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IBM Big Blue is a Japanese semi-pro rugby union team in the Top League, founded in 1976. The company decided to make Rugby, along with baseball & American football, one of the the official company sports in 1989. This allowed the rugby club to gain support and momentum.
Big Blue won promotion from the Japan East Ten league to the Top League at the end of the League's first season (2003-4) but was then automatically relegated by coming 12th in the second season (2004-5). The team returned to the Top League for the 2006-7 season. It is based in Chiba prefecture in the Kanto area.
The former head Coach, Ippei Onishi, is a former captain of Kobe Kobelco Steelers. Now (2007-8) the coach is Hiroki Ando.
[edit] Players
- Lotu Filipine - Tongan-born forward
- Tadanobu Ko - full back, captain
- Hiroyuki Sakamoto - fly half or full back
- Josh Gamgee - centre, Australia sevens player
- Mark Gilbride - lock, Australia sevens player
- Yasuki Yamaguchi - prop
- Yasuo Suda - hooker, flanker
- Shinya Kojima - lock
- Kōichi Nagasawa - lock
[edit] External links
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