".
Gordon Herbert Waddell was a Scottish rugby union player, a South African politician, and the son of Herbert Waddell. He played for Scotland, the Barbarians and on two British and Irish Lions tours. In fact he is the only Scottish stand off to be a double Lion. He had 18 caps between 1957 and 1962 - this record for a Scotland fly-half was only later broken by John Rutherford. He played 12 times for the Barbarians between 1957 and 1960, scoring in three matches including their 1958 match against East Africa in Nairobi on 28 May 1958. In 1962 he was the controlling influence in Scotland's first win in Wales since the 1930s, a feat not repeated for another twenty years.
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Michihiko Chida is a former Japanese rugby union player who played mainly as Number 8.
Terunori Masuho is a former rugby union player who played as a wing and former Kobelco Steelers coach.
Eiji Hirotsu, is a former Japanese rugby union player. He played as hooker.
Osamu Koyabu, is a Japanese former rugby union player and coach. He played as a fly-half.
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Takafumi Hirao, also known as Tsuyoshi Hirao, is a Japanese former rugby union player. He played as wing and as fullback. He is not related to the late Seiji Hirao. As of 2015 he works as teacher at Kobe Shinwa Women's University's Development and Education Faculty of Junior sports education Department, with "sports pedagogy", "kinematics" as field of specialization and "body and sports" and "sports education rooted in children's development" as research field.
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