NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu (formerly NEC Green Rockets) is a Japanese rugby union team in the Japan Rugby League One, representing the Chiba Prefecture cities of Abiko, Kashiwa, Matsudo, Nagareyama, Noda, Kamagaya, Shiroi, and Inzai. The team's captain is Ryota Asano. The previous captain was Takuro Miuchi, who was also the captain of the Japan national rugby union team.

History

Before the semi-professional Top League was created, the team was founded in 1985 as a works team of NEC Corporation. The "Green Rockets" name reflects NEC's involvement in the space industry; NEC also sponsors the NEC Red Rockets women's volleyball team in Kawasaki. Initially placed in Division 1, the team was relegated to Division 2 for the 2023-24 season, but placed third in Division 2 for the 2024-25 season.

NEC announced in August 2025 that it was considering withdrawing from involvement in the team, in part due to the company's shift away from consumer business which made the team less effective for marketing. The team uses a clubhouse and training ground leased from NEC, and is expected to continue doing so under JR East.

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! colspan="100%" | Green Rockets Tokatsu squad

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Props

  • Sunao Takizawa
  • Keita Kimura
  • Hwang Se-ra*
  • Taiga Yamaguchi
  • Phransis Sula-Siaosi
  • Keisuke Kikuta
  • Taku Toma
  • Shotaro Kameyama
  • Suliasi Tolu*

Hookers

  • Keita Kobayashi
  • Shunya Hamano
  • Kosuke Shimoe
  • Ren Ōsawa

Locks

  • Rory Arnold (c)
  • Pari Pari Parkinson
  • Brendon Nell*
  • Edward Annandale
  • Matariki Channings
  • Frank Lochore

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Flankers

  • Timote Tavalea*
  • Ryoi Kamei
  • Tatsuru Ōwada
  • Yūta Moriyama
  • Asahi Uchikawa

No8s

  • Dylan Nel
  • Kaipono Kayoshi* <sup>REP</sup>

Scrum-halves

  • Nick Phipps
  • Tatsuya Fujī
  • Yūsuke Maruo
  • Hirose Yabu

Fly-halves

  • Taisetsu Kanai
  • Riley Hohepa
  • Reece MacDonald

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Centres

  • Orbyn Leger*
  • Koichi Matsūra
  • Masaki Obata
  • Ryosei Takai
  • Christian Laui*
  • Ryūto Fukuyama

Wingers

  • Amanaki Taiyo Lotoahea <sup>DEP</sup>
  • Kanta Omata
  • Teruya Goto
  • Kakeru Miyaso
  • Naoya Ogita
  • Hiroyuki Miyajima
  • Yūma Sugimoto
  • Keagen Faria*

Fullbacks

  • Nathan Dagoury <sup>DEP</sup>

Utility Backs

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| colspan="100%" style="height: 10px;" |

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| colspan="100%" style="text-align:center;" | <small> (c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes player is internationally capped</small>

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Former players

  • John Kirwan - (before the Top League started), and later head coach of Japan national rugby union team
  • Kiyonori Okano
  • Takayuki Higo - coach
  • George Konia
  • Glen Marsh
  • Joe Stanley
  • Jeremy Stanley
  • Alex Goode
  • Takuro Miuchi
  • Yuta Inose (2004-18, 161 games) Prop, Japanese International (2008, 6 caps)
  • Nili Latu (2007-15, 110 games) Loose forward, Tongan International (2006-, 54 caps)
  • Gehamat Shibasaki (2022) Australian rugby league International (2025-)

References

; Notes

  • NEC, Toshiba share title, Daily Yomiuri, February 27, 2006
  • NEC Green Rockets - official site
  • Rugby gods smile on Green Rockets, Japan Times February 28, 2005