Kobelco Kobe Steelers

Kobelco Kobe Steelers
コベルコ神戸スティーラーズ
Full nameKobelco Kobe Steelers
UnionJapan Rugby Football Union
Founded1928
LocationKobe, Hyogo
Ground(s)Noevir Stadium Kobe, Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 30,132, 36,000)
Director of RugbyDave Rennie
CoachDave Rennie
Captain(s)Brodie Retallick, Lee Seung-sin
LeagueJapan Rugby League One
2023–20245th
1st kit
2nd kit
Official website
www.kobesteelers.com

The Kobelco Kobe Steelers are a Japanese rugby union team owned by Kobe Steel, and based in Kobe. They were the first ever Top League champions when the League started in the 2003-2004 season. The team rebranded as Kobelco Kobe Steelers ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One in 2022.[1]

Honours

Current management team

Position Name Nationality
Director of rugby and head coach Dave Rennie New Zealand
Rugby Coach mentor/Team Ambassador Wayne Smith New Zealand
Attack coach Mike Blair Scotland
Defence coach Peter Murchie Scotland
Forwards coach Dan McFarland England
Scrum coach Hisateru Hirashima Japan

Current squad

The Kobelco Kobe Steelers squad for the 2025-26 season is:[2] [a] [b]

Kobelco Kobe Steelers squad

Props

  • Japan Shigure Takao
  • Japan Hikaru Moriwaki
  • Japan Sho Maeda
  • New Zealand Kauvaka Kaivelata
  • Japan Hiroshi Yamashita
  • Japan Koo Ji-won
  • Japan Takayuki Watanabe
  • Japan Isileli Nakajima
  • Japan Takashi Ōshita REP [a] [b]
  • Japan Riku Tomita REP [a] [b]

Hookers

  • Japan Keita Miyauchi
  • Japan Takuya Kitade
  • Japan Kenta Matsuoka
  • New Zealand Ash Dixon*
  • Tonga Sione Sime Mau*

Locks

  • New Zealand Brodie Retallick (cc)
  • Japan Naohiro Kotaki
  • New Zealand Gerard Cowley-Tuioti*
  • South Africa Neil Hansen
  • Japan Kavaia Tagivetaua
  • Japan Takuma Motohashi
  • Japan Waisake Raratubua

Flankers

  • Japan Hayato Fukunishi
  • Japan Takara Imamura
  • Tonga Solomone Funaki*
  • Japan Hikaru Hashimoto
  • Japan Go Maeda
  • Tonga Sosefo Fakatava*
  • South Africa Nico Henrico REP DEP [a]

No8s

Scrum-halves

  • Japan Atsushi Hiwasa
  • Japan Daiki Nakajima
  • Japan Kenta Tokuda
  • Japan Itsuki Kamimura

Fly-halves

  • New Zealand Bryn Gatland

Centres

  • Japan Timothy Lafaele
  • New Zealand Anton Lienert-Brown
  • New Zealand Michael Little*
  • New Zealand Mac Harris*
  • New Zealand Tali Ioasa
  • Tonga Talilotu Fakatulolo*
  • Japan Yoshiki Ōmachi REP [a] [b]

Wingers

  • Japan Ataata Moeakiola
  • Japan Junta Hamano
  • Japan Kazuma Ueda
  • Fiji Inoke Burua*
  • Japan Soma Sugimoto
  • Japan Ryota Funabiki

Fullbacks

  • Japan Shinsuke Iseki
  • Japan Kanta Matsunaga

Utility Backs

  • Japan Lee Seung-sin (cc)
  • Japan Daisuke Ito
  • Japan Hayata Tsujino
  • Japan Shunsuke Uenobo REP [a] [b]
  • (cc) denotes team co-captains.
  • Bold denotes internationally capped.
  1. ^ a b c d e f g January 12 2026, Oshita,Tomita,Henrico,Polutele,Omachi,Uenobo was Joined as an early entry(graduating from university this academic year) from the team after the round 4.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Oshita,Tomita,Polutele,Omachi,Uenobo is eligible to compete starting from Round 5.

Past players

  • Yuta Imamura (2007-19, 124 games) Centre, Japanese international (2006-13, 39 caps)
  • Itaru Taniguchi (2008-21, 148 games) Loose forward, Japanese international (2010-11, 10 caps)
  • Shoji Ito (2009-18, 104 games) Lock, Japanese international (2012-15, 36 caps)

Japanese players

  • Toshiyuki Hayashi
  • Ian Williams
  • Seiji Hirao
  • Yuya Saito
  • Kensuke Iwabuchi
  • Daisuke Ohata
  • Andrew Miller
  • Atsushi Oyagi
  • Kensuke Iwabuchi

Foreign players

References

  1. ^ "La nouvelle ligue japonaise s'appelle la Japan Rugby League One". Asie Rugby (in French). 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Kobe Steelers: Players" (in Japanese). Kobelco Kobe Steelers. 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
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