 | |||
| Full name | Kobelco Kobe Steelers | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | Japan Rugby Football Union | ||
| Founded | 1928 | ||
| Location | Kobe, Hyogo | ||
| Ground(s) | Noevir Stadium Kobe, Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 30,132, 36,000) | ||
| Director of Rugby | Wayne Smith | ||
| Coach(es) | Dave Rennie | ||
| Captain(s) | Brodie Retallick, Rakuhei Yamashita | ||
| League(s) | Japan Rugby League One | ||
| 2023–2024 | 5th | ||
| |||
| Official website | |||
| www | |||
1st 
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.
Honours
- Top League:
- Champions: 2003–04, 2018-19
Personnel
Current management team
| Position | Name | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Director of rugby | Wayne Smith |  New Zealand
|
| Head coach | Dave Rennie | New Zealand
|
| Assistant coach | Mike Blair |  Scotland
|
Current squad
The Kobelco Kobe Steelers squad for the 2024-25 season is:
| Kobelco Kobe Steelers squad | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Props
Hookers Locks |
Flankers No8s Scrum-halves Fly-halves |
Centres
Wingers Fullbacks Utility Backs |
|
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
- Brodie Retallick
- Andy Ellis
- Dan Carter
- Adam Ashley-Cooper
- Aaron Cruden
- Andries Bekker
- Jacque Fourie
- Ron Cribb
- Dave Bickle
- Mark Egan
- Simon Wensley
- Pierre Hola
- Peter Grant
- Thinus Delport
- Ben Smith
- Lukhanyo Am
- Hayden Parker
References
- "La nouvelle ligue japonaise s'appelle la Japan Rugby League One". Asie Rugby (in French). 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- "Kobe Steelers: Players" (in Japanese). Kobelco Kobe Steelers. 2024. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
External links
- Steelers upset Green Rockets in Microsoft Cup - Japan Times, January 24, 2005
- https://www.kobesteelers.com/ Kobelco Steelers] official site
- Top League official site
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