And the new Japanese Rugby Team will be called....

[ncurd]

This is a timberwolf

 

[RoosTah]

Like the name and logo - am glad they went with something that embraced something Japanese sounding and menacing at the same time.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Really kicking on with it now.

http://super-japanrugby.com/

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

First off the Lions, hey. It'd have been better for them to tackle someone else IMO as the Lions are in top form and is the type f team that can inflate a score if they get ahead; just on the weekend they beat us (WP) with 62 points at Ellis Park. The Sharks would have been my first choice in that conference if I were Sunwolves coach; a 'big name' team with a few 'big name' players but should be very beatable as they are restructuring.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Sunwolves will announce their squad on Monday.

 

[Car]

They're also on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/superrugby.sunwolves/?fref=ts

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

They're also on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/superrugby.sunwolves/?fref=ts

Off of their Facebook page (translated of course.. sadly)

July 5: San Wolves vs Stormont Mars (Singapore: Singapore National Stadium)
June 7: San Wolves vs Walla tazs
(Tokyo: Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium)

Man, is it good to have 'the Japanese' involved!

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Info

http://www.sanzarrugby.com/superrugby/news/sunwolves-reveal-squad-hammett-to-coach/

2016 Sunwolves Squad

Forwards: Ryuhei Arita, Timothy Bond, Andrew Durutalo, Ziun Gu, Shohei Hirano, Shota Horie, Yoshiya Hofsoda, Keita Inagaki, Shinnosuke Kakinaga, Takeshi Kizu, Yamamoto Koki, Faatiga Lemalu, Tomas Leonardi, Shinya Makabe, Masataka Mikami, Liaki Moli, Tsuyoshi Murata, Hitoshi Ono, Eddie Quirk

Backs: Derek Carpenter, Atsushi Hiwasa, Daisuke Inoue, Amanaki Lotoahea, Paea Mifi Poseti, Tusi Pisi, Yusataka Sasakura, John Stewart, Yu Tamura, Harumichi Tatekawa, Riaan Viljoen, Akihito Yamada, Ryohei Yamanaka, Hajime Yama****a, Yuki Yatomi

Some interesting players:
Quirk a good pickup.

Not as good as thought but has potential.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Players in the squad who were in the 23 against SA
1) Mikami
2) Horie
3)
4)
5) Ono
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12) Tatekawa
13)
14) Yamada
15)
16) Kizu
17) Inagki
18)
19) Makabe
20)
21) Atsushi
22) Tamura
23)

 

[Bee]

Still don't understand why they did not sign one of their biggest guns...

 

[ratsapprentice]

Very interesting to learn that [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]21 year old Ziun Gu will become the first South Korean to play in SR![/FONT]

 

[RoosTah]

I gotta say I do wish the Sunwolves had a geographical anchor in their name, so the represent a region. They seem to be going on the theory that all the South African sides embraced a few years back to make them "more accessible" beyond their immediate region, as though that's an impediment. If it is, someone needs to tell the EPL sides, because it hasn't hurt them being associated with often hard to place areas of England.
For the Sunwolves and Japanese sides in general they really ought to represent entire regions, and so it would have been good if the Sunwolves represented the Kanto region, which includes greater Tokyo and has a GDP greater than the whole UK. Surely there'd be enough support there alone and then if they expanded they could do the obvious thing and make in it Kansai, where Osaka is, and then bam; you have an instant and intense Japanese rivalry.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Guess playing half games in Singapore makes having a regional name harder.

 

[RoosTah]

Guess playing half games in Singapore makes having a regional name harder.

That was a bargain to keep the Saffas happy, and given they're still pretty obviously tied to Japan I'm doubtful that Singaporeans will be keen to jump on board.

 

[Jayatron]

That's a disappointing team really. Hopefully they can do a good job when they play in Japan rather than getting smashed and local Japanese loose interest. Jet lag will be their friends hopefully.

 

[TRF_stormer2010]

They really needed to get their RWC stars on board rather than playing in NZ and Aus teams.

 

[Bee]

Sunwolves just announced a name change to the handy name of "HITO-Communications SUNWOLVES".

 

[Rowan Quinn]

I am personally very disappointed to see a Japanese team involved in Super Rugby. It's always been a South Hemisphere tournament, but now it has no regional identity whatsoever. So what's the point? Also, the logistics are horrendous. Japan is basically the antipodes of South Africa. It's akin to the Crusaders or Waratahs joining European competition. I have been a fan of Super Rugby since its outset, but I somehow sense that this is the beginning of the end of the championship...

 

[Bee]

I am personally very disappointed to see a Japanese team involved in Super Rugby. It's always been a South Hemisphere tournament, but now it has no regional identity whatsoever. So what's the point? Also, the logistics are horrendous. Japan is basically the antipodes of South Africa. It's akin to the Crusaders or Waratahs joining European competition. I have been a fan of Super Rugby since its outset, but I somehow sense that this is the beginning of the end of the championship...

But Japan is not very "Northern Hemisphere", either.
So I think your comparism goes a little bit too far.
I think it's a great way to stretch to new markets and gaining more fans.

 

[Kiwiwomble]

agreed Bee, they deserve to be included, and theyre a hell of a lot closer that south america