Suntory Sungoliath

""'Rugby team
teamname = Suntory Sungoliath
サントリーサンゴリアス


founded = April 1980
ground = Suntory Fuchu Sports Centre
capacity =
union = Japan Rugby Football Union
country

location = Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan
coach = Katsuyuki Kiyomiya
league = Top League
season = 2007-8
position = League Champion (won Microsoft Cup)
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=|leftarm1=ffff00|body1=ffff00|rightarm1=ffff00|shorts1=000000|socks1=000000
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=|leftarm2=|body2=|rightarm2=|shorts2=|socks2=

Suntory Sungoliath (also known as Suntory Rugby Football Club) is owned by the Suntory beverage company and is one of the Japanese rugby union teams in the Top League. The team is based in Fuchū, Tokyo, as is their local rival Toshiba Brave Lupus. The slogan for the 2006-7 season was "ALIVE" and it continued to be the slogan in 2007-8.

Suntory coached by Katsuyuki Kiyomiya won the Microsoft Cup on February 24, 2008 by defeating Sanyo Wild Knights in a close and exciting game, 14-10. Suntory therefore became the champion of the Top League for the 2007-08 season. However Sanyo gained revenge in the 45th All-Japan Championship final, beating Suntory 40-18.

On June 18, 2008 it was announced that George Gregan has joined the club on a two-year contract. ( [http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/sports/20080619TDY20305.htm Daily Yomiuri] , June 19, 2008)

Honours

* All-Japan Championship
** Champions: 1995, 2000, 2001
** Runner-up: 2008

* Microsoft Cup
** Champions: 2008
** Runner-up: 2006, 2007

* All-Japan Company Championship
** Champions: 1995, 2001, 2002

History

The club was established in 1980, and since then they have won the All-Japan Championship on numerous occasions. They have also compete in the recently formed Top League since its founding in 2003. The team has been improving in the League over the past few years.

Top League Results

In the first season of the Top League, 2003-04, Suntory finished 4th. In 2004-05 they finished 8th. The team was 6th in the 2005-06 season and jumped up to 2nd in the 2006-7 season under new coach Katsuyuki Kiyomiya.

In 2006 Suntory Sungoliath lost the final of the Top League and Microsoft Cup title to Toshiba Brave Lupus by a score of 33-18. Then in February 2007, Suntory Sungoliath again lost the final of the Top League and Microsoft Cup to Toshiba Brave Lupus before a crowd of 23,076 at Tokyo's Chichibunomiya Stadium, the first sellout at the ground in 10 years, with the final score being just 14-13 to Toshiba Brave Lupus.

In the first Top League game of the 2007-8 season Suntory gained revenge over Toshiba with a 10-3 win on October 26, 2007. At the end of the 13-game season Suntory was second behind Sanyo Wild Knights, having lost to Sanyo and by just one point to Coca Cola West Red Sparks, and drawn 31-31 with Toyota Verblitz in the final round. Sanyo and Suntory met again in the Microsoft Cup final on February 24th to decide the 2007-08 Top League champion. Suntory won that game 14-10 with a very strong mauling attack.

Top League Table

The table begins with the first season of the Top League, 2003-04.

Current Players

*Yusuke Aoki - hooker, Japan
*Go Aruga - full back, Japan
*Shinki Gen - flanker
*George Gregan - scrum half, Australia
*Rocky Havili - Tongan centre
*Yosuke Ikegaya - prop, Japan squad 2008
*Kota Kamimura - flanker
*Shin Kanto - fly half
*Toru Kurihara - full back
*Keiji Morioka
*Ryan Nicholas - scored a Top League record individual points tally in the game versus IBM Big Blue on September 16, 2006 (36 points) and was the top points scorer in the league, 2006-07; Japan squad 2008
*Naoya Nomura - scrum half
*Naoya Okubo - back row (Note: two players by this name)
*Naoya Okubo - lock
*Hirotoki Onozawa - Japan wing
*Akira Ozaki - prop, Japan squad 2008
*Takamichi Sasaki - no. 8 or flanker, Japan
*Koji Shinozuka - lock/flanker, Japan squad 2008
*Koji Taira - Japan centre
*Takeshi Takano - flanker
*Juntaro Takemoto - flanker
*Jack Tarrant - wing
*Brent Thompson - no. 8
*Takashi Yamaoka - veteran hooker, Japan
*Daigo Yamashita - centre, wing (captain)
*Lelea Paea wing

Former Players

*Simon Maling - former All Black lock from 2001 - 2004
*Jamie Washington

Coach

* Katsuyuki Kiyomiya (from 2006)
* Coaching advisers include Eddie Jones, formerly of Australia. He has been a frequent presence at Top League games in the 2007-8 season.

External links

* [http://www.suntory.co.jp/culture-sports/sungoliath/ Suntory Sungoliath] - official home page
* [http://www.rugby365.com/all_news/nbc/australia/news/814132.htm George Gregan and Goliath] , 365.com (June 20, 2008)
* [http://www.rugbyjapan.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=316&Itemid=35 Suntory are Top League Champions] - JRFU English website, February 24, 2008
* [http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/sports/20061016TDY22004.htm Stylish Sungoliath turn out lights on Wild Knights] , Daily Yomiuri, October 16, 2006
* [http://www.scrum.com/2444_12395.php Wales suffer opening defeat] , scrum.com, June 3, 2001