Toyota Verblitz (), often known as Toyota Verdy, is a professional Japanese rugby union team that compete in the Japan Rugby League One (JRLO) competition. The team was established in 1941 as the Toyota Motor Corporation Rugby Club and was rebranded into its current name in 2004 before their inclusion into the 2004–05 Top League season.
The team name: Verblitz is a portmanteau of the Spanish, Italian and Portuguese language word for green, verde, and the German language word for lightning, blitz.
History Toyota Verblitz were established in 1941 by Toyota Motor as Toyota Motor Rugby Club. After the Toyota Motor and Toyota Sales merger and subsequent executive reforms in the 1980s, Verblitz changed its name to Toyota Motor Corporation Rugby Club. Following the creation of the Top League in the early 2000s, the club's name formally change to Toyota Verblitz ahead of their inclusion in the competition in 2004.
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.
Current squad The Toyota Verblitz squad for the 2026-27 season is:
Toyota Verblitz squadProps Shogo Miura Gaku Shimizu Ryūnosuke Momoji Samuelu Mataafa Yūsuke Kizu Kotaro Hosoki Taufa Latu* Hamdahn Tuipulotu Taiga Kawasaki Hanjiro Hirai
Hookers Yoshikatsu Hikosaka (cc) Shintaro Fukuzawa Hanpei Nishino Dowling Jonas Tanaka** Schalk Erasmus* Ryūsei Kato Jone Kerevi*
Locks Lourens Erasmus* Harrison Goggin Harry Bortolussi Zach Gallagher Hingano Lolohea*Flankers Kazuki Himeno Pieter-Steph du Toit Ryūsei Koike Issa Yamakawa Jingo Murata Keito Aoki Isaiah Mapusua* Kosei Miki Akito Okui Blair Ryall Will Tupou*
No8s
Scrum-halves Kaito Shigeno Aaron Smith Kaisei Tamura Ryang Jong-chu* Kippei Taninaka
Fly-halves Masahiro Kitamura Rikiya Matsuda Aidan Morgan Shinya KomuraCentres Nicholas McCurran* Tui Palesoo* Siosaia Fifita* Yūki Okada Shūhei Yamaguchi Semisi Tupou* Keisuke Moriya
Wingers Mark Tele'a (cc) Taiyo Higuma Viliame Tuidraki* Caston Michaels* Yuichiro Wada Taichi Takahashi
Fullbacks Matt McGahan* Ryuji Noguchi Takemichi Nakano Kota Ōyabu (c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes player is internationally capped
* denotes players qualified to play for Japan on dual nationality or residency grounds.
Former players Orene Ai'i - Blues (Super Rugby) and New Zealand national rugby sevens team representative Lionel Cronjé (2017–22, 48 games) Fly-half Dominic Day 2016 - Lock (Now playing for Saracens in the (English Premiership) Troy Flavell - lock (All Blacks 2001-08, later in France with Bayonne) Michael Hooper (2021, 10 games) Loose forward, Wallaby (2012–23, 125 caps) Tamaiti Horua - No. 8 formerly played for Brumbies then Western Force Takashi Kikutani (2004–13, 114 games) Loose forward, Japanese International (2005–14, 68 caps) Toshizumi Kitagawa (2004–19, 102 games) Lock, Japanese International (2005–13, 43 caps) Joe Launchbury Lock, England International (2012–, 65 caps) Wycliff Palu (2016–17, 14 games) Loose forward, Wallaby (2006–16, 58 caps) Kieran Read (2020–21, 10 games) Loose forward, All Black (2008–19, 128 caps) Filo Tiatia - Hurricanes and 2 test All Black No 8. Later played with the Ospreys in Wales. Steven Yates - New Zealand national rugby sevens team representative 2007-08
Stadium
Honours All-Japan Championship Champions: 1969, 1968, 1987 Runners-up: 2007
Notes
References
External links Toyota Verblitz - official site