Kobelco Kobe Steelers
コベルコ神戸スティーラーズ
Full nameKobelco Kobe Steelers
UnionJapan Rugby Football Union
Founded1928
LocationKobe, Hyogo
Ground(s)Noevir Stadium Kobe, Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 30,132, 36,000)
Director of RugbyWayne Smith
Coach(es)Dave Rennie
Captain(s)Brodie Retallick, Rakuhei Yamashita
League(s)Japan Rugby League One
2022–20239th
1st kit
2nd kit
Official website
www.kobesteelers.com

The Kobelco Kobe Steelers are a Japanese rugby union team owned by Kobe Steel, and based in Kobe. They were the first ever Top League champions when the League started in the 2003-2004 season. The team rebranded as Kobelco Kobe Steelers ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One in 2022.[1]

Honours

Personnel

Current management team

Position Name Nationality
Director of rugby Wayne Smith  New Zealand
Head coach Dave Rennie  New Zealand
Assistant coach Mike Blair  Scotland

Current squad

The Kobelco Kobe Steelers squad for the 2023-24 season is:[2]

Kobelco Kobe Steelers squad

Props

Hookers

  • Japan Rinpei Sakaki
  • Japan Takuya Kitade
  • Japan Kenta Matsuoka
  • Japan Hiroaki Ushihara
  • Japan Ikuma Yamada

Locks

Flankers

  • Japan Hayato Fukunishi
  • Japan Amanaki Saumaki
  • Japan Hikaru Hashimoto
  • Japan Ryo Inoue
  • Japan Go Maeda

No8s

Scrum-halves

  • Japan Atsushi Hiwasa
  • Japan Daiki Nakajima
  • Japan Kentaro Obata
  • Japan Maki Shimizu
  • Japan Kenta Tokuda

Fly-halves

Centres

Wingers

  • Japan Ataata Moeakiola
  • Japan Kosuke Naka
  • Japan Rakuhei Yamashita (cc)
  • Japan Soma Sugimoto
  • Australia Sione Tapu'osi DEP
  • Japan Ryota Funabiki REP

Fullbacks

Utility Backs

  • (cc) denotes team co-captains.
  • Bold denotes internationally capped.

Past players

Japanese players

Foreign players

References

  1. ^ "La nouvelle ligue japonaise s'appelle la Japan Rugby League One". Asie Rugby (in French). 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Kobe Steelers: Players" (in Japanese). Kobelco Kobe Steelers. 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2023.

External links

Japan Rugby League One
Rugby union in Japan
Kobelco Kobe Steelers – current squad
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