RUGBY IN JAPAN NEWSLETTER Volume 10, No.2

CONGRATULATIONS RIJ newsletter celebrates it’s 10th anniversary

RiJ reports on the final round of Top League while the Top Challenge One series is now under way. Further, Kyuden is in profile this issue as the final instalment on Top League team profiles for the season.

Enjoy the read.

Ian McDonnell lives and works in Japan. He can be contacted at ianmcdo@apost.plala.or.jp

CONTENTS

• Japan Rugby Top League Round 13-Final Round
• Top League Promotion and Relegation: Top Challenge Series 2012-13
• Top League Profiles: (13) – Canon Eagles
• 49th University Championship 2012-2013 Finals Stage
• Wales tour to Japan 2013

Japan Rugby Top League 2012-13
Round Thirteen (final round)

Date	Team	Score	Team	K/O	Venue
Sun, 06 Jan 2013	Ricoh (3Ts)	21-46	Yamaha (7Ts)	12:00	Chichibu, Tokyo
	Toshiba (7Ts)	50-30	Kintetsu (4Ts)	14:00	Chichibu, Tokyo
	Panasonic (7Ts)	44-14	Canon (2Ts)	12:00	Nishikyogoku, Kyoto
	Toyota (4Ts)	31-24	NTT Docomo (3Ts)	14:00	Nishikyogoku, Kyoto
	Sanix (6Ts)	36-55	NEC (9Ts)	12:00	Level 5, Fukuoka
	Kyuden (4Ts)	27-28	NTT Comm. (3Ts)	14:00	Level 5, Fukuoka
	Kobe (4Ts)	29-43	Suntory (6Ts)	13:00	Kobe, Hyogo

Round Thirteen Preview

In the first game of a double header at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo on Sunday, Ricoh Black Rams face Yamaha Jubilo. Ricoh had a tough start to the season with four losses but turned things around remarkably with four wins on the trot including the scalp of Toshiba before suffering two further losses. Ricoh bounced back with a win over NTT Docomo but fell to Toyota 52-7 last round and in this final round they are going to be difficult opponents for Yamaha to put away as the Black Rams look to improve their standings. Yamaha opened the year with four wins but have been up and down since. More recently, losses to Toshiba, Kintetsu and Suntory saw Jubilo drop out of the top four but a good win over Ricoh could see them finish as high as fifth on the final table.

In the second game in Tokyo, Toshiba Brave Lupus play Kintetsu Liners. Toshiba have had three losses this season but have qualified for the semi-finals as they sit in third place on 45 points going into this final round. In the lead-up to the business end of the season they beat Kobe and then thrashed Kyuden 101-5 last round and the Brave Lupus should have too much experience and guile for Kintetsu this round. Kintetsu have had an up and down season winning six and losing six to be in seventh place on 32 points. Last round the Liners went down to NTT Comm. 13-10 in heavy, boggy conditions on this very ground and they will be aiming for an upset win should the Brave Lupus show any signs of complacency.

In the first game of a double header at the Nishikyogoku Stadium in Kyoto, Panasonic Wild Knights play Canon Eagles. Panasonic had a roller coaster ride over the first half of the season but have found their form of old since the November break with comprehensive wins over Toyota, NTT Docomo, Kyuden and Kobe to consolidate fourth place on the table and a spot in the play-offs. With Panasonic in such devastating form at the moment there will be no quarter given to the Eagles. Playing in Top League for the first time this year, Canon have had wins over NTT Docomo, Kyuden and Sanix but went down to NEC 34-0 last round in Tokyo. As the newest team in Top League, every game has been a tough one for Canon and with the team having successfully avoided the prospect of relegation the gritty Eagles will ready themselves for the challenge against Panasonic.

In the second game in Kyoto, Toyota Verblitz face NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes. Toyota have had something of a topsy turvy season but still are in fifth place with 38 points from eight wins, a draw and three losses. A spot in the play-offs is now no longer a possibility but the Verblitz will be looking to take fifth place on the final table in a vast improvement on last season when they finished well down the listings in tenth place. NTT Docomo have struggled for any kind of form this season losing eleven straight games before coming up with their first win when they beat Sanix 42-13 in Kagoshima last round. That win moved the Red Hurricanes off the bottom of the table but the highest they can possibly finish is second to last meaning they will have to contend with the promotion and relegation play-offs.

In one of two games at the Level Five Stadium in Fukuoka city, Fukuoka prefecture, Kyushu based Fukuoka Sanix Blues play NEC Green Rockets. Sanix had a positive start to the season with a win over Kyuden in the opening round but they have since lost eleven on the trot over the ensuing rounds to languish in last place on 6 points. The Blues were well beaten 42-13 by NTT Docomo in Kagoshima last round with that loss pushing them into the wooden spoon position. Whatever the result in this match the Blues will still finish last or second last condemning them to the promotion and relegation play-offs in order to retain their place in Top League for next season. After finishing fourth and making the play-offs for the first time last season NEC have slumped to ninth place on the table with 27 points from five wins and seven losses. After the November break, the Green Rockets have won three of their four games and they will be now looking to finish the rounds with a final win.

In the second game in Fukuoka, Kyuden Voltex take on NTT Communications Shining Arcs. After fighting their way back into Top League this season, Kyuden had seven straight losses in their first season back in the top flight after two seasons in the Kyushu league before crucially coming up with a win over NTT Docomo in round eight. They then came up with their second win when they pulled victory from the jaws of defeat against Ricoh in round ten but were put to the sword 76-35 by Panasonic and then 100-5 by Toshiba last round. The Shining Arcs were the big improvers over the early stages of the season but they then lost four matches in a row putting a big dent in their confidence. The Arcs beat Kintetsu 13-10 in atrocious weather conditions in Tokyo last round and they will be looking to secure a mid table finish with a win over Kyuden.

At the Home’s Stadium in Kobe, Kobelco Steelers play at the this stadium for the third round in a row when they host Suntory Sungoliath in what is the biggest game of the round. Kobe narrowly lost to both Toshiba and then Panasonic last round and so they will be looking to make a statement by inflicting the first loss of the season on Suntory. The Steelers are guaranteed a spot in the play-offs but whether they will finish second, third or fourth on the final table will depend of the results of this final round. Suntory are proving to be unstoppable and are still undefeated this season going into this final game as they sit on top of the table on 58 points from a possible 60.

Round Thirteen Wrap-up

After the thirteenth and final round of the 2012-13 Japan Rugby Top League season played on Sunday 06 January 2013, unbeaten Suntory Sungoliath topped the table with 63 points followed by Toshiba Brave Lupus in second place on 50 points. Panasonic Wild Knights and Kobelco Steelers both finished on 49 points with the former taking third place on differential leaving Kobe in fourth place. Toyota Verblitz finished fifth on 43 points with Yamaha Jubilo in sixth place on 42 points ahead of Kintetsu Liners in seventh on 33 points from six wins and seven losses. NEC Green Rockets were next in eighth place on 32 points while NTT Communications Shining Arcs were ninth on 31 points. A string of recent losses saw Ricoh Black Rams finish tenth on 28 points followed by Canon Eagles in eleventh place on 19 points and Kyuden Voltex in twelfth place on 16 points. NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes finished thirteenth on 8 points with Fukuoka Sanix Blues on 7 points collecting the wooden spoon on the bottom of the table.

In the first game of a double header at the Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in Tokyo on Sunday, Ricoh Black Rams faced Yamaha Jubilo. In good conditions for rugby in the nation’s capital, Yamaha were first to strike with fullback Ayumu Goromaru landing an early penalty. However, this was nullified when Ricoh centre Riki Flutey responded in kind in the 15^th minute. Yamaha then retook the lead 10-3 with a converted try to No8 Manase Folau on the 20 minute mark before Ricoh hooker Yoshiyuki Takizawa crossed the Jubilo whitewash in the 25^th minute to make it 10-8. Yamaha pushed ahead with tries to halfback Shinya Ikemachi and wing So Kil-Ryong before Ricoh closed out the half with No8 Colin Bourke touching down to take the sides to halftime with Jubilo leading 20-13. Centre Male Sau crossed for the bonus-point try in the opening minute of the second half making life that much more difficult for the Rams. Yamaha wings So and Shinji Nakazono put the result beyond doubt with further tries as the Jubilo went on to take the game 46-21.

In the second game in Tokyo, Toshiba Brave Lupus played Kintetsu Liners. Toshiba’s David Hill and Kintetsu centre Shotaro Onishi traded early penalties before wing Kazuki Sakamoto put the Liners in front 8-3 with the opening try of the match in the 19^th minute. The Brave Lupus then went on the front foot with tries to No8 and captain Masato Toyoda, Hill and wing Toshiaki Hirose putting Toshiba out to a 24-11 lead by halftime. Toyoda led from the front with his second try immediately after the resumption of play stretching the lead to 29-11 and this was followed by Hirose adding his second in the 12^th minute to extend the lead to 36-11. To stay in the game Kintetsu had to be next to score and this is exactly what happened with tries to Rico Gear and Gene Fairbanks closing the score to 36-23. After that, a yellow card took the wind out of the Kintetsu sails with Steven Bates and wing Shin Ito sealing the 50-30 win with late tries.

In the first game of a double header at the Nishikyogoku Stadium in Kyoto, Panasonic Wild Knights beat Canon Eagles 44-14. The opening exchanges were closely contested with the first points only posted in the 15^th minute with Mike Delany kicking a penalty to give Panasonic an early 3-0 lead. However, Canon scored the first try when wing Hiroki Oi got a good bounce from a cross kick with centre Ryohei Mitomo adding the extras from wide out. This was then countered by the Knights when wing Akihito Yamada crossed for his nineteenth try of the season in the 23^rd minute. Neither side could add to their score over the remainder of the half with Panasonic taking an 8-7 lead into the break. Panasonic struck first in the second half with lock Daniel Heenan mauling over for a try with half Nick Ealey converting from the touchline followed by a try to wing Tomoki Kitagawa to stretch the gap to 20-7. Panasonic brought up the four-try bonus point with Hendrik Tui scoring from a 5 metre scrum and with a 25-7 the Knights were in the box seat. The highlight of the game came in the 71^st minute when Yamada crossed for his second try of the match and twentieth of the season to become the leading season try scorer in the ten year history of Top League. Heenan finished with a double but the day belonged to Yamada.

In the second game in Kyoto, Toyota Verblitz faced NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes. Flanker Steven Setephano helped NTT Docomo to an early lead with a try in the tenth minute of play but tries to wing Koji Wada and fullback Hiroki Mizuno put Toyota in front 14-7 in the lead up to halftime. However, the Red Hurricanes came up with their second try at the death through flanker Ryo Kawada to tie things up 14-all at the break. Wing Kosuke Endo put the Verblitz back in front with a try early on in the latter stanza with five-eighth Takaya Monji adding the extras for a 21-14 lead. NTT got back on level pegging at 21-all with captain Takeshi Hirase scoring in the 8^th minute but a converted try to Mizuno on the hour and a late penalty to Monji was enough for Toyota to go on to a 31-24 win. Hamish Gard kicked a penalty at the end to guarantee the Red Hurricanes a losing bonus point.

In one of two games at the Level Five Stadium in Fukuoka city, Fukuoka prefecture, Kyushu based Fukuoka Sanix Blues played NEC Green Rockets. In a high scoring game that saw a total of fifteen tries scored, NEC finished on the right side of the ledger with a 55-36 win. With Sanix going all out for a win in order to avoid the wooden spoon the Blues put on two early tries through Tui Mahe and Karn Hesketh to take a 12-7 by the quarter mark in the game. Both sides kept up the attack with NEC grabbing the lead 14-12 through a converted try to centre Shindo Kamaike before Hesketh crossed for his second five-pointer. The Green Rockets finished the half the stronger with tries to five-eighth Yosuke Morita and wing Nemani Nadolo taking the sides to halftime with NEC leading 26-19. The tries kept coming in the second half with Kamaike, Morita, Nadolo and No8 Nili Latu all scoring doubles for NEC, while the Blues made sure they at least got a bonus point for their efforts with centre Shusaku Hamazato touching down twice.

In the second game in Fukuoka, Kyuden Voltex took on NTT Communications Shining Arcs. Tries from wing Kenji Hayata and fullback Yusuke Aramaki helped Kyuden to a handy 12-3 lead by the completion of the first half. However, NTT five-eighth Yoshio Kimishima narrowed the gap with a penalty early in the latter half before fullback Brackin Karauria-Henry touched down and Kimishima converted to reverse the score and put NTT in front 13-12. Hayata and Dwayne Sweeney scored tries to put Kyuden in front 24-13 by the 25^th of the second half only for the Shining Arcs to come over the top and take the lead 28-27 and win the game in the final minute of play.

At the Home’s Stadium in Kobe, Kobelco Steelers played at this stadium for the third round in a row when they hosted Suntory Sungoliath in what was the biggest game of the round. Kobe narrowly lost to both Toshiba and then Panasonic over the previous two rounds on this ground and it was more of the same with Suntory finishing the rounds unbeaten with this six tries to four 43-29 victory. The win sees the Sungoliath finish the rounds on top of the table on 63 points from a possible 65 sending a big message to their Top League rivals that they will not relinquish their Top League crown without a fight. Former Wallabies flanker George Smith was named man of the match for the third time this season as he scored one try while wing Hirotoki Onozawa crossed for a hat-trick. Kobe scored four tries to pick up a bonus point with flanker Josh Blackie scoring twice to finish the season on 49 points.

Japan Rugby Top League 2012-13

	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	Diff	BP1	BP2	Pts
1	Suntory	13	13	0	0	481	258	223	11	0	63
2	Toshiba	13	10	0	3	478	266	212	8	2	50
3	Panasonic	13	10	0	3	509	275	234	8	1	49
4	Kobe	13	9	1	3	468	255	213	9	2	49
5	Toyota	13	9	1	3	343	291	52	4	1	43
6	Yamaha	13	8	0	5	430	311	119	7	3	42
7	Kintetsu	13	6	0	7	356	308	48	5	4	33
8	NEC	13	6	0	7	399	375	24	7	1	32
9	NTT Comm.	13	7	0	6	240	313	-73	1	2	31
10	Ricoh	13	5	0	8	322	360	-38	5	3	28
11	Canon	13	3	0	10	287	382	-95	5	2	19
12	Kyuden	13	2	0	11	238	593	-355	5	3	16
13	NTT Docomo	13	1	0	12	217	524	-307	2	2	8
14	Sanix	13	1	0	12	256	513	-257	2	1	7

Four points for win, two for draw, one bonus point for four tries or more (BP1) and one bonus point for losing by seven or less (BP2).

Leading Point Scorers

At the completion of all thirteen rounds, Yamaha fullback Ayumu Goromaru topped the point scorers list with 160 points.

	Name	Team	T	G	PG	DG	Pts
1	Ayumu Goromaru	Yamaha	1	40	25	0	160
2	Atsushi Tanabe	Panasonic	1	39	21	0	146
3	Yoshio Kimishima	NTT Comm.	3	19	29	0	140
4	Stephen Brett	Toyota	9	18	15	0	126
5	Shotaro Onishi	Kintetsu	0	29	17	1	112
6	Yu Tamura	NEC	2	38	7	0	107
7	Peter Grant	Kobe	0	27	16	0	102
8	Ryan Nicholas	Suntory	2	26	13	0	101
9	Akihito Yamada	Panasonic	20	0	0	0	100
10	Ryohei Mitomo	Canon	3	24	12	0	99
11	David Hill	Toshiba	1	24	13	0	98
12	Hiroshi Tashiro	Sanix	0	18	20	0	96
13	Nemani Nadolo	NEC	17	0	1	0	88
14	Yoshimitsu Kawano	Ricoh	1	18	14	0	83
15	Hirotoki Onozawa	Suntory	15	0	0	0	75
16	Jaque Fourie	Kobe	13	0	0	0	65

Leading Try Scorers

At the completion of all thirteen rounds, Panasonic wing Akihito Yamada topped the try scorers list with 20 tries a new Top League record.

	Name	Team	Tries
1	Akihito Yamada	Panasonic	20
2	Nemani Nadolo	NEC	17
3	Hirotoki Onozawa	Suntory	15
4	Jaque Fourie	Kobe	13
5	Shindo Kamaike	NEC	10
6	Stephen Brett	Toyota	9
6	Steven Bates	Toshiba	9
6	Karn Hesketh	Sanix	9
6	So Kil-Ryong	Yamaha	9
10	Hiraku Tomoigawa	NTT Comm.	8
10	Toetu’u Taufa	Kintetsu	8
10	Shinji Nakazono	Yamaha	8

Round 13 Man-of-the-match Awards

Date	Teams	Score	Teams	Ground	MOTM
Sun 06 Jan 2013	Ricoh	21-46	Yamaha	Chichibu, Tokyo	Yoshio Kimishima, Five-eighth
	Toshiba	50-30	Kintetsu	Chichibu, Tokyo
	Panasonic	44-14	Canon	Nishikyogoku, Kyoto
	Toyota	31-24	NTT Docomo	Nishikyogoku, Kyoto
	Sanix	36-55	NEC	Level 5, Fukuoka
	Kyuden	27-28	NTT Comm.	Level 5, Fukuoka
	Kobe	29-43	Suntory	Kobe, Hyogo

 

Top League Promotion and Relegation: Top Challenge Series 2012-13

The Top Challenge Series determines which two sides from the regional leagues will be promoted for the 2013-14 Japan Rugby Top League season.

At the completion of the thirteen rounds of the 2012-13 Japan Rugby Top League competition the two teams that finish in fourteenth and thirteenth places, that is, last and second last play through the promotion and relegation play-offs to retain their places in Top League for the 2013-14 season.

In Top Challenge Two, the three sides that finished in second position in the three regional leagues, that is, Mitsubishi Dynaboars (Top East), Honda Heat (Top West) and Mazda Zoomers (Top Kyushu) played off with Mitsubishi as the winner progressing to Top Challenge One.

In Top Challenge One, the three sides that finished in first position in the three regional leagues, that is, Kubota Spears (Top East), Toyota Industries Shuttles (Top West), Coca-Cola West Red Sparks (Top Kyushu) together with Mitsubishi as the winner of Top Challenge Two play each other once with the top two teams gaining automatic promotion to Top League for the 2013-14 season.

Furthermore, the team that finishes third in Top Challenge One has a second bite of the cherry in a one-off promotion and relegation play-off with the team that finishes fourteenth in Top League while the team that finishes fourth in Top Challenge One plays the team that finishes thirteenth in Top League.

Top Challenge One 2012-13

The sides to contest Top Challenge One 2012-13 are: Kubota Spears (Top East), Toyota Industries Shuttles (Top West), Coca-Cola West Red Sparks (Top Kyushu) together with Mitsubishi Dynaboars as the winner of Top Challenge Two. In a round robin tournament over three rounds the top two placed sides will gain automatic promotion to Top League for the 2013-14 season.

Pos.	Team	P	W	L	F	A	+/-	BP1	BP2	Pts
	Coca-Cola	1	1	0	37	31	6	1	0	5
	Toyota Ind.	1	1	0	26	16	10	0	0	4
	Kubota	1	0	1	31	37	-6	0	1	1
	Mitsubishi	1	0	1	16	26	-10	0	0	0

Round 1

Toyota Industries Shuttles (Top West 1) 26 (2Ts) d Mitsubishi Dynaboars (Winner TC 2) 16 (1T)

Date: Saturday, 05 January 2013

Venue: Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground, Tokyo

Kick-off: 12:00

Toyota Industries Shuttles drew first blood in the Top Challenge One 2012-13 series with a hard-fought 26-16 win over Mitsubishi Dynaboars in Tokyo on Saturday 5 January 2013. The Shuttles scored two tries to one with kicking accounting for most of the scoring with the Dynaboars pair of Dave Walder and Shane Williams kicking a conversion and three penalties between them while Mark Gerrard was the chief destroyer for the Shuttles with two conversions, three penalties and a drop goal.

Coca-Cola West Red Sparks (Top Kyushu 1) 37 (4Ts) d Kubota Spears (Top East 1) 31 (3Ts)

Date: Saturday, 05 January 2013

Venue: Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground, Tokyo

Kick-off: 14:00

In the other game on the same ground, Coca-Cola West Red Sparks came out on top with a tough 37-31 victory over Kubota Spears in their opening round clash. Kubota led 22-0 late in the first half but two sinbinnings allowed Coca-Cola to fight their way back into the game. The Red Sparks dominated the latter half, taking the lead for the first time on the hour mark and never looking back from there. Coca-Cola scored four tries to three with fullback Daisuke Haradome converting all four tries while also landing three penalties in a flawless day with the boot. With two rounds left to play, the top two placed sides will gain automatic promotion to Top League for next season.

Round 2

Saturday, 12 January 2013

Coca-Cola West Red Sparks (Top Kyushu 1) v Mitsubishi Dynaboars (Winner TC2), Hanazono, Osaka, 12:00.

Toyota industries Shuttles (Top West 1) v Kubota Spears (Top East 1), Hanazono, Osaka, 14:00.

Round 3

Sunday, 20 January 2013

Kubota Spears (Top East 1) v Mitsubishi Dynaboars (Winner TC2), TBC, 12:00.

Coca-Cola West Red Sparks (Top Kyushu 1) v Toyota industries Shuttles (Top West 1), TBC, 14:00.

Top League Profiles 2012-13

(14) – Kyushu Electric Power Co. Kyuden Voltex

http://www.kyudenvoltex.com/

2012-13 Introduction: Last season (2011-12) Kyuden came second in the Top Challenge Series to win promotion back to Top League for the first time since the 2009-10 season. With Top League now in its tenth year, it is going to be a challenge for Kyuden both on and off the field to compete with the established sides but after playing the previous two seasons in the Kyushu league the Voltex should feel they have paid their dues. The squad contains a lot of players who were there when Kyuden last played in Top League three seasons ago and this experience will be valuable as the long season wears on. Furthermore, the foreign players in the camp will have to set the standard high in order to act as role models for their younger and less experienced team mates. In the forwards, former All Blacks and Crusaders lock Chris Jack is an important figure while in the backs former Chiefs centre Dwayne Sweeney will be just as important.

Established: Kyuden was formed in 1951 and worked their way through the seasons in Kyushu to win their place in Top League for the first time in the 2007-8 season. The full name of the team is Kyushu Electric Power Company Inc. Rugby Football Club, or put more simply just Kyuden. The team has its ground in Higashi ward, in Fukuoka city, Fukuoka prefecture in northern Kyushu.

At various stages over past seasons Kyuden were overshadowed by Sanix and Coca-Cola in the Top Kyushu A league, but with both these teams in Top League for the 2006-7 season, Kyuden had this very weak regional league all to itself. Good wins over Mitsubishi Sagamihara and Kintetsu in the Top League promotion series ultimately resulted in Kyuden gaining automatic promotion.

For rugby supporters in Kyushu, at times, having three teams in Top League was a dream come true. This comes after the dark days of the 2004-5 Top League season when there were no Kyushu based teams at all participating in Top League. However, the overall effect of having three teams in Top League is that it has exhausted the stocks of the regional Top Kyushu A league. Although Kyuden has made it back to Top League for the 2012-13 season, Coca-Cola were relegated meaning along with Sanix there will be two Kyushu based sides in Top League this season.

When Kyuden gained admission to Top League for the 2007-8 season they adopted the moniker Kyuden Voltex. Voltex is coined from a combination of Voltage and Technique with voltage referring to the nature of the company as a power generating concern and technique referring to the skills developed in their rugby team.

The team slogan for 2012-13 is: “Honki!! (Give it a go!!)”

The Company: As the full name of the company suggests, Kyuden is an electric power generating company based on the island of Kyushu. Kyuden also has overseas energy related projects, particularly in Asia in areas like Taiwan. The company has an English home page as follows http://www1.kyuden.co.jp/en_index

Titles:

Top League – none.

From the 2003-4 season to the 2005-6 season, Top League consisted of 12 teams and the team that finished on top of the table claimed the title. In the 2006-7 season, Top League was increased to 14 teams with the top four finishers on the ladder progressing to the Microsoft Cup, the play-off series to determine the overall Top League champion. From the 2009-10 season, the Microsoft company did not renew their naming rights sponsorship and so the finals series became known as the Top League Play-off Tournament.

In the 2011-12 season, Kyuden topped the seven-team Top Kyushu A regional league undefeated and thereby qualified directly for the four-team Top Challenge One series. In their opening game Kyuden went down to Kubota 28-15 but then backed up to beat Toyota Industries Shuttles 22-13 in their next game in Fukuoka. In their third and final game the Voltex came out and beat Canon 68-17. This meant Kyuden finished the series on nine points with two wins and one loss, the same as Kubota, but the big win in their final game saw Kyuden claim second spot on points difference and thus win promotion back to Top League for the 2012-13 season.

2011-12: DNP. Kyuden played in the Top Kyushu competition.

2010-11: DNP. Kyuden played in the Top Kyushu competition.

2009-10: 14^th on table on 4 points with 13 losses. (Automatically relegated)

2008-9: 12^th on 18 points with 3 wins & 10 losses.

2007-8: 10^th on 21 points with 4 wins & 9 losses.

2006-7: DNP. Kyuden played in the Top Kyushu competition.

2005-6: DNP. Kyuden played in the Top Kyushu competition.

2004-5: DNP. Kyuden played in the Top Kyushu competition.

2003-4: DNP. Kyuden played in the Top Kyushu competition.

Microsoft Cup – none.

From 2004 to 2006 the Microsoft Cup was a separate knock-out tournament for the top 8 finishers in Top League. From 2007 the Microsoft Cup acted as the play-off finals series to determine the overall Top League champion with the top four finishers on the Top League ladder progressing to the Microsoft Cup. The Microsoft company did not renew their naming rights sponsorship for the 2009-10 Top League season and so the 2010 finals series became known as the Top League Play-off Tournament.

2009: DNQ as only top 4 TL teams qualified.

2008: DNQ as only top 4 TL teams qualified.

2007: DNP.

2006: DNP.

2005: DNP.

2004: DNP.

National Championship – none.

After 22 teams participated in the 2004 National Championship it was reduced to 8 teams for 2005 consisting of the top four Top League sides, the top two universities, the top challenger from lower divisions and the top club side. In 2009 the number of teams was increased to ten with two additional Top League sides.

For 2010 the Wildcard Tournament was introduced to the National Championship for the Top League sides that finished fifth to tenth on the final table. In 2011 these six sides were: Kobe (fifth on 36 points), NEC (sixth on 34 points), Ricoh (seventh on 32 points), Sanix (eighth on 32 points), Kintetsu (ninth on 31 points) and Coca-Cola (tenth on 28 points). The teams played off over two weekends with Kobe and Ricoh winning the right to participate in the NC as the final two Top League participants. In 2012 the Wildcard Tournament was abbreviated to the four teams that finished fifth to eighth with fifth placed Kintetsu Liners playing eighth placed Yamaha Jubilo and sixth placed Kobe Steelers playing seventh placed Ricoh Black Rams. Kobe beat Ricoh 32-19 and Yamaha beat Kintetsu 17-15 with the winners thus qualifying for the up-coming 49^th National Championship.

2012 (49^th NC - 10 teams): DNP.

2011 (48^th NC - 10 teams): DNP.

2010 (47^th NC - 10 teams): DNQ.

2009 (46^th NC - 10 teams): DNQ as only top 6 TL teams qualified.

2008 (45^th NC - 8 teams): DNQ as only top 4 TL teams qualified.

2007 (44^th NC - 8 teams): DNP.

2006 (43^rd NC - 8 teams): DNP.

2005 (42^nd NC - 8 teams): DNP.

2004 (41^st NC - 22 teams): beat Hosei Univ 57-38, then lost to Toyota 66-21.

Corporate Championship – one: All-Japan Company Championship (1954).

Colours: Wine red jersey with yellow flashes through the flanks and blue bar across the chest, black shorts, red socks with yellow tops. The second jersey is white with blue flashes through the flanks and blue bar across the chest.

Style of Play: Kyuden entered a whole new world when they won promotion to Top League for the 2007-8 season, and there was little room for testing the water. Kyuden had to hit the ground running and they acquitted themselves quite well with 4 wins and 9 losses to finish in 10^th place. The 10^th place finish also meant they avoided relegation and also the promotion and relegation play-offs. However, in the 2008-9 season Kyuden finished twelfth with 3 wins and 10 losses which meant they had to run the gauntlet of the play-offs where they beat Mazda 31-10 to retain their place in Top League for the following season. Then, in the 2009-10 season Kyuden finished in fourteenth and last position on the table with thirteen straight losses and were automatically relegated back to the Kyushu league.

Kyuden then played the 2010-11 season and also the 2011-12 season in the very weak Top Kyushu A League. They topped the 7-team league in 2011-12 with six easy wins gaining maximum points from each game and this put them directly into the Top Challenge One Series. In the Top Challenge Series, Kyuden beat Toyota Industries 34-19 and Kubota 37-32 but lost to Canon 23-14. Kyuden finished tied for second place with nine points with Kubota behind Canon, but a better for and against saw them win promotion back to Top League for the 2012-13 season.

The 2012-13 season will be their fourth year in Top League and fans can expect to see a lot of their play based around the contingent of overseas players, especially in the backs. There will be no honeymoon period for Kyuden as they will have to perform from the outset with the focus firmly on getting enough wins and points to avoid relegation at the end of the season.

Players to Watch: In the forwards, former All Blacks lock Chris Jack, former Reds flanker Tom McVerry and former Blues No8 Mathew Luamanu are important players in the pack for Kyuden. There is also a healthy number of players in the forwards who were playing with the club when they were previously in Top League including veteran stalwart lock Kohei Kichijo who is in his fifteenth season with the club. Other experienced players to watch in the forwards include prop and forwards leader Koki Sato, flanker and squad captain Makoto Matsumoto and flanker Takeshi Shindo who is a 13-year veteran with Kyuden.

Kyuden also have the services of former Chiefs centre Dwayne Sweeney, now in his second season with the club. Meanwhile, at five-eighth or centre, Ben Jacobs is also in his second season, and his experience will be valuable for the team. Other foreign players in the backs include Australian raised Philippine international halfback James Price and fellow Philippine team mate in centre Gareth Holgate. Halfback Tadasuke Matsuo is backs leader and he will have to lead by example in his twelfth season with Kyuden while five-eighth Kosei Kukimoto as overall club captain will carry added responsibility. Although there is a lot of experience in the backs, one of the younger players at Kyuden to definitely keep an eye on is wing or fullback Tomohiro Shokai. He joined Kyuden this year from Doshisha University and at 186cm and 90kg the former Higashi Fukuoka High School student has defied the trend of local talent joining top name clubs to stay in his hometown. Shokai has represented Japan at High School, U20 age-grade levels and even at Sevens and he is prospect for higher honours in the future.

Cap holders for Japan in the current squad: (0)

In 2012, in the HSBC A5N series, the IRB PNC series and Japan tour to Europe in the autumn, Kyuden were not represented.

There were no representatives from Kyuden in the 2009 Asian Five Nations (A5N) tournament, or the 2009 edition of the Pacific Nations Cup (PNC).

In the two home tests against the USA in November 2008, Kyuden were not represented.

There were no representatives from Kyuden in the inaugural Asian Five Nations (A5N) tournament in 2008, or the 2008 edition of the Pacific Nations Cup (PNC).

There were no representatives from Kyuden at the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France.

The Coach: Koji Hirata (38, 28/08/1974) is in his second year as the manager at Kyuden for the 2012-13 season after starting as the assistant forwards coach in 2010-11. Meanwhile, Queenslander Zane Hilton is the new head coach.

Tadashi Goda was the new manager for the 2009-10 season with former Australia A head coach Adrian Thompson acting as head coach. Goda took over from Tsunejiro Koda. Goda has 8 caps for Japan as a wing and he has also previously coached Kyuden form 2001 to 2003.

Thompson was Australia A coach in the early 2000s when he actually coached Tim Atkinson in 2002 who is now part of Kyuden. He was also in charge of Australia A during the 2 match tour to Japan in 2003. Adrian was Queensland assistant coach and coaching coordinator under the likes of Mark McBain and then Jeff Miller before taking on the Australia A job.

The Captain: Flanker Makoto Matsumoto (29, 19/11/1983) is the captain at Kyuden for the 2012-13 season. Matsumoto is in his seventh year with the club after graduating from Waseda University.

Back in the 2009-10 season, prop Yoshihiro Nakamura was the captain for the second season in a row. He took over from No8 Takuo Kawasaki. Wing Masahiro Yoshinaga was the vice-captain. Flanker Makoto Matsumoto was the forwards leader and five-eighth Genki Saito the backs leader.

Losses: (4)

Yoshihiro NAKAMURA, 30 y/o (11/10/1982), prop, 169/98. Into the company workforce after 7 years with the club.

Josh MANN-REA (AUS), 31 y/o, hooker, 181/105, Australian U21s, U19s and Schoolboys, to S14 Waratahs after 3 years with club.

Hiroaki SUETSUGU, 31 y/o (07/01/1981), wing, 176/74. Into the company workforce after 13 years with the club.

Chris LATHAM (AUS), 37 y/o (08/09/1975), fullback, 193/102, 79 caps for Australia, after 2 years with club.

Gains: (8)

Koki IMARU, 23 y/o (20/07/1989), prop, 184/125, from Ryutsu Keizai University.

Michiro TAKAI, 23 y/o (13/12/1989), flanker/No8, 187/91, from Nippon Sports Science University, he has represented Japan at U20 and Sevens levels.

Genki NAKAMURA, 19 y/o (08/06/1993), flanker 176/78, from Saga Technical High School.

Mathew LUAMANU (Samoa), 24 y/o (04/03/1988), No8, 196/129, NZ U20s, SR Blues.

Wataru OBARA, 23 y/o (29/05/1989), No8, 180/95, from Kwansei Gakuin University.

James PRICE (The Philippines), 27 y/o (31/07/1985), halfback, 166/80, 3 caps for Philippines, St Joseph’s College, Northern Suburbs, Randwick.

Tomohiro SHOKAI, 23 y/o (14/09/1989), fullback, 186/90, from Doshisha University, he has represented Japan at High School, U20s and Sevens levels.

Gareth HOLGATE (The Philippines), 25 y/o (03/12/1987), centre, 175/86, 10 caps for Philippines.

Overseas Players & Staff (7 + 3):

Tom McVERRY (AUS), 32 y/o (30/06/1980), open side flanker, 186/106, 5^th year, Australian 7s, U21s, Reds 2000-7.

Chris JACK (NZL), 34 y/o (05/09/1978), lock, 202/112, 2^nd year, 67 caps for New Zealand, SR Crusaders.

Mathew LUAMANU (Samoa), 24 y/o (04/03/1988), No8, 196/129, 1^st year, NZ U20s, SR Blues.

James PRICE (The Philippines), 27 y/o (31/07/1985), halfback, 166/80, 1^st year, 3 caps for Philippines, St Joseph’s College, Northern Suburbs, Randwick.

Ben JACOBS (AUS), 30 y/o (17/05/1982), centre, 186/96, 2^nd year, Australia A, SR Waratahs.

Dwayne SWEENEY (NZL), 28 y/o (08/08/1984), centre, 180/95, 2^nd year, NZ Maori, NZ Sevens, SR Chiefs.

Gareth HOLGATE (The Philippines), 25 y/o (03/12/1987), centre, 175/86, 1^st year, 10 caps for Philippines.

Zane HILTON (AUS) 31 y/o, head coach.

Doug SPITZ, 37 y/o, strength and conditioning consultant.

James HOLBECK (AUS) 38 y/o, skills consultant.

The 2012-13 Squad: (49) the list starts with captain and vice-captains and continues through forwards and backs in order from props to fullbacks. All family names come last.

Makoto Matsumoto (c), Genki Saito (v-c). Forwards: Kazuyuki Koyanagi, Masahiro Arima, Hirofumi Onoda, Kodai Kawasaki, Keiji Ikeda, Kotaro Hirohata, Koki Imamura, Koki Sato, Takahiro Oyama, Ryota Nakanishi, Tatsuya Matsunaga, Kohei Kichijo, Chris Jack, Masato Ura, Toshihiro Yoshiura, Kazuto Yamashita, Tom McVerry, Takeshi Shindo, Shun Kawarasaki, Shintaro Urakawa, Kazuma Hirata, Michiro Takai, Genki Nakamura, Masatoshi Hasako, Takahiro Inoue, Mathew Luamanu, Wataru Obara and Akinobu Nagano. Backs: Tadasuke Matsuo, James Price, Kazuki Abe, Kotaro Komori, Ben Jacobs, Kosei Kukimoto, Yuichi Yamaguchi, Kota Kurogi, Hiroaki Otsubo, Yuzo Honda, Dwayne Sweeney, Takuya Shima, Gareth Holgate, Masahiro Yoshinaga, Masanobu Suefuji, Kenji Hayata, Tomohiro Shokai, Katsuya Yoshida and Yusuke Aramaki. Manager: Koji Hirata. Head Coach: Zane Hilton.

49^th National University Championship 2012-13

At the completion of the respective regional leagues, the top universities qualify for the annual National University Championship held over December into the early New Year. The 49^th National University Championship 2012-13 has been modified this year with the 16 qualifying universities playing through four pools of four teams with the top teams in each pool progressing to the semi-finals.

Final Stage

At the completion of the Second Stage, the four teams that topped the four pools qualify for the semi-finals.

Final

Sunday 13 January 2013

National Stadium, Tokyo

Teikyo University (1^st in Pool D) v Tsukuba University (1^st in Pool A)

Semi-finals

Wednesday 02 January 2013

National Stadium, Tokyo

Teikyo University (1^st in Pool D) 38 d Waseda University (1^st in Pool B) 10, at the National Stadium, Tokyo, 12:15.

Under blue skies but windy conditions at the National Stadium in Tokyo, Waseda took an early 10-0 lead over Teikyo though a penalty to five-eighth Jumpei Ogura and a converted try to hooker Takuru Sudo. However, the defending university champions settled and played their way back into the game with sustained pressure leading to lock Naohiro Kotaki scoring near the posts on the half hour for five-eighth Ryoto Nakamura to make it 10-7, the eventual halftime score.

Flanker Malgene Ilalua put Teikyo in front for the first time early in the latter half with the Nakamura conversion extending the lead to 14-10 and then 17-10 with a penalty in the 9^th minute. Teikyo stamped their authority on the game with No8 Lee Son-Chan mauling over a try in the 16^th minute with Nakamura converting from wide out in difficult conditions to stretch the lead to 24-10. Wing Hirotomo Ono made the Waseda task all that much more difficult scoring from an intercept with Nakamura adding the extras to make it 31-10. Ilalua then sealed the deal with his second try in the 26^th minute with Teikyo going on to win 38-10. The win put Teikyo into the National University Championship final for the fifth year in a row. Teikyo lost their first ever appearance in the final in 2009 when they went down to Waseda had since then beat Tokai in 2010, Waseda in 2011 and Tenri in 2012 to be the first school to win three titles in a row since Doshisha in 1983, 1984 and 1985. Consequently, Teikyo will now be aiming to become the first university to win the title four years in a row.

Tsukuba University (1^st in Pool A) 28 d Tokai University (1^st in Pool C) 26, at the National Stadium, Tokyo, 14:10.

Tsukuba lock Masataka Tsuruya opened the scoring in the second semi-final with a try in the 6^th minute, but Tokai responded with a five-pointer to wing Hideto Kondo in the 12^th minute with fullback Takuya Takahira adding the extras to give Tokai the lead at 7-5. Tokai moved further ahead late in the half with centre Takeshi Yunosate crossing for the second team try with Takahira slotting the conversion to make it 14-5. With the halftime hooter sounding in the background Tokai broadened the gap with a converted try taking the teams to the break with Tokai in front 21-5.

Tsukuba were playing with the advantage of the breeze in the second half and with their fair share of possession kept up the pressure on their opponents producing three points from the boot of five-eighth Yasunori Katagiri from a penalty in the 10^th minute. Tsuruya then crossed the Tokai whitewash for a second time in the 17^th minute and the successful conversion from Katagiri narrowed the scoreline to 21-15. The momentum continued to shift with fullback and captain Keita Uchida making it a one point game with a try in the 25^th minute and with plenty of time left on the clock the game remained in the balance. The revival was completed a few minutes later when a penalty from Katagiri put Tsukuba back in front 23-21. Tokai scored their first points in the half in the 35^th minute from turnover ball on their own line to give them back the lead 26-23 but it was short lived with Tsukuba flanker Shunsuke Kasuya scoring almost immediately from a charge down for Tsukuba to grab back the lead 28-26 with the clock ticking down. From there Tsukuba held on for the win and advanced to a university final for the first time.