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
Location	Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan
Ground(s)	Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, 27,188 capacity
Coach(es)	Todd Blackadder
Captain(s)	Yoshitaka Tokunaga, Takahiro Ogawa
League(s)	Japan Rugby League One
2021	5th, Red Conference, ; Playoffs ; Round of 16
Team kit	2nd kit

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. 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[]

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 squad for the 2021 season is:^[2]

Toshiba Brave Lupus squad
Props Masataka Mikami Hookers Futoshi Mori Locks Myles Edwards Kyosuke Kajikawa Naohiro Kotaki Sam Thomson	Loose Forwards Michael Leitch Matt Todd Yoshitaka Tokunaga（Co-Captain) Hiroki Yamamoto Scrum-halves Takahiro Ogawa（Co-Captain) Jack Stratton Fly-halves Tim Bateman Tom Taylor	Centres Johnny Fa'auli Seta Tamanivalu Wingers Takehisa Usuzuki Fullbacks Shohei Toyoshima

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

Past players[]

Francois 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)
- number 8
- full back
Ruatangi Vatuvei - lock/centre (moved to Kintetsu Liners before 2007-8 season)
- lock
- scrum half
Scott McLeod - centre

References[]

^ "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.

External links[]

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.

[1]

[2]

show v t Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo – current squad
Forwards	Kyosuke Kajikawa Naohiro Kotaki Michael Leitch Masataka Mikami Futoshi Mori Sam Thomson Matt Todd Yoshitaka Tokunaga Hiroki Yamamoto
Backs	Tim Bateman Johnny Fa'auli Takahiro Ogawa Jack Stratton Seta Tamanivalu Tom Taylor Shohei Toyoshima Takehisa Usuzuki
Coach	Todd Blackadder