Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo
東芝ブレイブルーパス東京
Full name	Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo
Union	Japan Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s)	Brave Lupus
Founded	1948; 76 years ago
Location	Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan
Ground(s)	Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, 27,188 capacity; Ajinomoto Stadium, 49,970 capacity
Coach(es)	Todd Blackadder
League(s)	Japan Rugby League One
2023	5th
Team kit	2nd kit

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo is a Japanese rugby union team in the Japan Rugby League One. They are based in Fuchu, Tokyo, as is their local rival Suntory Sungoliath. They won the second ever Top League championship in the 2004-5 season and the Microsoft Cup in 2005 under their innovative and inventive coach Masahiro Kunda, himself a former hooker for Toshiba and Japan. They are particularly known for the strength of their mauls. Before the Top League was created, the team was called Toshiba Fuchu after their location. Their slogan for 2006 season was "Once again to the Pinnacle (Restart)". The team rebranded as Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to Japan Rugby League One in 2022.^[1]

Honours[edit]

All-Japan Championship
- Champions: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2006 (joint champions with NEC Green Rockets), 2007
Top League:
- Champions: 2004-05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009-10

Current squad[edit]

The Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo squad for the 2023-24 season is:^[2]

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo squad
Props Masataka Mikami Yuma Fujino Sena Kimura Kim Gwante* Hiroto Kasai Yuta Kokaji Teruo Makabe Taufa Latu* Rikyu Yamakawa Shuto Harabuchi ^REP Vea Taumoefolau ^REP Hookers Daigo Hashimoto Futoshi Mori Mamoru Harada Ryuki Hayashi Locks Asaeli Lausii* Samuela Anise Kyosuke Kajikawa Shohei Ito Jacob Pierce Shoichi Takagi Iosefatu Mareko* PJ Steenkamp Warner Dearns Senfu Kamei ^REP	Flankers Shannon Frizell Hiroki Yamamoto Takahiro Fujita Takeshi Sasaki Lee Song-chang* Yoon Rye-on ^REP Afu Ofeina ^REP No8s Michael Leitch (c) Yoshitaka Tokunaga Scrum-halves Takahiro Ogawa Yuhei Sugiyama Kohei Takahashi Motoki Tanaka Shotaro Ikedo ^REP Fly-halves Hayata Nakao Richie Mo'unga Takuro Matsunaga	Centres Taichi Mano Nicholas McCurran* Seta Tamanivalu Rob Thompson Yuto Mori Wingers Makoto Iwafuchi Atsuki Kuwayama Masaki Hamada Hisayoshi Matsuoka Jone Naikabula Taiki Matsunobu Ren Miyagami Rei Ishioka ^REP Fullbacks Toshiki Kuwayama Shohei Toyoshima Utility Backs Michael Collins Stephanus Du Toit ^REP

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

* denotes players qualified to play for the Japan on dual nationality or residency grounds.

All Blacks Richie Mo’unga has signed with the Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo and is due to join the side after the 2023 Rugby World Cup.^[3]

Past players[edit]

François Steyn - fly-half and full back for Toshiba
Shogo Mukai - full back for Toshiba and Japan, now head coach of Coca-Cola Red Sparks
Masahiro Kunda - hooker for Toshiba and Japan
Andrew McCormick - centre, former captain of the Japan national rugby union team, now coaching at Coca-Cola Red Sparks
Wataru Murata - scrum-half (before he went to France and then played for Yamaha Jubilo)
Shinji Ono - number 8
Yohei Suzuki - full back
Ruatangi Vatuvei - lock/centre (moved to Kintetsu Liners before 2007-8 season)
Kei Yasuda - lock
Mamoru Ito - scrum-half
Scott McLeod - centre
Toshiaki Hirose (2004-16, 166 games) Fly-half/winger, Japanese international (2007-15, 28 caps)
Tomoki Yoshida (2004-17, 124 games) Scrum-half, Japanese international (2007-11, 25 caps)
Hiroki Yuhara (2006-20, 156 games) Hooker, Japanese international (2010-15, 22 caps)
Steven Bates (2008-16, 119 games) Loose forward, Allblack (2004, 1 cap)
Takehisa Usuzuki (2008-22, 118 games) Winger/fullback, Japanese international (2011, 7 caps)
Takuma Asahara (2010-19, 131 games) Prop, Japanese international (2013-18, 12 caps)

References[edit]

^ "La nouvelle ligue japonaise s'appelle la Japan Rugby League One". Asie Rugby (in French). 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
^ "Toshiba Brave Lupus: The Team" (in Japanese). Toshiba Sports. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
^ "Richie Mo'unga officially signs in Japan".

External links[edit]

Toshiba Brave Lupus official site
NEC, Toshiba share title, Daily Yomiuri, February 27, 2006
Toshiba teaches Waseda a lesson, Daily Yomiuri, February 20, 2006
Toshiba downs Suntory, wins Microsoft, Daily Yomiuri, February 6, 2006
Brave Lupus add name to rugby Cup- Japan Times, February 7, 2005
Toshiba, Yamaha set to do battle in Microsoft Cup final - Japan Times, January 31, 2005
Inventive approach from Toshiba's coach is rewarded with Top League crown Japan Times, December 30, 2004

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

[Toshiba_Brave_Lupus:_The_Team-2] "Toshiba Brave Lupus: The Team" (in Japanese). Toshiba Sports. Retrieved 29 November 2018.

[3] "Richie Mo'unga officially signs in Japan".

[1]

[2]

[3]

v t e Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo – current squad
Forwards	Warner Dearns Yuma Fujino Takahiro Fujita Kim Gwante Mamoru Harada Daigo Hashimoto Ryuuki Hayashi Shohei Ito Kyosuke Kajikawa Hiroto Kasai Sena Kimura Yuta Kokaji Asaeli Lausii Michael Leitch Teruo Makabe Iosefatu Mareko Masataka Mikami Futoshi Mori Jacob Pierce Hugh Pyle Takeshi Sasaki Lee Song-Chang Shoichi Takagi Latu Taufa Matt Todd Yoshitaka Tokunaga Rikyu Yamakawa Hiroki Yamamoto
Backs	Masaki Hamada Atsuki Kuwayama Toshiki Kuwayama Taichi Mano Takuro Matsunaga Taiki Matsunobu Hisayoshi Matsuoka Nicholas McCurran Ren Miyagami Yuta Mori Jone Naikabula Hayato Nakao Burger Odendaal Takahiro Ogawa Jack Stratton Yuhei Sugiyama Kohei Takahashi Seta Tamanivalu Shinnosuke Tatsuno Tom Taylor Shohei Toyoshima
Coach	Todd Blackadder