Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo
Japanese rugby union club, based in Tokyo
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo[a] (Japanese: 東芝ブレイブルーパス東京), commonly known as the Toshiba Brave Lupus, is a professional Japanese rugby union team based in the Tokyo Prefecture city of Fuchū that compete in the Japan Rugby League One (JRLO). The team is owned by the electronics company Toshiba, which established the team in 1948.
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| Full name | Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo | ||
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| Nickname | Brave Lupus | ||
| Founded | 1948 | ||
| Location | Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan | ||
| Region | Tokyo Prefecture | ||
| Grounds |
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| Coach | Todd Blackadder | ||
| Captain | Michael Leitch | ||
| League | Japan Rugby League One | ||
| 2025–26 | 6th of 12, quarter-finals | ||
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| Official website | |||
| www | |||
Ahead of the inaugural Japan Rugby League One (JRLO) in 2022, the team rebranded to adopt its current name Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo.[1] Their name, "Lupus", comes from the Latin word for "wolf".
Current squad
The Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo squad for the 2026-27 season is:[2]
| Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo squad | ||
|---|---|---|
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Props
Hookers
Locks
|
Flankers
No8s Scrum-halves
Fly-halves
|
Centres
Wingers
Fullbacks
Utility Backs |
(c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes player is internationally capped
|
- * denotes players qualified to play for Japan on dual nationality or residency grounds.
Past players
- François Steyn - fly-half and full back for Toshiba
- Shogo Mukai - full back for Toshiba and Japan, now head coach of Coca-Cola Red Sparks
- Masahiro Kunda - hooker for Toshiba and Japan
- Andrew McCormick - centre, former captain of the Japan national rugby union team, now coaching at Coca-Cola Red Sparks
- Wataru Murata - scrum-half (before he went to France and then played for Yamaha Jubilo)
- Shinji Ono - number 8
- Yohei Suzuki - full back
- Ruatangi Vatuvei - lock/centre (moved to Kintetsu Liners before 2007-8 season)
- Kei Yasuda - lock
- Mamoru Ito - scrum-half
- Scott McLeod - centre
- Toshiaki Hirose (2004–16, 166 games) Fly-half/winger, Japanese international (2007–15, 28 caps)
- Tomoki Yoshida (2004–17, 124 games) Scrum-half, Japanese international (2007–11, 25 caps)
- Hiroki Yuhara (2006–20, 156 games) Hooker, Japanese international (2010–15, 22 caps)
- Steven Bates (2008–16, 119 games) Loose forward, Allblack (2004, 1 cap)
- Takehisa Usuzuki (2008–22, 118 games) Winger/fullback, Japanese international (2011, 7 caps)
- Takuma Asahara (2010–19, 131 games) Prop, Japanese international (2013–18, 12 caps)
Honours
- All-Japan Championship
- Champions: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2006 (joint champions with NEC Green Rockets), 2007
- Top League:
- Champions: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2023–24, 2024–25