IBM Big Blue (rugby union)

Japan

Full name	IBM Big Blue
Union	Japan Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s)	Big Blue, BBB
Founded	1976 (1976)
Location	Yachiyo, Chiba, Japan
Ground	IBM Yachiyodai Ground
Coach	Hiroki Ando
Team kit

IBM Big Blue is a Japanese semi-professional rugby union team in the Top League. The team was founded in 1976 by IBM. The company decided to make rugby, along with baseball and American football, one of the official company sports in 1989, which allowed the rugby club to gain support and momentum.

Big Blue won promotion from the Japan East Ten league to the Top League at the end of the League's first season (2003-4) but was then automatically relegated by coming 12th in the second season (2004-5). The team returned to the Top League for the 2006-7 season. It is based in Chiba prefecture in the Kanto area.

The former head coach, Ippei Onishi, is a former captain of Kobe Kobelco Steelers. As of 2007–2008, the coach is Hiroki Ando. USA Eagle flyhalf Mike Hercus is a notable alumnus.

See also

IBM Big Blue (X-League)

Squad

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Yuma Kuribatake Prop Japan Koki Oga Prop Japan Ittetsu Sasaki Prop Japan Seita Kasamaki Prop Japan Yusei Hishinuma Prop Japan Kaisei Komooka Prop Japan Ryugo Shimojo Prop Japan Masahiro Egawa Prop Japan Takumi Yajima Hooker Japan Daiki Doi Hooker Japan Kenta Tanahashi Lock Japan Shintaro Kobayashi Lock Japan Taisei Okada Lock Japan Yu Tokutake Lock Japan Hibiki Saito Flanker Japan Masayoshi Takano Flanker Japan Satoru Tsuneizumi Number 8 Japan

Player Position Union Kenshin Kawakami Scrum-half Japan Yoshiki Shigeno Scrum-half Japan Yutaro Ishizaki Scrum-half Japan Masahiro Kimura Scrum-half Japan Keita Katsumata Scrum-half Japan Yuhei Miyahara Fly-half Japan Keito Hirase Fly-half Japan Takuto Koyanagi Centre Japan Raou Nakajima Centre Japan Kouya Mori Wing Japan Yasutaka Sasakura Wing Japan

External links

• IBM Big Blue RFC - official home page