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{{Short description|Japanese rugby union club, based in Funabashi}}
{{Infobox rugby team
| teamname    = Kubota Spears<BR>クボタスピアーズ船橋・東京ベイ
| image       = Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay logo.jpg
| image_size  = 200px
| fullname    = Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay
| nickname    = Kubota Spears
| founded     = 1978
| ground      = [[Edogawa Stadium]]
| capacity    = 6,950
| union       = [[Japan Rugby Football Union]]
| location    = [[Funabashi, Chiba]], [[Japan]]
| coach       = [[Frans Ludeke]]
| league      = [[Japan Rugby League One]]
| season      = [[2022 Japan Rugby League One|2022/23]]
| position    = 1st <br/> Playoffs: Champions
| pattern_la1 = _Kubotaleft
| pattern_b1  = _Kubotakit
| pattern_ra1 = _Kubotaright
| pattern_sh1 = _Kubotashorts
| pattern_so1 = _Kubotasocks
| leftarm1    = 000080
| body1       = 008080
| rightarm1   = 000080
| shorts1     = 03031E
| socks1      = DF5900
| pattern_la2 = _Kubotaleftb
| pattern_b2  = _Kubotakitb
| pattern_ra2 = _Kubotarightb
| pattern_sh2 = _Kubotashortsb
| pattern_so2 = _Kubotasocksb
| leftarm2    = FFFFFF
| body2       = FFFFFF
| rightarm2   = FFFFFF
| shorts2     = 03031E
| socks2      = 03031E
| url            = https://www.kubota-spears.com/
|region=Kanto|captain=Faulua Makisi|rugby director=Wataru Kondo}}
'''Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay''' (commonly known as the '''Kubota Spears''') is a Japanese [[rugby union]] team based in [[Funabashi, Chiba|Funabashi]], [[Chiba Prefecture|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>{{cite news|url=https://www.asierugby.com/post/la-nouvelle-ligue-japonaise-s-appelle-la-japan-rugby-league-one|title=La nouvelle ligue japonaise s'appelle la Japan Rugby League One|work=Asie Rugby|date=16 July 2021|access-date=16 July 2021|language=French}}</ref>

== History ==
The original rugby club was formed in 1978 by volunteers at the [[Kubota]] companies headquarters.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=クボタスピアーズ船橋・東京ベイとは｜ヒストリー｜クボタスピアーズ |url=https://www.kubota-spears.com/about/history/ |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=www.kubota-spears.com}}</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 [[Japan Rugby League One|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 [[Top League Champions Cup|Microsoft Cup]] and [[All-Japan Rugby Football Championship|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>{{Cite web |title=クボタスピアーズ新体制及び新入団選手のお知らせ ｜クボタスピアーズ |url=https://www.kubota-spears.com/news/2016/03/16/140000.html |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=www.kubota-spears.com}}</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>{{Cite web |last=rugbyasia247 |date=2023-05-22 |title=Kubota Spears Are 2022-2023 JRLO Champions |url=https://www.rugbyasia247.com/kubota-spears-are-2022-2023-jrlo-champions/ |access-date=2025-02-17 |website=RugbyAsia247 |language=en-US}}</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">{{cite web | url=http://www.kubota-spears.com/player/ | script-title=ja:選手名鑑 | trans-title=Players Directory | work=Kubota Spears | access-date=29 November 2018 | language=ja}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left; font-size:90%; width:70%"
|-
! colspan="100%" | Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay squad
|- valign="top"
|
'''Props'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Yota Kamimori]]'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Kenshi Yamamoto]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Kota Kaishi]]'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Kengo Kitagawa]]'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Opeti Helu]]'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Keijiro Tamefusa]]'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Satoshi Saita]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Toi Kai]]
* {{Flagicon|Australia}} [[Izi Sword]]*
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Kazuki Kato (rugby union)|Kazuki Kato]]

'''Hookers'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Hayate Era]]'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Yoshimitsu Yasue]]'''
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} '''[[Malcolm Marx]]'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Katsuya Okuma]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Rikuto Fukuda]]

'''Locks'''
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Ruan Botha]]*
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[David Bulbring]]*
* {{Flagicon|Australia}} [[David Van Zeeland]]*
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Naoaki Horibe]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Yuki Aoki]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Yuki Asai]]
* {{Flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Akira Ieremia]]*

||

'''Flankers'''
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Merwe Olivier]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Masaya Tamaki]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Lappies Labuschagné]]'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Takeo Suenaga]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Yuma Uenobo]]
* {{Flagicon|Tonga}} [[Finau Tupa]]*
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Kenkichi Yanagawa]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Ogi Yanamoto]]
* {{Flagicon|England}} [[Ollie Stonham]]
* {{Flagicon|England}} [[Harry Willard]]

'''No8s'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Tyler Paul]]'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Faulua Makisi]]''' ([[Captain (sports)|c]])
* {{Flagicon|Tonga}} [[Asipeli Moala]]*

'''Scrum-halves'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Shinobu Fujiwara]]'''
* {{Flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Bryn Hall (rugby union)|Bryn Hall]] 
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Shunta Koga]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Kazuhiro Taniguchi]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Ippei Okada]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Genki Mizobuchi]]

'''Fly-halves'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Tomoki Kishioka]]
* {{Flagicon|Australia}} '''[[Bernard Foley]]'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Atsushi Oshikawa]]

||

'''Centres'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Harumichi Tatekawa]]'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Yuya Hirose (rugby union)|Yuya Hirose]]'''
* {{Flagicon|South Africa}} [[Rikus Pretorius]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Sione Teaupa]]'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Towa Kondo]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Halatoa Vailea]]'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Kanji Futamura]]

'''Wingers'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Koga Nezuka]]'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Haruto Kida]]'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Hiroyuki Yamasaki]]
* {{Flagicon|Fiji}} [[Tsuyoshi Jennings]]*
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Reo Matsushita]]

'''Fullbacks'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Gerhard van den Heever]]'''
* {{Flagicon|New Zealand}} '''[[Shaun Stevenson]]'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Yuhei Shimada]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Hibiki Yamada]]

'''Utility Backs'''

|-
| colspan="100%" style="height: 10px;" | ([[Captain (sports)|c]]) Denotes team captain, '''Bold''' denotes player is internationally capped.
|}

** denotes players qualified to play for [[Japan national rugby union team|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==
*{{flagicon|AUS}} [[Viliami Ofahengaue]]
*{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Joe Roff]] - Fullback/wing
*{{Flagicon|ENG}} [[Barrie-Jon Mather]] - Centre/wing
*{{flagicon|NZL}} [[Marty Veale]] - Lock
*[[Kōtarō Nakamura (rugby union)|Kōtarō Nakamura]] - Wing/fullback
*{{Flagicon|NZL}} [[Jason O'Halloran]]
*[[Cameron Pither]]
*[[Shunji Ishikura]] - Lock
*[[Joshua Fuimaono]]
*{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Justin Sampson]]
*{{Flagicon|AUS}} [[Toutai Kefu]]
*{{Flagicon|SA}} [[Duane Vermeulen]]
*{{Flagicon|NZL}} [[Ryan Crotty]]
*{{Flagicon|NZL}} [[Dane Coles]]
*{{Flagicon|WAL}} [[Liam Williams (rugby union)|Liam Williams]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.kubota-spears.com/ Kubota Spears] - Official Website

{{Japan Rugby League One}}
{{Top Challenge League}}
{{Rugby union in Japan}}
{{Kubota Spears squad}}

[[Category:Japan Rugby League One teams]]
[[Category:Rugby clubs established in 1978]]
[[Category:Sports clubs and teams in Chiba Prefecture]]
[[Category:1978 establishments in Japan]]