Tokyo Sungoliath

Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath (Japanese: 東京サントリーサンゴリアス), 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.

Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath
東京サントリーサンゴリアス

Founded	April 1980 (April 1980)
Location	Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan
Region	Tokyo Prefecture
Ground	Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium (Capacity: 27,188)
Coach	Kosei Ono
Captain	Sam Cane
League	Japan Rugby League One
2025–26	4th of 12, fourth place
Team kit 2nd kit
Official website
www.suntory.co.jp/culture-sports/sungoliath/

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.

Season	Order	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	T	G	PG	DG	Penalties	Points For	Points Against	Points Diff	Pts	Coach
2003–04	4th	11	8	0	3	61	44	5	0	150	408	265	143	42	Yuji Nagatomo
2004–05	8th	11	4	0	7	43	28	12	0	142	307	282	25	24	Yuji Nagatomo
2005–06	6th	11	6	0	5	43	30	10	1	118	308	241	67	32	Yuji Nagatomo
2006–07	2nd	13	11	0	2	81	58	8	0	157	545	161	384	56	Katsuyuki Kiyomiya
2007–08	2nd	13	10	1	2	70	47	3	0	106	453	229	224	53	Katsuyuki Kiyomiya

Current squad

The Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath squad for the 2026-27 season is:

Tokyo Sungoliath squad
Props Kenta Kobayashi Kanta Ogawa Atsuki Yamamoto Sanshiro Kihara Kosuke Sugiura Yukio Morikawa Shuhei Takeuchi Hookers Kosuke Horikoshi Shodai Hirao Kienori Go Tatsuya Miyazaki Locks Harry Hockings* Wataru Kobayashi Yasuaki Katakura Sam Jeffries* George Hammond Sam Jeffries	Flankers Kanji Shimokawa Koji Īno Ryūga Hashimoto Kai Yamamoto Sam Cane (c) Masahiko Sagara Pierich Siebert* No8s Tevita Tatafu* Sean McMahon Patrick Vakata* Tenta Kobayashi Scrum-halves Genki Ōkoshi Masanori Miyao Max Hughes* Fly-halves Mikiya Takamoto Kaleb Trask Kazuki Ishida	Centres Kengo Nonaka Quinton Mahina* Shūho Fukushima Gideon Wrampling Shogo Nakano Isaiah Punivai Taiga Ozaki Wingers Shota Emi Kohei Yasuda Seiya Ozaki 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

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