Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo

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]

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo
東芝ブレイブルーパス東京
Full nameToshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo
UnionJapan Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s)Brave Lupus
Founded1948 (1948)
LocationFuchu, 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
20235th
Team kit
2nd kit

Honours
  • 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

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

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo squad

Props

  • Japan Masataka Mikami
  • Japan Yuma Fujino
  • Japan Sena Kimura
  • South Korea Kim Gwante*
  • Japan Hiroto Kasai
  • Japan Yuta Kokaji
  • Japan Teruo Makabe
  • Tonga Taufa Latu*
  • Japan Rikyu Yamakawa
  • Japan Shuto Harabuchi REP
  • New Zealand Vea Taumoefolau REP

Hookers

  • Japan Daigo Hashimoto
  • Japan Futoshi Mori
  • Japan Mamoru Harada
  • Japan Ryuki Hayashi

Locks

  • Tonga Asaeli Lausii*
  • Japan Samuela Anise
  • Japan Kyosuke Kajikawa
  • Japan Shohei Ito
  • New Zealand Jacob Pierce
  • Japan Shoichi Takagi
  • Samoa Iosefatu Mareko*
  • South Africa PJ Steenkamp
  • Japan Warner Dearns
  • Japan Senfu Kamei REP

Flankers

  • New Zealand Shannon Frizell
  • Japan Hiroki Yamamoto
  • Japan Takahiro Fujita
  • Japan Takeshi Sasaki
  • South Korea Lee Song-chang*
  • South Korea Yoon Rye-on REP
  • Tonga Afu Ofeina REP

No8s

Scrum-halves

  • Japan Takahiro Ogawa
  • Japan Yuhei Sugiyama
  • Japan Kohei Takahashi
  • Japan Motoki Tanaka
  • Japan Shotaro Ikedo REP

Fly-halves

Centres

  • Japan Taichi Mano
  • New Zealand Nicholas McCurran*
  • Fiji Seta Tamanivalu
  • New Zealand Rob Thompson
  • Japan Yuto Mori

Wingers

  • Japan Makoto Iwafuchi
  • Japan Atsuki Kuwayama
  • Japan Masaki Hamada
  • Japan Hisayoshi Matsuoka
  • Japan Jone Naikabula
  • Japan Taiki Matsunobu
  • Japan Ren Miyagami
  • Japan Rei Ishioka REP

Fullbacks

  • Japan Toshiki Kuwayama
  • Japan Shohei Toyoshima

Utility Backs

  • New Zealand Michael Collins
  • South Africa 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
  • 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
  1. "La nouvelle ligue japonaise s'appelle la Japan Rugby League One". Asie Rugby (in French). 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  2. "Toshiba Brave Lupus: The Team" (in Japanese). Toshiba Sports. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  3. "Richie Mo'unga officially signs in Japan".
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