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Kobelco Kobe Steelers

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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 RugbyWayne Smith
Coach(es)Dave Rennie
Captain(s)Brodie Retallick, Rakuhei Yamashita
League(s)Japan 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

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Personnel

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Current management team

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Position Name Nationality
Director of rugby Wayne Smith  New Zealand
Head coach Dave Rennie  New Zealand
Assistant coach Mike Blair  Scotland

Current squad

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The Kobelco Kobe Steelers squad for the 2024-25 season is:[2]

Kobelco Kobe Steelers squad

Props

Hookers

Locks

Flankers

No8s

Scrum-halves

Fly-halves

Centres

Wingers

Fullbacks

Utility Backs

  • (cc) denotes team co-captains.
  • Bold denotes internationally capped.

Past players

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  • 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

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Foreign players

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References

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  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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