Wild Knights

Panasonic Wild Knights (formerly Sanyo) is a Japanese rugby union team based in Ōta city, Gunma prefecture which plays in the Top League. Inspired by Tony Brown at fly half (though he was not captain), it dominated the league in the fifth season and was the first team to be unbeaten throughout a Top League season. Slogan for 2006 season: ADAPTABILITY All-Japan Champions: 2008 Squad, Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under IRB eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-IRB nationality. PlayerPositionUnion Hidemi Ota Hooker Japan Yoshitake Mizuma Hooker Japan Mitsugu Yamamoto Hooker Japan Tomokazu Soma Prop Japan Jungo Kikawa Prop Japan Kim Kwang Mo Prop Korea Yuuki Kawano Prop Japan Naoki Kawamata Prop Japan Youichi Iijima Lock Japan Youngnam You Lock Japan Kenta Ishii Lock Japan Justin Ives Lock New Zealand Jun Sakaida Lock Japan Yohei Takisawa Lock Japan Daishi Wakamatsu Flanker Japan Dai Kawaguchi Flanker Japan Daniel Heenan Flanker Australia Kieran Black Flanker New Zealand Philip O'Reilly Flanker Japan George Smith Flanker Australia Koliniasi Ryu Holani Number 8 Japan Sione Vatuvei Number 8 Japan PlayerPositionUnion Atsushi Takayasu Scrum-half Japan Fumiaki Tanaka Scrum-half Japan Daisuke Motegi Scrum-half Japan Tony Brown Fly-half New Zealand Masakazu Irie Fly-half Japan Hiroaki Tainaka Fly-half Japan Atsushi Tanabe Centre Japan Junpei Enomoto Centre Japan Seiichi Shimomura Centre Japan Yuya Noguchi Centre Japan Ryohei Miki Centre Japan Tomokazu Yamauchi Wing Japan Takashi Miyake Wing Japan Tomoki Kitagawa Wing Japan Rikiya Asami Wing Japan Takashi Yoshida Fullback Japan Hiroshi Yamashita Fullback Japan Taisuke Hieida Fullback Japan Sam Norton-Knight Fullback Australia Past: Epi Taione - Tongan Centre/Wing/Flanker who has played for Newcastle, Sale and more recently Super 14 side The Sharks, Semi Taupeaafe - former Wallabies sevens, New South Wales Waratahs and Tongan international, Sinali Latu - now coach of Daito Bunka University R.F.C., Murray Henderson - former Sanyo Wild Knights coach, Portugal National team forwards coach, current Oxford Uni OURFC Head Coach, Coaches, Mike Cron - All Blacks and Sanyo forwards consultant, Katsufumi Miyamoto - head coach and former Japan player, Gary Wallace - strength & conditioning adviser

Source: Wikipedia

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