Wallabies assistant coach Nathan Grey will also serve as technical director to Super Rugby side Sunwolves next season to help Japan build on a successful World Cup, it was announced Monday. The highly-regarded 35-Test Wallaby was working as Australia's defence coach under the now-departed Michael ...
Sunwolves building roster for 2020 season
As they enter their likely final season in Super Rugby, the Sunwolves revealed 15 players who will compete for the Japan-based team in Tokyo on Tuesday. All but one on the initial squad is a foreign-born player, including Georgian hooker Jaba Bregvadze, who played for ...
Japan needs to prove Rugby World Cup's 'Once in a Lifetime' catchphrase wrong
The catchphrase of the ongoing Rugby World Cup in Japan is "Once in a Lifetime." The big question, a day after the Brave Blossoms were knocked out of the competition by South Africa, is will Japanese rugby be able to prove that wrong and ...
The Sunwolves will open their final season in Super Rugby on Feb. 1, 2020, at Fukuoka's Level 5 Stadium against the Melbourne Rebels, tournament organizer SANZAAR announced Tuesday. Naoya Okubo's side will then have a bye before it faces the Chiefs from New Zealand at ...
Naoya Okubo to become first Japanese head coach in Super Rugby history
Sunwolves assistant coach Naoya Okubo will become the first Japanese head coach in Super Rugby history when he takes over the franchise for next season, the Tokyo-based team said Friday. The 43-year-old Okubo, a former director of rugby for the Japan Rugby Top League's Suntory ...
Brave Blossoms boss Jamie Joseph explains Sunwolves player policy
Japan coach Jamie Joseph hit back at criticism over his handling of the Sunwolves saying that from a national team's point of view things went well, though not necessarily the way they were initially intended to go. "I thought it was the perfect plan," he ...
The Sunwolves' 2019 Super Rugby season came to a close Friday with a 52-10 defeat at the hands of the Jaguares at Buenos Aires' Estadio Jose Amalfitani. A yellow card to Semisi Masirewa and then injuries to both hookers meant the Sunwolves (2-14) played the ...
The Sunwolves fell to their 13th loss of the Super Rugby season Saturday as they went down 31-18 to the Stormers at Cape Town's Newlands stadium. Two tries from Semisi Masirewa, a cameo performance from Akihito Yamada and a hard-working effort from Shuhei Matsuhashi aside, ...
The Sunwolves head into their final two games of the 2019 Super Rugby season with yet more new players in their squad as they look to finish a disappointing year on a bright note. Flankers Ryota Hasegawa and Masakatsu Nishikawa, along with hooker Takuya Kitade, ...
Sunwolves suffer lopsided loss to Brumbies in final home match of season
Connal McInerney scored a hat trick off the bench Saturday as the Brumbies overpowered Sunwolves 42-19 to boost their Super Rugby Finals chances. The bonus-point victory, punctuated by a perfect 6-for-6 from the boot of captain Christian Lealiifano lifted the Canberra club above the Rebels ...
Sunwolves seeking to give loyal fans something to remember in final home game of season
The Sunwolves head into their final home game of the 2019 Super Rugby season on Saturday hoping to salvage a disappointing year. The Japanese franchise has yet to win at home — be it Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground or Singapore National Stadium — and ...
Sunwolves coach Tony Brown announced Thursday he will return home to the Otago Highlanders as an assistant for the 2020 season following the demise of Japan's Super Rugby side. The New Zealander said he was looking forward to rejoining the South Island club where he ...
