Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath (), formerly known as Suntory Sungoliath, is a professional Japanese rugby union team based in Tokyo Prefecture's Fuchū City that competes in the Japan Rugby League One (JRLO). The team is owned by the Suntory beverage company.
Ahead of the inaugural 2022 Japan Rugby League One season, which was rebranded from the Top League, the team had renamed to Tokyo Sungoliath.
History
The club was established in 1980, and since then they have won the All-Japan Championship on numerous occasions. They have also competed in the Top League since its founding in 2003. The team has been improving in the League over the past few years. Suntory Sungoliath famously beat Wales 45-41 on Saturday 3 June 2001 whilst they were on tour in Japan.
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 and assisted by Michael Jones.
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 (home to Mark Secker), 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 24 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. SeasonOrderPlayedWonDrawnLostTGPGDGPenaltiesPoints ForPoints AgainstPoints DiffPtsCoach2003–044th1180361445015040826514342Yuji Nagatomo2004–058th1140743281201423072822524Yuji Nagatomo2005–066th1160543301011183082416732Yuji Nagatomo2006–072nd13110281588015754516138456Katsuyuki Kiyomiya2007–082nd13101270473010645322922453Katsuyuki Kiyomiya
Current squad The Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath squad for the 2026-27 season is:
Tokyo Sungoliath squadProps Kenta Kobayashi Kanta Ogawa Atsuki Yamamoto Sanshiro Kihara Shohei Oyama Kosuke Sugiura Yukio Morikawa Shuhei Takeuchi
Hookers Kosuke Horikoshi Shodai Hirao Kienori Go Tatsuya Miyazaki
Locks Harry Hockings* Yasuaki Katakura Sam Jeffries* George Hammond Ed Kasprowicz Sam JeffriesFlankers Kanji Shimokawa Koji Īno Ryūga Hashimoto Kai Yamamoto Sam Cane Masahiko Sagara Pierich Siebert*
No8s Tevita Tatafu* Sean McMahon Patrick Vakata* Tenta Kobayashi
Scrum-halves Naoto Saito (c) Genki Ōkoshi Masanori Miyao Max Hughes**
Fly-halves Mikiya Takamoto Kaleb Trask* Kazuki IshidaCentres Kengo Nonaka Quinton Mahina* Shūho Fukushima Gideon Wrampling Shogo Nakano Isaiah Punivai Taiga Ozaki
Wingers Shota Emi Kohei Yasuda Seiya Ozaki James Lowe Hideto Niguma Ryosuke Kawase
Fullbacks Kotaro Matsushima
Utility Backs (c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes player is internationally capped
* denotes players qualified to play for Japan on dual nationality or residency grounds.
Notable former players
Tusi Pisi – Manu Samoa international fly-half Schalk Burger – South African flanker Fourie du Preez – South African scrum half Uche Odouza – winger, England (England 7s) George Gregan – Australian scrum-half and the 2nd most-capped player in international rugby history Rocky Havili – Tongan centre Toru Kurihara – Japan fullback or wing Simon Maling – former All Black lock from 2001 to 2004 Beauden Barrett - All Black five-eighth, 2015 Rugby World Cup Winner Jamie Washington George Smith – former Australian flanker 2000-2009, 2013 Norm Hadley – lock, former Canadian captain, Barbarian Glenn Ennis – former Canadian No. 8, Barbarian
Coach
Katsuyuki Kiyomiya (2006–09) Eddie Jones (2009–12) Naoya Okubo (2012–14) Andy Friend (2014–16) Keisuke Sawaki (2016–2019) Milton Haig (2020-)
Honours
All-Japan Championship Champions: 1995, 2000, 2001, 2011, 2012 Runner-up: 2008 Microsoft Cup Champions: 2007–08 Runner-up: 2005–06, 2006–07 All-Japan Company Championship Champions: 1995, 2001, 2002 Top League Championship Champions: 2011–12
Notes
External links Suntory Sungoliath - official home page George Gregan and Goliath, 365.com (June 20, 2008) Suntory are Top League Champions - JRFU English website, February 24, 2008 Stylish Sungoliath turn out lights on Wild Knights, Daily Yomiuri, October 16, 2006 Wales suffer opening defeat, scrum.com, June 3, 2001
References