Sunwolves 2018
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dru
David Wilson (68)
I don't know a lot about Joseph or his planning, but the squad does not seem as advanced as any of the Aussie domestic franchises and it still doesn't seem very connected to the rest of Japanese rugby. It would be great if your assessment of their competitiveness is close, but it seems optimistic looking in from the outside. Interested in your thoughts.
Rebels3
Jim Lenehan (48)
If the Tahs are fit, the Sunwolves won't come close to them. If they have injuries then the Sunpuppies are a chance as they have no depth
Robertson
Latu
Kepu
Hanigan
Simmons
Dempsey
Hooper
Holloway
Gordon/Phipps
Foley
Newsome
Beale
?????
Clark/Kellaway
Folau
man for man i don't think the Sunpuppies would be better in anymore than 2/3 positions. Plus if the Tahs sign McCalman and Rona, then their starting 15 as as good as any. Just the 15 below them are as bad as any replacements
Robertson
Latu
Kepu
Hanigan
Simmons
Dempsey
Hooper
Holloway
Gordon/Phipps
Foley
Newsome
Beale
?????
Clark/Kellaway
Folau
man for man i don't think the Sunpuppies would be better in anymore than 2/3 positions. Plus if the Tahs sign McCalman and Rona, then their starting 15 as as good as any. Just the 15 below them are as bad as any replacements
Brumby Runner
Jason Little (69)
Expect Staniforth to partner Simmons in the second row. That could mean one of Hanigan/Dempsey on the bench. No doubt both will still be Wallabies.
Dan54
David Wilson (68)
I not sure why anyone gets carried away over jersey design, all I want for any jersey is to be able to tell who plays for which team. Then again I don't buy them, and I not sure if Sunwolves jersey would be aimed at us anyway, more at the Japanese market?
T
TOCC
Guest
I think jersey design plays a massive part, as a kid I supported the teams whose jerseys I liked the most. I was too young to be parochial over teams and liked watching the sport so supported the teams with the best jerseys and my favourite players. Those were the days when I was a League fan, and unfortunately those teams no longer exist but if they did, I would still support them for nostalgic reasons.
As an adult, I’m not going to spend money on a design which i think is ugly. You may be right though, maybe this Sunwolves design appeals to the Japanese market.
As an adult, I’m not going to spend money on a design which i think is ugly. You may be right though, maybe this Sunwolves design appeals to the Japanese market.
USARugger
John Thornett (49)
I mean, there’s good design, palatable design, and then there’s the Sunwolves Jersey..
Dan54
David Wilson (68)
Geez I not arguing about design,not something I would choose, but like I say jerseys are just to tell difference between teams to me,and I was talking to a kid that reckons he loves it, reckoned it looked like an anime design, whatever that is!!
amirite
Chilla Wilson (44)
Kids love conventionally terrible jerseys - and that seems to be what teams pick a lot of the time. Maybe there's data out there that says kids are the key driver/market for jerseys?
A lot of these jerseys actually don't look so bad on the physiques of professional athletes but look awful on normal frames. That's the real trouble, these jerseys look like they're designed by graphic designers and not people who design things meant to be worn.
A lot of these jerseys actually don't look so bad on the physiques of professional athletes but look awful on normal frames. That's the real trouble, these jerseys look like they're designed by graphic designers and not people who design things meant to be worn.
Mr Wobbly
Alan Cameron (40)
Jerseys are leaving a lot to be desired
I just noticed something about these jerseys, all three of them are a little bit different
The red ball, (which I'm going to presume is the rising sun), over the SMBC logo is more prominent on Shota's jersey than it is on Yamada's. The one on the empty jersey is somewhere in between. I wonder if they will show a whole "sunrise" over 15 jerseys?
upthereds#!
Peter Johnson (47)
Hoping sunwolves pick up a heap more players like last season - only 26 announced i saw?
Guys Like. Big forwards like Usami, Anise & Hendrick Tui, hot stepper Matsushima and big backs Will Tupou and Moeakiola (that un20s freak from a couple years ago)
Guys Like. Big forwards like Usami, Anise & Hendrick Tui, hot stepper Matsushima and big backs Will Tupou and Moeakiola (that un20s freak from a couple years ago)
kiap
Steve Williams (59)
Be thankful, people, that there are rival rugby administrations more incompetent, nepotistic—and, dare I say it, possibly corrupt—than our own. One of these has a team in the Australian super rugby conference.
Here are some extracts from a long piece about rugby in Japan sourced from a PR forum thread by 'kiwias', who knows the author, and I think is pretty much on the mark.
On the big headline acts:
"… Forget the World Cup 2019, and all the hype around the tournament, JAPANESE RUGBY IS DYING! There will not be a legacy from the World Cup. Playing numbers in the lead up to the tournament are plummeting, coaching levels are as poor as they have always been, referees still have zero support for their efforts, and the marketing of the game is dismal.
Unless there is quick, radical change, post WC the domestic game will just plod on the way it does now, failure after dismal failure. There are dumb administrators making dumb decisions and the domestic game is being driven into oblivion.
I doubt anyone at the JRFU will listen or act on such blunt accusations, other than to blindly convince themselves that everything is under control.
… Japan was ranked as high as 10th in the world in recent times but stadiums are empty for the most part. Meanwhile, The Japan Basketball League is currently being played out in front of sellout crowds, has great marketing and event management, but the national team is ranked only 52nd in the world according to official FIBA data. It is the perfect example of what could happen if the right people were put in charge of rugby in Japan.
… The Sunwolves Super Rugby concept has become a joke. The last time I checked there were 21 foreign players and counting, contracted to the team. How exactly is this going to develop Japanese players and provide the stepping stone to international level to eventually strengthen the Japanese national team. Good luck to all the players and staff who are contracted to the team, it is not a joke to them, they will give their all, but is it having positive effect on grassroots Japanese rugby at all? I wonder."
On the domestic game:
"… Unlike other sporting leagues around the world, success in Japanese corporate rugby does not mean that you get more advertising, more TV revenue, bigger attendances and opportunities to promote your brand at your own stadiums and facilities.
Success & winning and advancement up the leagues in Japan just means that it is going to cost the company that owns the team a lot more money. No one will openly admit it of course, but in reality, many teams do not really want to get better, they cant afford to!!
… As a coach, I have been involved at 3 companies who became victims of their own success and ended up completely terminating their rugby program because of financial stress from winning. There are many documented examples of this. It causes a little ripple in the JRFU for a few weeks but soon goes away and is forgotten, and nothing changes."
" … I have repeatedly said over the course of my long career, that the players themselves have great potential if exposed to good coaching and processes, but they are not. As previously stated, I feel sorry for players starting out in the game as they are largely putting their development into the hands of completely unqualified coaches.
University coaching, at a vitally important time in player development terms is diabolical. Coaches are appointed not based on ability or experience, through open appointment processes, but on incestuous old boy loyalties, and most Kantoku or GM’s (Not all) are institutionalized figure heads who see themselves as untouchable, and in most cases, win or lose they are."
Here are some extracts from a long piece about rugby in Japan sourced from a PR forum thread by 'kiwias', who knows the author, and I think is pretty much on the mark.
On the big headline acts:
"… Forget the World Cup 2019, and all the hype around the tournament, JAPANESE RUGBY IS DYING! There will not be a legacy from the World Cup. Playing numbers in the lead up to the tournament are plummeting, coaching levels are as poor as they have always been, referees still have zero support for their efforts, and the marketing of the game is dismal.
Unless there is quick, radical change, post WC the domestic game will just plod on the way it does now, failure after dismal failure. There are dumb administrators making dumb decisions and the domestic game is being driven into oblivion.
I doubt anyone at the JRFU will listen or act on such blunt accusations, other than to blindly convince themselves that everything is under control.
… Japan was ranked as high as 10th in the world in recent times but stadiums are empty for the most part. Meanwhile, The Japan Basketball League is currently being played out in front of sellout crowds, has great marketing and event management, but the national team is ranked only 52nd in the world according to official FIBA data. It is the perfect example of what could happen if the right people were put in charge of rugby in Japan.
… The Sunwolves Super Rugby concept has become a joke. The last time I checked there were 21 foreign players and counting, contracted to the team. How exactly is this going to develop Japanese players and provide the stepping stone to international level to eventually strengthen the Japanese national team. Good luck to all the players and staff who are contracted to the team, it is not a joke to them, they will give their all, but is it having positive effect on grassroots Japanese rugby at all? I wonder."
On the domestic game:
"… Unlike other sporting leagues around the world, success in Japanese corporate rugby does not mean that you get more advertising, more TV revenue, bigger attendances and opportunities to promote your brand at your own stadiums and facilities.
Success & winning and advancement up the leagues in Japan just means that it is going to cost the company that owns the team a lot more money. No one will openly admit it of course, but in reality, many teams do not really want to get better, they cant afford to!!
… As a coach, I have been involved at 3 companies who became victims of their own success and ended up completely terminating their rugby program because of financial stress from winning. There are many documented examples of this. It causes a little ripple in the JRFU for a few weeks but soon goes away and is forgotten, and nothing changes."
" … I have repeatedly said over the course of my long career, that the players themselves have great potential if exposed to good coaching and processes, but they are not. As previously stated, I feel sorry for players starting out in the game as they are largely putting their development into the hands of completely unqualified coaches.
University coaching, at a vitally important time in player development terms is diabolical. Coaches are appointed not based on ability or experience, through open appointment processes, but on incestuous old boy loyalties, and most Kantoku or GM’s (Not all) are institutionalized figure heads who see themselves as untouchable, and in most cases, win or lose they are."
T
TOCC
Guest
France are doing pretty well in this department as well.. https://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/...s/news-story/ffda8f1006f765e51eb2ada8e0e1d8b4
kiap
Steve Williams (59)
Mr Wobbly
Alan Cameron (40)
Sunwolves squad announced... https://sunwolves.or.jp/en/information/article/4535/
upthereds#!
Peter Johnson (47)
Pretty surprised to see Hendrick Tui not in there. Alot of the foreigners in the squad pushing for residency status in time for the WC. - Robinson, Quirk, Wykes, Labuschagne, etc.
Could be why they are there, to keep them around whilst other players of national interest either aren't required or not interested.
Dissapointed Male Sau, Hendrick Tui and Goromaru aren't in the squad. Must say Hattingh is a better pick up then Wykes though. Fetuani Lautaimi: No. 8 , 25 years old, 3 test caps, was in the latest test squad, should have been a priority pickup especially without Tui. Not even heavy hitters in the back row.
More sorry to see these young japanese test players or test hopefuls not retained or picked up in favour of older but potentially eligible foreigners.
- Atsushi Sakata: Hooker, 24 yrs old, 10 test caps
- Malgene Ilaua: Flanker, 24 years old, 4 test caps
- Rikiya Matsuda: Utility back, 23 years old, 10 test caps
- Ataata Moeakiola: Wing, Monster
- Yoshikazu Fujita: Wing, 24 yrs old, 30 test caps
- Ryuji Noguchi: Fullback, 22 years old, 12 test caps
Could be why they are there, to keep them around whilst other players of national interest either aren't required or not interested.
Dissapointed Male Sau, Hendrick Tui and Goromaru aren't in the squad. Must say Hattingh is a better pick up then Wykes though. Fetuani Lautaimi: No. 8 , 25 years old, 3 test caps, was in the latest test squad, should have been a priority pickup especially without Tui. Not even heavy hitters in the back row.
More sorry to see these young japanese test players or test hopefuls not retained or picked up in favour of older but potentially eligible foreigners.
- Atsushi Sakata: Hooker, 24 yrs old, 10 test caps
- Malgene Ilaua: Flanker, 24 years old, 4 test caps
- Rikiya Matsuda: Utility back, 23 years old, 10 test caps
- Ataata Moeakiola: Wing, Monster
- Yoshikazu Fujita: Wing, 24 yrs old, 30 test caps
- Ryuji Noguchi: Fullback, 22 years old, 12 test caps
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