Kobelco Kobe Steelers

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.[1]

Kobelco Kobe Steelers
コベルコ神戸スティーラーズ
Full nameKobelco Kobe Steelers
UnionJapan Rugby Football Union
Founded1928
LocationKobe, Hyogo
Ground(s)Noevir Stadium Kobe, Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 30,132, 36,000)
Director of RugbyWayne Smith
Coach(es)Dave Rennie
Captain(s)Brodie Retallick, Rakuhei Yamashita
League(s)Japan Rugby League One
2022–20239th
1st kit
2nd kit
Official website
www.kobesteelers.com

Honours

Personnel

Current management team
Position Name Nationality
Director of rugby Wayne Smith  New Zealand
Head coach Dave Rennie  New Zealand
Assistant coach Mike Blair  Scotland

Current squad

The Kobelco Kobe Steelers squad for the 2023-24 season is:[2]

Kobelco Kobe Steelers squad

Props

  • Japan Suguru Igarashi
  • Japan Koki Yamamoto
  • Japan Shigure Takao
  • Japan Isileli Nakajima
  • Japan Koo Ji-won
  • Japan Hiroshi Yamashita
  • Japan Takayuki Watanabe
  • Japan Sho Maeda
  • Japan Haruto Takahashi
  • Japan Hikaru Moriwaki REP

Hookers

  • Japan Rinpei Sakaki
  • Japan Takuya Kitade
  • Japan Kenta Matsuoka
  • Japan Hiroaki Ushihara
  • Japan Ikuma Yamada

Locks

  • New Zealand Brodie Retallick (cc)
  • Japan Takara Imamura
  • Japan Naohiro Kotaki
  • Fiji Waisake Raratubua*
  • New Zealand Gerard Cowley-Tuioti
  • South Korea Jang Seok-hwan DEP

Flankers

  • Japan Hayato Fukunishi
  • Japan Amanaki Saumaki
  • Japan Hikaru Hashimoto
  • Japan Ryo Inoue
  • Japan Go Maeda

No8s

Scrum-halves

  • Japan Atsushi Hiwasa
  • Japan Daiki Nakajima
  • Japan Kentaro Obata
  • Japan Maki Shimizu
  • Japan Kenta Tokuda

Fly-halves

  • New Zealand Bryn Gatland
  • Japan Lee Seung-sin
  • Japan Taihei Kusaka

Centres

  • Australia Quinton Mahina*
  • Japan Timothy Lafaele
  • New Zealand Ngani Laumape
  • New Zealand Michael Little
  • Japan Shintaro Hayashi
  • Japan Gentaro Ikenaga
  • Japan Junta Hamano
  • New Zealand Tali Ioasa DEP
  • Tonga Talilotu Fakatulolo REP DEP

Wingers

  • Japan Ataata Moeakiola
  • Japan Kosuke Naka
  • Japan Rakuhei Yamashita (cc)
  • Japan Soma Sugimoto
  • Australia Sione Tapu'osi DEP
  • Japan Ryota Funabiki REP

Fullbacks

  • Japan Ryohei Yamanaka
  • Japan Shinsuke Iseki
  • Japan Kanta Matsunaga
  • Japan Daisuke Ito REP

Utility Backs

  • (cc) denotes team co-captains.
  • Bold denotes internationally capped.

    Past players
    • Yuta Imamura (2007-19, 124 games) Centre, Japanese international (2006-13, 39 caps)
    • Itaru Taniguchi (2008-21, 148 games) Loose forward, Japanese international (2010-11, 10 caps)
    • Shoji Ito (2009-18, 104 games) Lock, Japanese international (2012-15, 36 caps)

    Japanese players
    • Toshiyuki Hayashi
    • Ian Williams
    • Seiji Hirao
    • Yuya Saito
    • Kensuke Iwabuchi
    • Daisuke Ohata
    • Andrew Miller
    • Atsushi Oyagi
    • Kensuke Iwabuchi

    Foreign players

    References
    1. "La nouvelle ligue japonaise s'appelle la Japan Rugby League One". Asie Rugby (in French). 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
    2. "Kobe Steelers: Players" (in Japanese). Kobelco Kobe Steelers. 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
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