Shota Horie

Rugby May 31, 2022

Veteran Wild Knights hooker Shota Horie named League One MVP

The 36-year-old made game-changing contributions off the bench for the Wild Knights, offering a strong presence in set-pieces and nimbleness belying his position.

Rugby Sep 19, 2019

Brave Blossoms admit nervousness and excitement before RWC opener against Russia

by Andrew McKirdy

Japan national team players on Thursday confessed to feeling nervous ahead of Friday's opening game of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, but are confident the excitement of the occasion will sweep away the butterflies when the host nation faces Russia at Tokyo Stadium. "I'm sure ...

Rugby Jul 4, 2019

Brave Blossoms unveil new uniforms

by Kaz Nagatsuka

The Japan Rugby Football Union revealed the new jersey for its national team, which could help the Brave Blossoms achieve a feat at the upcoming Rugby World Cup on home soil, on Thursday. While the basic white and red design remained the same from the ...

Rugby Jan 10, 2019

Japan hooker Shota Horie focused on rehab following foot surgery

Japan hooker Shota Horie said Thursday he underwent surgery on his right foot in November to treat a stress fracture. Horie, who plays for the Top League's Panasonic Wild Knights, is expected to return to the field by this autumn's Rugby World Cup, having been ...

Rugby Jul 17, 2018

Sunwolves optimistic despite tough season

by Kaz Nagatsuka

The Sunwolves entered their third season in Super Rugby with a lofty goal of finishing in the top five in the standings. However, the team had a league-worst 3-13 record in the 2018 campaign. Nonetheless, the players insisted that it was a meaningful season that would ...

More Sports / Rugby Nov 17, 2017

Tighthead prop Koo Ji-won set to earn first cap for Japan against Tonga

Japan heads into Saturday's game with Tonga at Stade Ernest Wallon with a side that shows five changes and two positional switches from the team that started the 63-30 defeat to the Wallabies on Nov. 4. Tighthead prop Koo Ji-won is set to make his ...

More Sports / Rugby Oct 20, 2017

Leitch to lead Japan in upcoming tests

Toshiba Brave Lupus forward Michael Leitch will lead Japan in its upcoming four matches, head coach Jamie Joseph announced Thursday in naming his 34-man squad for the game against a World XV and tests against Australia, Tonga and France. Leitch had made himself unavailable for ...

More Sports / Rugby Jun 10, 2017

Japan holds off late Romania charge

Japan's pace got the better of Romania's brawn on Saturday as the Brave Blossoms downed the Oaks 33-21 at a packed Egao Kenko Stadium. With Michael Leitch and Fumiaki Tanaka showing all their experience and Ryuji Noguchi and Jumpei Ogura highlighting the growing competitiveness of ...

More Sports / Rugby Jun 9, 2017

Joseph opts to keep key veterans on bench

by Rich Freeman

Japan coach Jamie Joseph sprung a few surprises Thursday when he named his side for Saturday's test with Romania, the first of three test matches in successive weekends against European foes. The former New Zealand and Japan international opted to start a number of senior ...

More Sports / Rugby May 17, 2017

Sunwolves stay positive despite steep learning curve

by Andrew McKirdy

The Sunwolves may have won only one game out of 10 so far this season, but Japan's Super Rugby team is confident that its efforts will pay off somewhere down the line. "For us it's about focusing on the process rather than just results," second-row ...

More Sports / Rugby May 10, 2017

Japan coach Joseph ready to hit ground running in preparation for 2019 Rugby World Cup

by Andrew McKirdy

Japan rugby head coach Jamie Joseph is keen to get a first-hand look at his 2019 Rugby World Cup rivals when the Brave Blossoms play Ireland in two test matches in June. But the New Zealander also warned against reading too much into his team's ...