World Cup icon Ayumu Goromaru ends rugby career after playoff loss
Ayumu Goromaru, whose 2015 Rugby World Cup performance made him a household name in Japan, marked his final match on Saturday, when his club Yamaha Jubilo lost 46-12 in the second round of the Top League playoffs to Kubota Spears. The 35-year-old fullback, who was ...
Ayumu Goromaru says upcoming retirement part of plan that began after college
The former Japan national team star fullback said he always planned to retire the year he turned 35.
The fullback, who played a key role in Japan's famous 2015 Rugby World Cup win over South Africa, will play one more Top League season for Yamaha Jubilo.
Former coach Katsuyuki Kiyomiya proud of Yamaha's achievements during his tenure
Recently retired Yamaha Jubilo head coach Katsuyuki Kiyomiya said he is proud of his eight seasons at the helm of the Top League club and shared his post-retirement plans on Tuesday. "I was able to teach a lot of teams that you can do anything ...
Yamaha Jubilo head coach Katsuyuki Kiyomiya said Tuesday he will retire at the end of the Japan Rugby Top League season. "I'm proud of this club. It has grown into a club worthy of pride," Kiyomiya said following training at the team's base in Iwata, ...
Matt Giteau's Suntory Sungoliath and Dan Carter's Kobe Kobelco Steelers will play for the Japan Rugby Top League crown after winning their respective semifinals Saturday in Tokyo and Osaka. Giteau kicked a 42-meter penalty in the fifth minute of sudden-death extra time — just the ...
Suntory Sungoliath will play Yamaha Jubilo for a spot in the Japan Rugby Top League final after both sides won hard-fought quarterfinals on Saturday. Suntory held on by the skin of its teeth to beat the Kubota Spears 28-26 at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground, ...
Seven squads secure playoff berths on pivotal day in Top League
Seven teams confirmed their places in the playoffs to determine the Japan Rugby Top League champion Saturday as the pool stage reached its penultimate round. Yamaha Jubilo, the Panasonic Wild Knights, Ricoh Black Rams and Kubota Spears will all progress from the White Conference, while ...
Panasonic Wild Knights on Saturday signaled their intentions to bring the Japan Rugby Top League trophy back to their clubhouse in Ota, Gunma Prefecture, as they beat Yamaha Jubilo 15-0 at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground. Having finished third and second the last two seasons, ...
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 ...
A team built around Italy internationals trounced Japan Top League side Yamaha Jubilo 52-19 on Saturday in a warmup match ahead of the Azzurri's two June tests against the Brave Blossoms. Time after time, the Italian offloads led to line breaks, while Jubilo were worn ...
The Panasonic Wild Knights and Suntory Sungoliath will face off in the Japan Rugby Top League final following two contrasting semifinals Saturday at Yanmar Stadium Nagai. Panasonic, which finished the regular season unbeaten and atop the White Conference, beat Toyota Verblitz 17-11, while defending champion ...
