Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo is a Japanese rugby union team in the Japan Rugby League One. They are based in Fuchu, Tokyo, as is their local rival Suntory Sungoliath. They won the second ever Top League championship in the 2004-5 season and the Microsoft Cup in 2005 under their innovative and inventive coach Masahiro Kunda, himself a former hooker for Toshiba and Japan. They are particularly known for the strength of their mauls. Before the Top League was created, the team was called Toshiba Fuchu after their location. Their slogan for 2006 season was "Once again to the Pinnacle ".
The team rebranded as Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to Japan Rugby League One in 2022. Their name, "Lupus", comes from the Latin word for "wolf".
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Honours
- All-Japan Championship
- * Champions: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2007Top League:
- * Champions: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009-10, 2023-24, 2024-25
Current squad
The Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo squad for the 2025-26 season is:- * denotes players qualified to play for Japan on dual nationality or residency grounds.
Past players
- François Steyn - fly-half and full back for Toshiba
- Shogo Mukai - full back for Toshiba and Japan, now head coach of Coca-Cola Red Sparks
- Masahiro Kunda - hooker for Toshiba and Japan
- Andrew McCormick - centre, former captain of the Japan national rugby union team, now coaching at Coca-Cola Red Sparks
- Wataru Murata - scrum-half
- Shinji Ono - number 8
- Yohei Suzuki - full back
- Ruatangi Vatuvei - lock/centre
- Kei Yasuda - lock
- Mamoru Ito - scrum-half
- Scott McLeod - centre
- Toshiaki Hirose Fly-half/winger, Japanese international
- Tomoki Yoshida Scrum-half, Japanese international
- Hiroki Yuhara Hooker, Japanese international
- Steven Bates Loose forward, Allblack
- Takehisa Usuzuki Winger/fullback, Japanese international
- Takuma Asahara Prop, Japanese international