Toyota Verblitz
Encyclopedia
Toyota Verblitz is a Japanese rugby union
team in the Top League
. Verblitz is a conflation of verde (Italian for 'green') and blitz (German for 'lightning'). The team is owned by Toyota Jidosha (Toyota Motors) and is separate from, and not to be confused with, the Toyota Industries Shuttles rugby team, owned by Toyota Industries. They share Toyota Stadium
in the city of Toyota, Aichi
with the football club Nagoya Grampus
which also used to be owned by Toyota Motors.
Slogan for 2006 season: 克己 Kokki (Self-Control)
(2003-4) but entered the Top League in the second season and were a contender for the second Microsoft Cup
. They lost the Japan Championship final on February 27, 2005 to NEC Green Rockets
13-17.
In August 2005 Verblitz beat Newcastle Falcons
at home.
On February 12, 2006 they lost to Waseda University RFC in the Japan Championships, 24-28. This was the first time a Top League
team had lost to a university team.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
team in the Top League
Top League
The Top League is a professional rugby union league created by the Japan Rugby Football Union to drive up the overall standard and popularity of the sport in the country and improve the results of the Japan national rugby union team. The first season was 2003-04 and featured 12 teams...
. Verblitz is a conflation of verde (Italian for 'green') and blitz (German for 'lightning'). The team is owned by Toyota Jidosha (Toyota Motors) and is separate from, and not to be confused with, the Toyota Industries Shuttles rugby team, owned by Toyota Industries. They share Toyota Stadium
Toyota Stadium
is a 45,000 seat retractable roof stadium in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It was built in 2001 and is often used as home to the J. League club Nagoya Grampus...
in the city of Toyota, Aichi
Toyota, Aichi
is a city located in the Mikawa region of Aichi Prefecture, Japan, east of Nagoya.Toyota's main plant, the Tsutsumi plant, is located here. The longstanding ties between the Toyota Motor Corporation and the town of Toyota-shi, formerly known as Koromo, gave the town its current...
with the football club Nagoya Grampus
Nagoya Grampus
are a Japanese association football club that play in the J. League. Based in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture and originally founded as the company team of the Toyota Motor Corp...
which also used to be owned by Toyota Motors.
Slogan for 2006 season: 克己 Kokki (Self-Control)
Honours
- All-Japan ChampionshipAll-Japan Rugby Football ChampionshipThe All-Japan Rugby Football Championship is played at the end of the season and now includes Top League teams, the top two universities and the champion club team as decided in the respective championships...
- Champions: 1969, 1968, 1987
- Runner-up: 2007
Results
Verblitz (surprisingly given the team's pedigree) failed to make the cut for the first season of the Top LeagueTop League
The Top League is a professional rugby union league created by the Japan Rugby Football Union to drive up the overall standard and popularity of the sport in the country and improve the results of the Japan national rugby union team. The first season was 2003-04 and featured 12 teams...
(2003-4) but entered the Top League in the second season and were a contender for the second Microsoft Cup
Microsoft Cup
The Microsoft Cup is a knock-out Japanese rugby union tournament sponsored by Microsoft Japan, first played in February 2004. For the first three seasons the top eight teams of the Top League participated and it was a separate competition to the Top League, but in 2007 this was cut to the top four...
. They lost the Japan Championship final on February 27, 2005 to NEC Green Rockets
NEC Green Rockets
NEC Green Rockets is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. The team's captain is . The previous captain was Takuro Miuchi, who is currently the captain of the Japan national rugby union team. Before the semi-professional Top League was created, the team was just known as "NEC"...
13-17.
In August 2005 Verblitz beat Newcastle Falcons
Newcastle Falcons
The Newcastle Falcons is an English rugby union team currently playing in the Aviva Premiership. The club was established in 1877 and played under the name of Gosforth Football Club until 1990. The name was then changed to Newcastle Gosforth and the club began to play at Kingston Park stadium in...
at home.
On February 12, 2006 they lost to Waseda University RFC in the Japan Championships, 24-28. This was the first time a Top League
Top League
The Top League is a professional rugby union league created by the Japan Rugby Football Union to drive up the overall standard and popularity of the sport in the country and improve the results of the Japan national rugby union team. The first season was 2003-04 and featured 12 teams...
team had lost to a university team.
2011-12 Squad
Former players
- Troy FlavellTroy FlavellTroy Vandem Flavell is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays for Bayonne in the French Top 14. Flavell has won 22 caps for New Zealand, and mainly plays lock. He is known for his power in the scrum and his repeated foul play...
- lock (now back in New Zealand with the Blues) - Tamaiti Horua - No. 8 (formerly Brumbies), now Western ForceWestern ForceWestern Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th...
in 2008 season - Orene Aii
- Filo TiatiaFilo TiatiaFilogia Ian "Filo" Tiatia is a New Zealand international rugby union footballer, who used to play as a back-row forward and occasionally lock Ospreys....
- No. 8 (now in Wales with the Ospreys}
External links
- Toyota Verblitz - official site