Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo is a Japanese rugby union team in the Japan Rugby League One. They are based in Fuchu, Tokyo, as is their local rival Suntory Sungoliath. They won the second ever Top League championship in the 2004-5 season and the Microsoft Cup in 2005 under their innovative and inventive coach Masahiro Kunda, himself a former hooker for Toshiba and Japan. They are particularly known for the strength of their mauls. Before the Top League was created, the team was called Toshiba Fuchu after their location. Their slogan for 2006 season was "Once again to the Pinnacle (Restart)".

The team rebranded as Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to Japan Rugby League One in 2022.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Their name, "Lupus", comes from the Latin word for "wolf".

Honours

• All-Japan Championship
  • Champions: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2006 (joint champions with NEC Green Rockets), 2007
• Top League:
  • Champions: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009-10, 2023-24, 2024-25

Current squad

The Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo squad for the 2025-26 season is:<ref name="Toshiba Brave Lupus: The Team">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo squad
Props Template:Flagicon Masataka Mikami Template:Flagicon Sena Kimura Template:Flagicon Shuto Harabuchi Template:Flagicon Teruo Makabe Template:Flagicon Yuta Kokaji Template:Flagicon Rikyu Yamakawa Template:Flagicon Yohei Kobayashi Template:Flagicon Vea Taumoefolau* Hookers Template:Flagicon Daigo Hashimoto Template:Flagicon Rinpei Sakaki Template:Flagicon Andrew Makalio Template:Flagicon Futoshi Mori Template:Flagicon Ken Hiyoshi Locks Template:Flagicon Shoichi Takagi Template:Flagicon Senfu Kamei Template:Flagicon Michael Stolberg* Template:Flagicon Callum Macdonald* Template:Flagicon Jacob Pierce* Template:Flagicon Shohei Ito Template:Flagicon Warner Dearns DEP Template:Flagicon Asaeli Lausii*	Flankers Template:Flagicon Shannon Frizell Template:Flagicon Yoon Rye-on* Template:Flagicon Takeshi Sasaki Template:Flagicon Hiroki Yamamoto Template:Flagicon Taishiro Kido Template:Flagicon Afu Ofeina* No8s Template:Flagicon Michael Leitch (c) Template:Flagicon Yoshitaka Tokunaga Scrum-halves Template:Flagicon Takahiro Ogawa Template:Flagicon Yuhei Sugiyama Template:Flagicon Kohei Takahashi Template:Flagicon Motoki Tanaka Template:Flagicon Shotaro Ikedo Fly-halves Template:Flagicon Takuro Matsunaga Template:Flagicon Richie Mo'unga	Centres Template:Flagicon Gentaro Ikenaga Template:Flagicon Taichi Mano Template:Flagicon Seta Tamanivalu Template:Flagicon Rob Thompson* Wingers Template:Flagicon Jone Naikabula Template:Flagicon Netani Vakayalia Template:Flagicon Masaki Hamada Template:Flagicon Makoto Iwafuchi Template:Flagicon Atsuki Kuwayama Template:Flagicon Rei Ishioka Template:Flagicon Yuta Okamura Template:Flagicon Kim Su-ryung* Template:Flagicon Tjay Clarke Fullbacks Template:Flagicon Shohei Toyoshima Template:Flagicon Toshiki Kuwayama Template:Flagicon Michael Collins Template:Flagicon Stephanus Du Toit* 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.

Past players

• François Steyn - fly-half and full back for Toshiba
• Shogo Mukai - full back for Toshiba and Japan, now head coach of Coca-Cola Red Sparks
• Masahiro Kunda - hooker for Toshiba and Japan
• Andrew McCormick - centre, former captain of the Japan national rugby union team, now coaching at Coca-Cola Red Sparks
• Wataru Murata - scrum-half (before he went to France and then played for Yamaha Jubilo)
• Shinji Ono - number 8
• Yohei Suzuki - full back
• Ruatangi Vatuvei - lock/centre (moved to Kintetsu Liners before 2007-8 season)
• Kei Yasuda - lock
• Mamoru Ito - scrum-half
• Scott McLeod - centre
• Toshiaki Hirose (2004–16, 166 games) Fly-half/winger, Japanese international (2007–15, 28 caps)
• Tomoki Yoshida (2004–17, 124 games) Scrum-half, Japanese international (2007–11, 25 caps)
• Hiroki Yuhara (2006–20, 156 games) Hooker, Japanese international (2010–15, 22 caps)
• Steven Bates (2008–16, 119 games) Loose forward, Allblack (2004, 1 cap)
• Takehisa Usuzuki (2008–22, 118 games) Winger/fullback, Japanese international (2011, 7 caps)
• Takuma Asahara (2010–19, 131 games) Prop, Japanese international (2013–18, 12 caps)

External links

• [1] official site
• NEC, Toshiba share title, Daily Yomiuri, February 27, 2006
• Toshiba teaches Waseda a lesson, Daily Yomiuri, February 20, 2006
• Toshiba downs Suntory, wins Microsoft, Daily Yomiuri, February 6, 2006
• Brave Lupus add name to rugby Cup- Japan Times, February 7, 2005
• Toshiba, Yamaha set to do battle in Microsoft Cup final - Japan Times, January 31, 2005
• Inventive approach from Toshiba's coach is rewarded with Top League crown Japan Times, December 30, 2004