VERBLITZ

記事一覧(190)

New Zealand Experience Report – North Otago Edition

Prop Gaku Shimizu and scrum-half Kippei Taninaka have been playing for Valley Sports Club in Oamaru, North Otago, since late May. Though they are now fully settled and enjoying what Shimizu describes as a “really comfortable life,” their arrival came with a trial by fire.Just one day after landing in New Zealand, on May 24th, both players had to be involved in the match for registration purposes. They barely knew their teammates’ names, let alone faces, and their opponents were one of the league’s top contenders.“There was this real sense of edge — we just couldn’t lose. It was a tough situation to be thrown into, and I ended up packing down in several scrums in the final five minutes,” said Shimizu.Still, both players managed to hold their own and helped secure the win. Since then, they’ve played full matches each week. Shimizu has been anchoring the scrum at loose head prop, while Taninaka has featured at both scrum-half and wing, also training across multiple positions.What shocked them most upon joining the team was the level of fitness.“Other clubs tend to have more Pacific Islander players, but Valley has fewer. Instead, we’ve got a lot of steady, hard-working guys, and everyone’s ridiculously fit. I was blown away,” said Shimizu.“I used to pride myself on my fitness in Japan, but here, everyone is genuinely quicker than me,” said Taninaka. “The fields are clay-based, and the mud cakes onto your studs, so it’s hard to run. But still, everyone sprints like crazy even in training. I’m here thinking, don’t we have a game this week?”

Daichi Akiyama - "I want to find the answer to what's expected of a lock."

Daichi Akiyama, who joined the team in the 2019 season alongside his peer Shunsuke Asaoka, will also be leaving Verblitz at the end of this season. It’s not that his playing time was limited. As a valuable Japanese second-row player in League One, he started in eight games last season. This season, he was in the starting lineup for seven consecutive games from the opening game. Although he suffered an injury toward the end, he started in nine games total and was selected for 13 games. However, despite this ample playing time, Akiyama says it was a season of ongoing inner conflict.“I've been with Toyota for six years, played in a lot of games, and grown both as a rugby player and as a person. This season, more than the frustration of not being able to win, when I looked back at my own performance, I wasn’t satisfied with any of the games I played in. As a rugby player, I really wanted to be particular about my performance. It wasn't an easy decision, but I want to take on a new challenge in a different environment.”He reflects that while the first few matches of the season were decent, from the middle of the season on, he couldn't perform to his own satisfaction.“Locks need to have the strength and the skill on the breakdown felt as though it didn’t improve at all. It wasn’t that the team's playing style didn’t suit me; I just wanted to find the answer to what’s expected of a lock.”Akiyama made the decision on his own, without consulting his teammates, even surprising his older brother Yoji, who plays for Mie Honda Heat.“It’s in my nature to take on others' opinions too much. There’s a part of me that didn’t want to leave, and I knew if I talked to people, I’d get emotional and decide based on feelings. I’m sorry to those around me. I really love Toyota, both the people and the team. I didn’t want to leave this environment, and I truly wanted to win and share that joy with everyone. But more than that, if I couldn’t be satisfied with my own performance as a rugby player, I wouldn’t be able to feel genuine happiness. Even if we had won this season, I think I would’ve come to the same conclusion.”It was an extremely difficult decision.At 192 cm and 114 kg, in League One, a competition where many foreign players over 2 meters tall thrive but he never used his size as an excuse, and quietly dedicated himself to contributing to the team.“I can’t beat foreign players in height. So I try to bring out my physical strength and compete with my work rate and skill.”Over these six years, his playing style has broadened. During his time at Teikyo University, where he was captain, his style was to charge ahead with the ball no matter what, something he admits stemmed from a lack of confidence in his passing.“At Toyota, I overcame my mental block about passing. When I joined, head coach Simon Cron worked on handling skills with the whole team, and from there I felt more confident with my passing.”He also improved at catching kickoffs, something he practiced after regular training with the help of kickers and props who lifted him.“Sometimes they’d give me annoyed looks (laughs), but I kept begging, ‘Please, please!’ and they helped me.”Beyond skills, Akiyama learned a lot from playing alongside world-class locks like Patrick Tuipulotu (former NZ All Black) and Richie Gray (former Scotland international).“They took pride in set pieces. Even with a tight turnaround, finishing a match on Saturday we would have a lineout meeting at 8AM on Monday morning and they would study the next opposition and come up with new calls. Beyond skills, I learned about the pride of being a lineout leader.”One of the most memorable moments from his six seasons was facing off against his older brother Hiro, who plays for the Heats. Influenced by Hiro, who is five years older and started rugby first, Daichi began playing the sport at Tsurugi High School. The two walked separate paths through high school and university, never overlapping, until they finally stood on opposite sides in Japan’s top league.“If my brother hadn’t played rugby, I wouldn’t have either. To be able to go head-to-head with him at the highest level in Japan, it felt like a dream come true.”The brothers faced off in official matches twice, one on March 6th, 2021, in Top League 2021 Round 3, and on February 17th last year in League One 2024-25 Round 7.“I was hoping to play against him again this year with the relegation game in line.”However, Hiro wasn’t selected for the May 4th Round 17 match, and a third encounter had to wait.Akiyama will now start fresh as a professional in a new team.“I want to return to the basics of rugby, to enjoy the game the way I did back in high school and just focus on self-improvement. You might ask, ‘Why not do that at Verblitz?’ But honestly, I realized I had a weakness where I’d end up going easy on myself. So I wanted to shut that off and change the environment. I didn’t want to live with any regrets.”He will continue to walk the path he believes in, as a lock grounded firmly in his principles.

Asaoka Shunsuke - Committed to Wearing the Tight Head Jersey

The front-row forward who spent six seasons with Toyota Verblitz is leaving the team.Shunsuke Asaoka since joining in 2019, his name has almost always appeared on the team list. Yet, the jersey number he wore was usually in the double digits. Last season, he came off the bench in 11 of 16 matches. This season, he was selected for 15 out of 18 games, but started only once in Round 8 against Shizuoka Blue Revs. More and more, he found himself playing the role of an impact substitute in the second half.His decision to leave stemmed from the desire to play as a starting member. “I understand it had to do with tactics and my character, and that there aren’t many impact players wearing the No. 3 jersey. So I get why I was used in that role. But in my rookie years my first, second, and third season I could make a solid impact even when starting. I started thinking if I can become a player who delivers that impact from the first half, maybe I can get to where I want to be. That led me, after much thought, to make the decision to transfer.”He had communicated his desire to be a starting member to the coaching staff. The response, however, was that there were “concerns about scrum stability.” In truth, Toyota has powerful scrummagers in Genki Sudo, Yusuke Kizu, and Runya Che. All formidable names at tighthead prop. Asaoka understood this well.“In terms of scrummaging, those three definitely offer more stability. But I’m confident in my field play. And even if the scrum starts out shaky, if I’m playing from the beginning, I believe it will stabilize over time. The fact that I couldn’t demonstrate that in training was my own shortcoming.”At 186 cm and 125 kg, Asaoka is built to compete at the international level. In high school (Kyoto Seisho) and at Teikyo University, he covered all three front-row positions, and with Verblitz, he even trained seriously as a hooker. His versatility was a strength, but now he intends to focus solely on the No. 3 spot.Back in his university days, he admits he wasn’t particularly into weight training. “I didn’t like being told what to do,” he says but watching senior players succeed after joining Verblitz changed that mindset. He became determined to win through strength training. He stayed in the weight room until head S&C coach Shinji Makino would tell him to go home. He changed his diet to include protein-rich foods like chicken breast and yogurt, trimming his body fat in the process. Now, he finds even the heaviest dumbbells in the club’s gym unsatisfying.“That really changed things. You need to go all in like that if you want results.”Looking ahead, Asaoka also has the Japan national team in his sights. He currently holds one cap, but his aim is to become a regular in the squad.“When I joined the Japan training camp last year, they told us they prioritize selecting starting players. I was invited again this time, but my leg isn’t in perfect condition, so I decided to sit it out. I want to go when I’m fully fit. Hopefully I’ll get another chance next year.”Of course, deciding to leave the team wasn’t without conflict.“People in the company supported me a lot. I really wanted to stay and help this team win a championship. But there was something that kept bothering me. I kept feeling like matches were ending before I had a chance to show what I could do that I wasn’t getting everything out.”Subbing the front row between halves is standard now, but for a young player in his twenties wanting to grow, second-half minutes just weren’t enough.“You only get better at scrummaging by actually playing in games.”With Genki Sudo also leaving, the tighthead prop position is thinning out. Asaoka is passing the torch to his junior from high school and university, Takuma Nishino, who joined the team last spring. Nishino, at 186 cm and 113 kg, is almost identical in build to Asaoka.“He’s got the physique already. With time and experience, he’ll get better. But the intensity of official matches is different. Whether you’re playing or not makes a huge difference, and that’s when you really feel what you’re lacking. I hope he works hard to get into games quickly.”The match where Asaoka feels he played his best during his time with Verblitz was this season’s Round 11 match against Brave Lupus Tokyo. He entered in the 56th minute, and while the team lost 22–33, they spent a long stretch attacking inside the opponent’s 22 late in the game.“Out of the 65 matches I’ve played, that was the best performance I’ve had.”A match he’ll never forget is the opening round of the 2020 Top League season January 12th, against Yamaha Júbilo (now Shizuoka Blue Revs). In his first year, he was chosen as the starting tighthead prop.“I lined up opposite Koki Yamamoto (former Japan international, now with Kobelco Kobe Steelers). He was a really strong opposition, and I even got a yellow card. But I felt the pressure, made some good plays, and it gave me a mental boost. You don’t grow unless you’re playing in real matches.”Next season, Asaoka will be playing for a new team, and he’s prepared to fight for his spot there too.“There’s competition on every team. I want to win that battle and earn a starting position. And when I face Toyota again, I want them to see a stronger version of me.”And when that day comes, there's no doubt the number on Asaoka’s back will be No. 3.

Finish Strong to Conclude the Season

Toyota Verblitz have announced their 23-man squad for their final match of the season, to be held on May 10th at Toyota Stadium, where they will face Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay. Scrum-half Kaisei Tamura, who made his debut in the April 27th against the Sungoliath, will once again start at half-back. Prop Genki Sudo returns to the starting lineup for the first time in two games. At outside centre Vatiliai Tuidraki replaces Siosaia Fifita, and for the first time this season, he will start alongside his younger brother, Vilimone Tuidraki.

Long-Awaited Victory Secures League One Survival – Toyota Verblitz Avoids Relegation Playoff

On May 4th, Toyota Verblitz faced Mie Honda Heat in Suzuka in Round 17 of NTT Japan Rugby League One. In a must-win match to avoid the relegation playoff, Verblitz surged to a 31-11 lead by halftime and held off a strong second-half comeback by the Heat to claim a 38-30 victory. With this result, Verblitz secured their place in Division 1 for next season. Under the early May sun, signs of growth were evident—not just in nature but in Verblitz as well. 

Treat this game as if it's the Grand Final

Toyota Verblitz have announced their squad for the Round 17 fixture of NTT Japan Rugby League One, where they will face Mie Honda Heat on May 4th. Scrum-half Aaron Smith, who was left out of the previous matchday squad, returns to start at half-back. The team will also enter the match with a 6-2 bench configuration for the first time this season. It’s a clash between 10th-placed Verblitz and 11th-placed Heat, a high-stakes match that could determine which side avoids the relegation playoff. A fierce forward battle is expected.“We think that's best suits the way we want to play this week and gives us more versatility than going with 5-3.”said Head Coach Steve Hansen. Among the forward reserves, 30-year-old prop Runya Che and 36-year-old hooker Ryuhei Arita have been included in the match day squad for the first time this season. “Both of them have been playing really well for the Mirai. They're both experienced players and we just felt that it was the right time to give them an opportunity. The expectation is they bring something to the team that we haven't had in the last few weeks,” Hansen explained.One of the keys in this important game is not to lose momentum in set-pieces during the final stages. The closing minutes have been entrusted to these veterans. “We’re treating this like a Grand Final,” said fullback Taichi Takahashi at the press conference—words originally shared earlier in the week by co-coach Ian Foster. “I’ve never really approached a game that way before, but it reminded me of how I felt in the university championship final in my senior year. I was excited, and I had that absolute drive to win the title. I want to bring back that feeling for this week’s match.” 

"We fight with determination and enjoy the pressure." - Steve Hansen

On April 27th, Toyota Verblitz faced Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath at Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Osaka for Round 16 of the NTT Japan Rugby League One. Despite trailing narrowly 14-19 at halftime, Verblitz conceded three consecutive tries just past the 10-minute mark of the second half, ultimately losing 28–45. Their cumulative record now stands at 3 wins, 1 draw, and 12 losses, placing them 10th and eliminating their chances of finishing in the top six. On the second day of Golden Week, under early-summer conditions with a high of 25°C, the first half saw both teams aggressively attacking, leading to a fast-paced game　with the ball.Sungoliath opened the scoring, but Verblitz kept chasing and tying it up. Making his debut, scrum-half Kaisei Tamura reliably distributed the ball under heavy pressure around the breakdowns, helping build the team's rhythm. In the 33rd minute, he also showed his physical strength by disrupting the opposition near their own goal line, cutting off their momentum. However, the continuous ball movement under the intense sun gradually wore down the team's stamina. “The momentum kept swinging back and forth in the first half. That led to the body blows in the second half," commented Sungoliath head coach Kosei Ono.There were also turning points in the game. Three minutes into the second half, a try by winger Joseph Manu was canceled after the TMO confirmed a foul play earlier in the play. After that, Verblitz committed a series of penalties. They were pushed back into their own territory by kicks, pressured by the opposition forwards, and their response became sluggish. At the 10th, 14th, and 16th minute, they conceded three consecutive tries to the opposing forwards, falling behind 14–38.Although they had been holding their own, conceding multiple scores in a short period has been a recurring issue this season. In the 26th minute of the second half, flanker William Tupou, who had returned after 10 weeks, injured his arm again and left the field. With all the substitutions already used, the team had to continue with one man down. "Himeno played a full game last time. We need to manage the condition of loose forwards like Miki as well," Hansen noted.

Defeat in the Rain: Discipline Remains a Key Issue

On April 14th, in Round 15 of the NTT Japan Rugby League One, Toyota Verblitz faced Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo at ZOZO Oripri Stadium in Ichihara, Chiba. Verblitz suffered a 7–37 loss, bringing their season record to 3 wins, 1 draw, and 11 losses. A light drizzle turned into steady rain shortly after kickoff. Two persistent issues for the team—slow starts and discipline—surfaced again early, setting the tone for a one-sided match.

"We Accept the Result and Will Work Even Harder." - Steve Hansen

In Round 14 of the NTT Japan Rugby League One, held on April 5th at Kumagaya Rugby Stadium, Toyota Verblitz faced off against Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights and suffered a 17–55 defeat. Facing the league’s second-place team, the match also marked a significant milestone for two players. Toyota Verblitz’s scrum-half Kaito Shigeno and the Wild Knights captain and hooker Atsushi Sakate, both key figures for the Japan national team, each celebrated their 100th cap. From the start of the game, both sides played at a high tempo in a fiercely contested match, but things unraveled for Verblitz late in the game.