Toyota Verblitz

Rugby team
teamname = Toyota Verblitz
トヨタ自動車ヴェルブリッツ


imagesize = 160px
fullname = Toyota Verblitz | nickname =
founded = 1941
union = Japan Rugby Football Union
ground = Toyota Stadium
country

location= Toyota, Aichi, Japan
capacity =
coach = Eiji Kuchiki
chairman =
competitions = Top League

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Toyota Verblitz is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. Verblitz is a conflation of "verde" (Italian for 'green') and "blitz" (German for 'lightning'). The team is owned by Toyota Jidosha (Toyota Motors) and is separate from the Toyota Jido Shokki rugby team.

Slogan for 2006 season: 克己　"Kokki" (Self-Control)

Honours

*All-Japan Championship
** Champions: 1969, 1968, 1987
** Runner-up: 2007

Results

Verblitz (surprisingly given the team's pedigree) failed to make the cut for the first season of the Top League (2003-4) but entered the Top League in the second season and were a contender for the second Microsoft Cup. They lost the Japan Championship final on February 27 2005 to NEC Green Rockets 13-17.

In August 2005 Verblitz beat Newcastle Falcons at home.On February 12, 2006 they lost to Waseda University RFC in the Japan Championships, 24-28. This was the first time a Top League team had lost to a university team.

Current Players

*Ippei Asada - scrum half, captain
*Aston Crawford - back row
*Kosuke Endo - wing, Japan
*Keiji Hirose - veteran fly half
*Takashi Kikutani - back row
*Toshizumi Kitagawa - lock
*Tatsuya Kusumi - centre
*Yusuke Kuromiya - centre
*Sekove Leawere - wing
*Hiroki Mizuno - wing, Japan
*Daniel Quate - flanker/lock (formerly Highlanders)
*William Ryder - Fijian sevens player
*Kenji Shomen - fly half, formerly full back
*Tomoaki Taniguchi - lock
*Masato Toyoda
*Masahiko Toyoyama - prop

Former Players

*Troy Flavell - lock (now back in New Zealand with the Blues)
*Tamaiti Horua - No. 8 (formerly Brumbies), now Western Force in 2008 season
*Orene Aii
*Filo Tiatia - No. 8 (now in Wales with the Ospreys}

External links

* [http://www.toyota.co.jp/company/event/sportsnews/rugby/ Toyota Verblitz] - official site