NEWSWORTHY
Cloud of uncertainty hovers over Top League
The New Year is traditionally a time for looking back on the past and looking ahead. And while the future may appear bright with the Rugby World Cup kicking off in nine months, there are a lot of people involved in the sport in Japan ...
Brave Blossoms must beat higher-ranked nations to gain respect
Playing against my England team at Twickenham last month was incredible for Japan. The Brave Blossoms also played New Zealand at home last month and Australia last year. Compare that to when I was Japan head coach. We played Georgia in Tbilisi and Romania in ...
Sunwolves coach Tony Brown reveals initial 29-man squad for 2019 season
New Sunwolves coach Tony Brown named an initial 29-man squad Tuesday for the 2019 Super Rugby season, calling it "good enough to push for a place in the playoffs." The former All Black, who is the side's fourth head coach in as many years, has ...
New coach Tony Brown to make national team members prove worth for Sunwolves
New Sunwolves head coach Tony Brown said Friday the Japan national team members in line to play at the 2019 Rugby World Cup will need to prove themselves if they are to play Super Rugby next year. The 43-year-old former All Black, who will combine ...
The Sunwolves on Thursday named attack coach Tony Brown as their head coach for the 2019 Super Rugby season. The 43-year-old former All Black replaces compatriot Jamie Joseph, who has stepped aside to focus on leading the Japan national team to the 2019 Rugby World ...
Jamie Joseph to step down as Sunwolves coach before Rugby World Cup
Japan coach Jamie Joseph will stand down as head coach of the Sunwolves in the build-up to Rugby World Cup, forcing the Super Rugby side to put a new person in charge for the fourth time in as many years. Speaking at a news conference ...
Brave Blossoms icon Goromaru calls for better promotion of Japanese rugby
Rugby icon Ayumu Goromaru is deeply concerned with the status quo surrounding his sport since the Japan's national team's sensational World Cup campaign in 2015. "Frankly speaking, as a player I feel very irritated," said Goromaru, a fullback for the Top League's Yamaha Jubilo, in ...
Japan needs to act now to capitalize on 2015 RWC success
I think there have been some amazing developments and some not-so-amazing developments in Japanese rugby since the 2015 Rugby World Cup. When I look at the young players coming through from university now, their physical development has improved close to 80 percent. Players now are ...
Outcome of Mafi's assault case may imperil future in Japan
Japanese participation in the 2018 Super Rugby season did not just end before the playoffs even began, it also ended in controversy with three players up before various judiciaries on and off the field. The good news is the on-field controversy could end up with ...
Sunwolves optimistic despite tough season
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 ...
The Sunwolves' 2018 Super Rugby season came to a close in controversy Friday as they lost 48-27 to the Reds at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium. For the second week running against Australian opposition, the Sunwolves (3-13) had a player sent from the field just before the ...
Sunwolves stand-in head coach Tony Brown made five changes and two positional switches Wednesday as his side gets set for its final Super Rugby game of the 2018 season when it takes take on the Reds on Friday at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium. "We want to ...
