Hitoshi Ono

Hitoshi Ono
Date of birth May 6, 1978
Place of birth Kōriyama Fukushima, Japan[1]
Height 192 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight 102 kg (16 st 1 lb)
School Seiryo High School
University Nihon University
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Lock
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2001− Toshiba Brave Lupus
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
2004−  Japan 87 (65)
correct as of 28 November 2014.
Sevens national teams
Years Club / team Comps
 Japan

Hitoshi Ōno (大野均, Ōno Hitoshi) (born May 6, 1978 in Kōriyama Fukushima) is a Japanese rugby player. He plays at lock for the Japan national rugby union team. He is nicknamed the "Iron Man".

Ono started playing rugby after converting from baseball at Nihon University where he was studying to become a firefighter. However he changed career and joined Toshiba Brave Lupus in 2001, who he has gone onto win the Top League four times with.

He made his international debut for Japan in 2004 against Korea.[2] He became a regular member of the national team from there onwards and represented his country at both the 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cup. Since Eddie Jones took over as Japan coach in 2012, he hasn't missed an international match and has become the most capped player for Japan of all time.[3]

After the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, Ono's family dairy farm suffered greatly, and alongside prop Kensuke Hatakeyama who lost his home, he was named honorary captain for the Asian 5 Nations match with the UAE by coach John Kirwan to mark the team's solidarity for the cause.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "ラグビー日本代表の大野　古里郡山で講演　Ｗ杯への思い語る". Fukushima Mimpo (in Japanese). 27 June 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  2. ↑ "Japan v Korea at Tokyo, May 16, 2004".
  3. ↑ "Ono set to be Japan's most capped player". Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU). Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  4. ↑ "One year on Rugby remembers in Japan".

See also

External links