Toyota Verblitz

Toyota Verblitz (), often known as Toyota Verdy, is a professional Japanese rugby union team that compete in the Japan Rugby League One (JRLO) competition. The team was established in 1941 as the Toyota Motor Corporation Rugby Club. The team was rebranded into its current name in 2004 before their inclusion into the 2004–05 Top League season.

The team name: Verblitz is a portmanteau of the Spanish, Italian and Portuguese language word for green, verde, and the German language word for lightning, blitz.

History

Toyota Verblitz were established in 1941 by Toyota Motor as Toyota Motor Rugby Club. Verblitz changed its name to Toyota Motor Corporation Rugby Club. Following the creation of the Top League in the early 2000s, the club's name formally change to Toyota Verblitz ahead of their inclusion in the competition in 2004.

Results

Verblitz (surprisingly given the team's pedigree) failed to make the cut for the first season of the Top League (2003-4) but entered the Top League in the second season and were a contender for the second Microsoft Cup. They lost the Japan Championship final on February 27, 2005, to NEC Green Rockets 13–17.

Current squad

The Toyota Verblitz squad for the 2025-26 season is:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left; font-size:90%; width:70%"

! colspan="100%" | Toyota Verblitz squad

|- valign="top"

Props

Shogo Miura
Gaku Shimizu
Ryūnosuke Momoji
Samuelu Mataafa
Yūsuke Kizu
Takuma Nishino
Taufa Latu*
Hamdahn Tuipulotu
Taiga Kawasaki
Hanjiro Hirai

Hookers

Yoshikatsu Hikosaka
Shintaro Fukuzawa
Dowling Jonas Tanaka*
Schalk Erasmus
Ryūsei Kato
Jone Kerevi*
Solomona Tyrell
Hanpei Nishino REP

Locks

Richie Gray
Lourens Erasmus*
Harrison Goggin
Harry Bortolussi
Josh Dickson
Zach Gallagher
Hingano Lolohea REP

Flankers

Kazuki Himeno (c)
Pieter-Steph du Toit
Ryūsei Koike
Issa Yamakawa
Jingo Murata
Keito Aoki
Isaiah Mapusua
Kosei Miki
Akito Okui
Blair Ryall
Will Tupou

Scrum-halves

Kaito Shigeno
Aaron Smith
Kaisei Tamura
Ryang Jong-chu*
Kippei Taninaka

Fly-halves

Masahiro Kitamura
Rikiya Matsuda
Aidan Morgan
Shinya Komura

Centres

Nicholas McCurran
Chihiro Matsuyama
Vatiliai Tuidraki*
Siosaia Fifita
Yūki Okada
Shūhei Yamaguchi
Semisi Tupou*
Dick Wilson*
Keisuke Moriya
Tui Palesoo REP DEP

Wingers

Mark Tele'a
Jone Nabetelevu
Viliame Tuidraki*
Yuichiro Wada
Taichi Takahashi
Taiyo Higuma REP
Caston Michaels REP DEP

Fullbacks

Matt McGahan*
Tiaan Falcon*
Takemichi Nakano
Kota Ōyabu

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

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

* denotes players qualified to play for Japan on dual nationality or residency grounds.

Former players

Orene Ai'i - Blues (Super Rugby) and New Zealand national rugby sevens team representative
Lionel Cronjé (2017–22, 48 games) Fly-half
Dominic Day 2016 - Lock (Now playing for Saracens in the (English Premiership)
Troy Flavell - lock (All Blacks 2001-08, later in France with Bayonne)
Michael Hooper (2021, 10 games) Loose forward, Wallaby (2012–23, 125 caps)
Tamaiti Horua - No. 8 formerly played for Brumbies then Western Force
Takashi Kikutani (2004–13, 114 games) Loose forward, Japanese International (2005–14, 68 caps)
Toshizumi Kitagawa (2004-19, 102 games) Lock, Japanese International (2005–13, 43 caps)
Joe Launchbury Lock, England International (2012–, 65 caps)
Wycliff Palu (2016-17, 14 games) Loose forward, Wallaby (2006–16, 58 caps)
Kieran Read (2020-21, 10 games) Loose forward, All Black (2008–19, 128 caps)
Filo Tiatia - Hurricanes and 2 test All Black No 8. Later played with the Ospreys in Wales.
Steven Yates - New Zealand national rugby sevens team representative 2007-08

Stadium

File:JPNxGEO20180623 (3).jpg|Toyota Stadium

File:Mizuho Rugby Stadium.jpg|Mizuho Rugby Stadium

File:Toyota-Sports-Center-2.jpg|Toyota Sports Center

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Honours

All-Japan Championship
Champions: 1969, 1968, 1987
Runners-up: 2007

Notes

References

External links

Toyota Verblitz - official site