IBM Big Blue (rugby union)

IBM Big Blue is a Japanese semi-professional rugby union team in the Top League. The team was founded in 1976 by IBM. The company decided to make rugby, along with baseball and American football, one of the official company sports in 1989, which allowed the rugby club to gain support and momentum.

IBM Big Blue
日本IBMビッグブルー

Full name	IBM Big Blue
Union	Japan Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s)	Big Blue, BBB
Founded	1976
Location	Yachiyo, Chiba, Japan
Ground(s)	IBM Yachiyodai Ground
Coach(es)	Hiroki Ando
Team kit

Big Blue won promotion from the Japan East Ten league to the Top League at the end of the League's first season (2003-4) but was then automatically relegated by coming 12th in the second season (2004-5). The team returned to the Top League for the 2006-7 season. It is based in Chiba prefecture in the Kanto area.

The former head coach, Ippei Onishi, is a former captain of Kobe Kobelco Steelers. As of 2007–2008, the coach is Hiroki Ando. USA Eagle flyhalf Mike Hercus is a notable alumnus.

Squad 2011/2012

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player Position Union Atsushi Yamaga Prop Japan Kochi Nakamura Prop Japan Takayuki Kinoshita Prop Japan Keisuke Ando Hooker Japan Shinji Terayama Hooker Japan Hiroshi Ebisawa Hooker Japan Tatsuji Yoshida Hooker Japan Hiromitsu Matsuba Lock Japan Takamasa Maruyama Lock Japan Takumi Nishikawa Lock Japan Hiroaki Tatsumichi Lock Japan Keisuke Omata Flanker Japan Daigo Fujita Flanker Japan Yosuke Watanabe Flanker Japan

Player Position Union Nagamasa Miyazawa Scrum-half Japan Katsuya Higuchi Scrum-half Japan Kento Ikeda Scrum-half Japan Sogen Masumoto Fly-half Japan Takuya Himeno Centre Japan Muso Imamura Centre Japan Tatsunori Kojima Wing Japan Hiromichi Ikeda Wing Japan Hideki Ishibashi Fullback Japan Yuta Kato Fullback Japan

See also

IBM Big Blue (X-League)

External links

• IBM Big Blue RFC - official home page