Japanese Rugby
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@gt12 Yeah, and Scott Curry was always going to return to the AB7s anyway.
@Bovidae said in Japanese Rugby:
Also Karne Hesketh, whose partner is Black Fern Carla Hohepa. I assume that's why Paddy Ryan returned to NSW.
I assume that Napier Boys' product Hesketh - who played 35 games (4 seasons) for Otago - must be close to retirement, considering he's 36.
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@Stargazer said in Japanese Rugby:
@gt12 Yeah, and Scott Curry was always going to return to the AB7s anyway.
@Bovidae said in Japanese Rugby:
Also Karne Hesketh, whose partner is Black Fern Carla Hohepa. I assume that's why Paddy Ryan returned to NSW.
I assume that Napier Boys' product Hesketh - who played 35 games (4 seasons) for Otago - must be close to retirement, considering he's 36.
She's still playing at the same age.
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Top League One player movements
Changes in "leaving" list are in bold or strikethrough. "Signed" and "Re-signed" lists are new.
LEAVING
Bryce Robins (skills coach) leaving Shining Arcs Tokyo (to NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes Osaka)
Joe Maddock (assistant coach) leaving Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo
Greg Cooper (head coach) leaving Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynabours
Nick Collins (performance director) leaving Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynabours
Simon Cron (head coach) leaving Toyota Verblitz
Dave Dillon (manager) leaving Kobelco Kobe Steelers
Ben Herring (assistant coach) leaving Hino Red DolphinsJohnny Fa'auli leaving Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo
Colin Slade leaving Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynabours
Michael Little leaving Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynabours
Joe Latta leaving Tokyo Sungoliath
Damian McKenzie leaving Tokyo Sungoliath
Matt Duffie leaving Mie Honda Heat (retiring)
Morgan Mitchell leaving Kamaishi Seawaves RFC
Sam Henwood leaving Kamaishi Seawaves RFC
Brett Cameron leaving Kamaishi Seawaves RFC
Colin Bourke leaving Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo
Daymon Leasuasu leaving Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo
Fletcher Smith leaving NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu
Patrick Tuipulotu leaving Toyota Verblitz
Nasi Manu leaving Hino Red Dolphins
Jack Debreczeni leaving Hino Red Dolphins
Hayden Cripps leaving Hino Red Dolphins
Gillies Kaka leaving Hino Red Dolphins
Hayden Parker leaving Kobelco Kobe Steelers
Aaron Cruden leaving Kobelco Kobe Steelers
Ben Smith leaving Kobelco Kobe Steelers
Fraser Anderson leaving Kobelco Kobe Steelers
Jordan Smiler leaving Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi
Robbie Robinson leaving Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi
Luteru Laulala leaving Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi
Tim Bateman leaving Toshiba Brave Lupus
Brodi McCurran leaving Kobelco Kobe Steelers
Hadley Parks leaving Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights
SIGNED
Bryce Robins appointed assistant coach at NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes Osaka (from Shining Arcs Tokyo)Liam Mitchell joining Panasonic Wild Knights (from Zebre)
RE-SIGNED
Sam Henwood staying at Kamaishi Seawaves RFC
List last updated on Sunday, 3 July 2022
(note that these announcements may sometimes be published after players have already left/joined) -
@Stargazer googling and seeing very little about the shining arcs being disbanded, kind of weird
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@Kiwiwomble said in Japanese Rugby:
@Stargazer googling and seeing very little about the shining arcs being disbanded, kind of weird
I'm guessing most of that information would be in Japanese.
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@Kiwiwomble It seems to be the result of a reorganisation.
This what the official media release on the Japan Rugby League One website says (translated by google):
We are pleased to inform you that Urayasu D-Rocks has been launched due to the reorganization of the NTT rugby team.
Shining Arcs and Red Hurricanes are both NTT teams.
新チーム浦安D-Rocksの発足に関するお知らせ | 【公式】ジャパンラグビー リーグワン
JAPAN RUGBY LEAGUE ONE（リーグワン）公式サイトでは試合速報、ニュースリリース、日程結果、順位、チーム/選手情報などをご覧いただけます。
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@Stargazer said in Japanese Rugby:
@Kiwiwomble It seems to be the result of a reorganisation.
This what the official media release on the Japan Rugby League One website says (translated by google):
We are pleased to inform you that Urayasu D-Rocks has been launched due to the reorganization of the NTT rugby team.
Shining Arcs and Red Hurricanes are both NTT teams.
新チーム浦安D-Rocksの発足に関するお知らせ | 【公式】ジャパンラグビー リーグワン
JAPAN RUGBY LEAGUE ONE（リーグワン）公式サイトでは試合速報、ニュースリリース、日程結果、順位、チーム/選手情報などをご覧いただけます。
I think it's primarily a business decision - having two teams across the same conglomerate costs a lot and companies are under pressure. The biggest weakness of the Japanese model is that the strength of a team can vary significantly from year to year (or be reorganized as in this case) based on the performance of the firm or strategic direction. In this case, NTT communications and NTT Docomo (two NTT subsidiaries) have got together (40% stake each) with NTT (20%) to form a new firm, NTT Sports X, that will have the rugby under it.
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Transcript : NTT DOCOMO, INC., 2022 Earnings Call, May 12, 2022
Presenter SpeechNatsuko Fujiki We will now start the briefing of NTT's financial results for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022. Thank you very much for attending today despite your busy schedules....
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@Stargazer said in Japanese Rugby:
Need a bit of context though, looking at their squad on wiki - that Panasonic missing 7 players in Japanese touring squad and 2 players in the Springboks squad.
Reds would also be missing players though, of course
Are the Reds crap or good, though? I guess I should know that, but I don't watch. In the context that Panasonic are champions of their league.
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Oh oh. This is the club Augustine Pulu, Simon Hickey and TJ Faiane play for. Faiane was already sitting out a 4-week suspension for a high tackle with head and neck contact, the past few weeks.
Japanese club plunged into scandal over bar incident
The Japan rugby side Hino Red Dolphins has suspended its operations following a media report that has accused its players of stripping...
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Japan League One - NZ player* transfers ahead of the 2023/2024 season
(as officially announced by the clubs)
Players leaving their club/retiring
Ash Parker (Hino Red Dolphins)
TJ Faiane (Hino Red Dolphins)
Ryan Crotty (Kubota Spears Funabashi/Tokyo Bay)
Beaudein Waaka (Kobelco Kobe Steelers)
Alapati Leiua (Shizuoka Blue Revs)
Male Sa'u (Toyota Verblitz)
Michael Allardice (Toyota Verblitz)
Jamie Henry (Toyota Verblitz)
Sam Chongkit (Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars)
Heiden Bedwell-Curtis (Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars)
Dylan Nel (Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars)
to Southland
Tom Rowe (Kyushu Electric Kyuden Voltex)
Matt Todd (Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo)
Jack Stratton (Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo)
Tom Taylor (Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo)
George Risale (NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu)
Whetu Douglas (NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu)
Kaleb Trask (Mie Honda Heat) to Chiefs
Yeremia Mataena (Hanazono Kintetsu Liners)
Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa (Hanazono Kintetsu Liners)
Sam Caird (Hanazono Kintetsu Liners)
Jackson Garden-Bachop (Hanazono Kintetsu Liners) to Brive
Rob Thompson (Toyota Verblitz)
Tom Sanders (Tokyo Sungoliath)
Blake Gibson (Tokyo Sungoliath)
Aaron Cruden (Tokyo Sungoliath)
Tevita Li (Tokyo Sungoliath)
Players staying**
..Players signed
Aaron Smith (Toyota Verblitz)
Beauden Barrett (Toyota Verblitz)
Brodie Retallick (Kobe Steelers)
Jacob Abel (Mazda Sky Actives Hiroshima)
Joseph Domoni (Kintetsu Liners)
Charles Piutau (Shizuoka Blue Revs)
Coaches leaving their club
Grant Keenan (Hino Red Dolphins)
Aland Soakai (Kubota Spears Funabashi/Tokyo Bay)
Mose Tuiali'i (Shizuoka Blue Revs)
Carl Hoeft (Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars)
Shaun Webb (Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars)
Deane Lutton (Kamaishi Seawaves)
Robert Taylor (NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu)
Tai Lavea (Kobe Kobelco Steelers)
Jason O'Halloran (Tokyo Sungoliath)
Coaches staying**
..Coaches appointed
Dave Rennie - Head Coach (Kobe Kobelco Steelers)
Wes Clarke - Assistanc Coach (Defence) (Kobe Kobelco Steelers)
Phil Healey - Head Athletic Performance Coach (Kobe Kobelco Steelers)
*may include non-NZ players who've - for example - played NPC
**the "staying" group is usuall small on this list, because Japanese clubs never seem to publish contract durations and rarely re-signingsupdated 31 May 2023
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Rugby: Japan hooker Horie to retire at end of new season
Japan and Saitama Wild Knights hooker Shota Horie said Wednesday the 2023-24 League One rugby season will be his last before he retires. "I've had a good career," the 37-year-old, who has
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By the way, Japan Rugby League One starts this weekend and it looks we won't be able to watch it in NZ (legally). Just like the Top 14, nobody seems to have the rights to broadcast/stream the competition in NZ or they don't use those rights to broadcast or stream it.
