Kubota Spears

Template:Short description Template:Infobox rugby team Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay (commonly known as the Kubota Spears) is a Japanese rugby union team based in Funabashi, Chiba participating in the Japan Rugby League One. The team rebranded as Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay ahead of the rebranding of the Top League as the Japan Rugby League One in 2022.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

History

The original rugby club was formed in 1978 by volunteers at the Kubota companies headquarters.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1984 the team won the Kanto Amateur League Division 4 and later on won the promotion match to be moved up to the Kanto Amateur League Division 3. After promotion in 1994 the team won all of their games in the Kanto Amateur League Division 2, and after winning the promotion match were finally promoted to the first division. In 1996 after only one year into them being in the first division, they had won their first championship, but later failed to win the promotion match 19-22 to enter the East Japan Amateur League. The year after in 1997 the team won their second championship and in 1998 they won their promotion match moving them up to the East Japan Amateur League.<ref name=":0" />

In the early 2000's they continued to play in East Japan Amateur League continually placing around 3rd or 4th. During 2003 they had joined the Top League but had a rough time placing 8th, barely managing to stay in the league but they still had the opportunity to play in the Microsoft Cup and Japan Championship. During the mid 2000's they continually played poorly and ended up towards the bottom of the league multiple years in a row, and after a disappointing season in 2010 placing 13th with 1 win, 11 loses, and 1 draw, the team was automatically removed from the Top League. In 2012 the team had won the East Japan Amateur League again returning themselves to the Top League. In 2013 the Top League had rebranded and during this season they had won 9 games and lost 5 which was a considerable turn around from there previous time in the league.<ref name=":0" /> In 2016 they appointed a new head coach Frans Ludeke, and a new team captain Masamichi Tachikawa.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2021 they had beaten the Kobelco Kobe Steelers in the quarter finals and for the first time placed top 4 in the Top League. In 2022 they continued playing in the rebranded Japan Rugby League One, finishing the year in 3rd place. In 2023, the team had won a historic opening game against Tokyo Sungoliath, and had finished the season with 14 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw.<ref name=":0" /> They beat Tokyo Sungoliath in the semi-finals and in the finals match against the Saitama Wild Knights they had won 17-15 securing the first ever league championship victory for the team.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

During the 2024 season they had a harder season, struggling with the opening games and ended up at 6th place by the end of the season, not making it to the playoffs.<ref name=":0" />

Current squad

The Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay squad for the 2025-26 season is:<ref name="Players Directory">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay squad
Props Template:Flagicon Yota Kamimori Template:Flagicon Kenshi Yamamoto Template:Flagicon Kota Kaishi Template:Flagicon Kengo Kitagawa Template:Flagicon Opeti Helu Template:Flagicon Keijiro Tamefusa Template:Flagicon Satoshi Saita Template:Flagicon Toi Kai Template:Flagicon Izi Sword* Template:Flagicon Kazuki Kato Hookers Template:Flagicon Hayate Era Template:Flagicon Yoshimitsu Yasue Template:Flagicon Malcolm Marx Template:Flagicon Katsuya Okuma Template:Flagicon Rikuto Fukuda Locks Template:Flagicon Ruan Botha* Template:Flagicon David Bulbring* Template:Flagicon David Van Zeeland* Template:Flagicon Naoaki Horibe Template:Flagicon Yuki Aoki Template:Flagicon Yuki Asai Template:Flagicon Akira Ieremia*	Flankers Template:Flagicon Merwe Olivier Template:Flagicon Masaya Tamaki Template:Flagicon Lappies Labuschagné Template:Flagicon Takeo Suenaga Template:Flagicon Yuma Uenobo Template:Flagicon Finau Tupa* Template:Flagicon Kenkichi Yanagawa Template:Flagicon Ogi Yanamoto Template:Flagicon Ollie Stonham Template:Flagicon Harry Willard No8s Template:Flagicon Tyler Paul Template:Flagicon Faulua Makisi (c) Template:Flagicon Asipeli Moala* Scrum-halves Template:Flagicon Shinobu Fujiwara Template:Flagicon Bryn Hall Template:Flagicon Shunta Koga Template:Flagicon Kazuhiro Taniguchi Template:Flagicon Ippei Okada Template:Flagicon Genki Mizobuchi Fly-halves Template:Flagicon Tomoki Kishioka Template:Flagicon Bernard Foley Template:Flagicon Atsushi Oshikawa	Centres Template:Flagicon Harumichi Tatekawa Template:Flagicon Yuya Hirose Template:Flagicon Rikus Pretorius Template:Flagicon Sione Teaupa Template:Flagicon Towa Kondo Template:Flagicon Halatoa Vailea Template:Flagicon Kanji Futamura Wingers Template:Flagicon Koga Nezuka Template:Flagicon Haruto Kida Template:Flagicon Hiroyuki Yamasaki Template:Flagicon Tsuyoshi Jennings* Template:Flagicon Reo Matsushita Fullbacks Template:Flagicon Gerhard van den Heever Template:Flagicon Shaun Stevenson Template:Flagicon Yuhei Shimada Template:Flagicon Hibiki Yamada Utility Backs
(c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes player is internationally capped.

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

Honors

• Japan Rugby League One - Division 1
  • Won: 2023
• Kanto Amateur League - Division 1
  • Won: 1996, 1997

Former players

• Template:Flagicon Viliami Ofahengaue
• Template:Flagicon Joe Roff - Fullback/wing
• Template:Flagicon Barrie-Jon Mather - Centre/wing
• Template:Flagicon Marty Veale - Lock
• Kōtarō Nakamura - Wing/fullback
• Template:Flagicon Jason O'Halloran
• Cameron Pither
• Shunji Ishikura - Lock
• Joshua Fuimaono
• Template:Flagicon Justin Sampson
• Template:Flagicon Toutai Kefu
• Template:Flagicon Duane Vermeulen
• Template:Flagicon Ryan Crotty
• Template:Flagicon Dane Coles
• Template:Flagicon Liam Williams

External links

• Kubota Spears - Official Website