Black Rams Tokyo

Black Rams Tokyo
リコーブラックラムズ東京
Full name	Black Rams Tokyo
Union	Japan Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s)	Black Rams
Founded	1953
Location	Setagaya, Tokyo, Japan
Ground(s)	Komazawa Olympic Park Stadium (Capacity: 20,010)
Director of Rugby	Tsutomu Nishitsuji
Coach(es)	Peter Hewat
League(s)	Japan Rugby League One
2022	9th
1st kit	2nd kit

Black Rams Tokyo (formerly Ricoh Black Rams) is a Japanese rugby union team in the Japan Rugby League One. Being ranked tenth meant that, in order to continue in the league, it had to defeat one of the top regional clubs in a play-off, which it achieved.

Slogan for 2006 season: TAFU ("Tough" in English). The acronym stands for Team, Aggression, Faith, Unity.

In January 2008 it was announced that Stephen Larkham will be joining the team next season, but the team was relegated back to the Japan East League where Larkham will begin his career in Japan. In April 2008 Todd Louden was announced as head coach, to be assisted by Pote Human (Daily Yomiuri, April 26, 2008).

The team rebranded as Black Rams Tokyo following the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One ahead of 2022.^[1]

Schedule/Results[edit]

2005

February 13. Ricoh Black Rams v Toyota Jido Shokki - placed third in the Top League Challenge Series.

Players[edit]

Current squad[edit]

The Black Rams Tokyo squad for the 2023–24 season is:^[2]

Black Rams Tokyo squad
Props Yuichiro Taniguchi Kousei Nakamura Kazuma Nishi Takao Makabe Paddy Ryan Norihiro Aso Taichi Chiba Shohei Oyama Daigo Sasagawa Taishi Tsumura ^REP Samuel Waqabaka ^REP Hookers Kazuhiro Koike Hinata Takei (c) Shin Ouchi Kou Sato Masashi Onishi Lulu Paea ^DEP Locks Harrison Fox Josh Goodhue Michael Stolberg Pohiva Yamato Lotoahea Daiki Yanagawa Jacob Skeen Shu Yamamoto Talau Samurai Fakatava* Reijiro Yamamoto ^REP	Flankers Junpei Yukawa Brodi McCurran* Shinichi Tanaka No8s Amato Fakatava Nathan Hughes Shuhei Matsuhashi Otoya Kihara Shogo Yamamura Scrum-halves Takanobu Minami Masatoshi Nakamura Toshiya Takahashi Shota Yamamoto Seima Inaba ^REP Fly-halves Nakakusu Ichigo Kohei Horigome Matt McGahan* Kotaro Ito ^REP	Centres Hadleigh Parkes Takumi Aoki Daisuke Hamano Yuki Ikeda Ryohei Isoda Yuta Kurihara Daisuke Nishikawa Siope Lolo Tavo* Larzlow Sword Semisi Tupou Penieli jr Latu ^REP ^DEP Wingers Amanaki Lotoahea Yoshiyuki Koga Netani Vakayalia Tomoya Yamamura Tomu Takamoto ^REP Fullbacks Taira Main Isaac Lucas Takehiro Nakazawa Utility Backs

(c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes player is internationally capped

Notable former players[edit]

Glen Osborne - Fullback
Inoke Afeaki - Lock
Eroni Clarke - Centre
James Haskell - Loose forward
Ma'a Nonu - Centre
Stephen Larkham - Fly Half
Sui Liaga - Wing
Dean Hall - Wing
Glenn Paterson - Fly Half
Michael Broadhurst - Loose forward

Coaches[edit]

Tim Lane (2005–6 season)

References[edit]

^ "La nouvelle ligue japonaise s'appelle la Japan Rugby League One". Asie Rugby (in French). 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
^ "Ricoh Black Rams: The Team" (in Japanese). Ricoh. Retrieved 20 February 2019.

External links[edit]

Ricoh Black Rams - official site
Ricoh unveils Larkham - Daily Yomiuri, February 14, 2008
Official Site - Official site

[1] "La nouvelle ligue japonaise s'appelle la Japan Rugby League One". Asie Rugby (in French). 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.

[Ricoh_Black_Rams:_The_Team-2] "Ricoh Black Rams: The Team" (in Japanese). Ricoh. Retrieved 20 February 2019.

[1]

[2]

v t e Black Rams Tokyo – current squad
Forwards	Norihiro Aso Taichi Chiba Talau Fakatava Harrison Fox Josh Goodhue Nathan Hughes Kazuhiro Koike Takao Makabe Shuhei Matsuhashi Brodi McCurran Kousei Nakamura Kazuma Nishi Masashi Onishi Shohei Oyama Paddy Ryan Daigo Sasagawa Jacob Skeen Michael Stolberg Hinata Takei Shinichi Tanaka Yuichiro Taniguchi Pohiva Yamato Lotoahea Shogo Yamamura Daiki Yanagawa Junpei Yukawa Amato Fakatava Shu Yamamoto Ko Sato
Backs	Takumi Aoki Daisuke Hamano Kohei Horigome Ichigo Nakakusu Yuki Ikeda Ryohei Isoda Yoshiyuki Koga Yuta Kurihara Siope Lolo Tavo Amanaki Lotoahea Isaac Lucas Taira Main Matt McGahan Takanobu Minami Masatoshi Nakamura Takehiro Nakazawa Daisuke Nishikawa Hadleigh Parkes Larzlow Sword Toshiya Takahashi Netani Vakayalia Shota Yamamoto Tomoya Yamamura
Coach	Peter Hewat