Toshiba Brave Lupus

Toshiba Brave Lupus
東芝ブレイブルーパス

Full name	Toshiba Brave Lupus
Union	Japan Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s)	Brave Lupus
Founded	1948
Location	Fuchu, Tokyo, Japan
Ground(s)	Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, 27,188 capacity
Coach(es)	Teppei Tomioka
Team kit 2nd kit

Toshiba Brave Lupus (Lupus is wolf in Latin) is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. They are based in Fuchu, Tokyo, as is their local rival Suntory Sungoliath. They won the second ever Top League championship in the 2004-5 season and the Microsoft Cup in 2005 under their innovative and inventive coach Masahiro Kunda, himself a former hooker for Toshiba and Japan. They are particularly known for the strength of their mauls. Before the Top League was created, the team was called Toshiba Fuchu after their location. Their slogan for 2006 season is "Once again to the Pinnacle (Restart)".

On 14 March 2008, Bristol Rugby player David Hill announced he'd leave the English club for Toshiba at the end of the season.

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

2015–16 Squad

The Toshiba Brave Lupus squad for the 2015-16 Top League season:

(c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes player is internationally capped

Past players

• Shogo Mukai - full back for Toshiba and Japan, now head coach of Coca Cola West Japan

• Masahiro Kunda - hooker for Toshiba and Japan
• Andrew McCormick - centre, former captain of the Japan national rugby union team, now coaching at Coca Cola West Japan
• 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

External links

• Toshiba Brave Lupus official site
• NEC, Toshiba share title, Daily Yomiuri, February 27, 2006
• Toshiba teaches Waseda a lesson, Daily Yomiuri, February 20, 2006
• Toshiba downs Suntory, wins Microsoft, Daily Yomiuri, February 6, 2006
• Brave Lupus add name to rugby Cup - Japan Times, February 7, 2005
• Toshiba, Yamaha set to do battle in Microsoft Cup final - Japan Times, January 31, 2005
• Inventive approach from Toshiba's coach is rewarded with Top League crown Japan Times, December 30, 2004