Urayasu D-Rocks

Japanese rugby union club, based in Tokyo Bay

Rugby team

Urayasu D-Rocks
浦安D-Rocks

Full name| Urayasu D-Rocks
Nickname(s)| D-Rocks
Founded| 1976; 49 years ago (1976)
Location| Urayasu City, Chiba, Japan
Ground(s)| Chichibunomiya Stadium
(Capacity: 27,188)
Coach(es)| Greig Laidlaw
League(s)| Rugby League One, D1
2022–23, 1st of 6| 10th of 12 (relegated)

1st kit

2nd kit

|

Official website
urayasu-d-rocks.com

Urayasu D-Rocks, commonly known as the D-Rocks, or the Shining Arcs, is a rugby union team owned by NTT Communications and is part of Japan's Rugby League One competition, currently in Division 1. Given the name, the team is based in Urayasu City, Chiba Prefecture in the Kantō region. The team has undergone several re-brands throughout is history, most recently in 2022, rebranding from Shining Arcs Tokyo-Bay Urayasu in line with the newly formed Japan Rugby League One competition in 2021/22,[1] to the Urayasu D-Rocks in 2022 onwards.[2]

## History and name

[edit]

Name  | Date(s)

|

NTT Communications RFC
NTTコミュニケーションズRFC | 1976–c. 2000s
NTT Communications Shining Arcs/NTT Shining Arcs
NTTシャイニングアークス | c. 2000s–2021[citation needed]
Urayasu D-Rocks
浦安D-Rocks | since 2022[3][2]

NTT Communications RFC was founded in 1976. They won promotion to the expanded Top League of 14 teams at the end of the 2009–10 season. They made their Top League debut for the 2010–11 season. After their first season, they finished 12th place with 4 wins and 9 losses. They had to play a play-off to keep themselves in the Top League, in which they beat Canon Eagles 31–19. In the 2011–12 season, they finished in ninth place.

In July 2022, following the establishment of a new rugby business and sports company by parent company NTT, the Shining Arcs formally rebranded to the Urayasu D-Rocks.[2] The new company, NTT Sports X, was established at the end of the 2022 season and is alleged to have begun with JP¥2.5 billion (US$17.8 million) in capital.[4]

## Current squad

[edit]

The Urayasu D-Rocks is for the 2024-25 season:[5]

Urayasu D-Rocks squad

Props

* Gakuto Ishida
* Kazuki Ban
* Kazuma Nishikawa
* Yang Jung-soo
* Sekonaia Pole*
* Kim Ryo-m*
* Hidetomo Nabeshima
* Jinichiro Tamanaga
* Shotaro Hirai
* Syuhei Takeuchi
* Kaisei Umeda REP
* Halaholo Tokolahi* REP

Hookers

* Ryuji Fijimura
* Shunya Hamano
* Samisoni Asaeli*
* Junichiro Matsushita
* Shokei Kin
* Kianu Kereru-Symes REP

Locks

* Lourens Erasmus*
* Yuta Kojima
* Kim Ryong-ji*
* Daiki Sato
* Shin Takeuchi
* Tom Parsons
* Zephaniah Tuinona
* Uwe Helu
* Wimpie van der Walt
* Yuzuki Sasaki REP
* Rusiate Finau REP DEP

Flankers

* James Moore
* Hendrik Tui
* Shingo Nakashima
* Alexander Mackenzie*
* Shinya Osugi
* Tetta Shigematsu

No8s

* Jasper Wiese
* Brody Macaskill*
* Daishi Kojima
* Tone Tukufuka*

Scrum-halves

* Ren Iinuma(c)
* Taisei Konishi
* Norihumi Hashimoto
* Takuya Shirae

Fly-halves

* Hikaru Tamura
* Shunta Mori
* Otere Black
* Luteru Laulala*
* Kim Yu-o* REP

Centres

* Shane Gates
* Taiji Hongo
* Samisoni Tua
* Samu Kerevi
* Kentaro Nanimatsu
* Tana Tuhakaraina
* Soma Matsumoto REP

Wingers

* Siosifa Lisala
* Kai Ishii
* Junya Matsumoto
* Caleb Cavuvati*
* Ryota Ohata REP

Fullbacks

* Israel Folau
* Taiga Ishida
* Takuhei Yasuda

Utility Backs

(c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes player is internationally capped

* * denotes players qualified to play for the Japan on dual nationality or residency grounds.

## Notable former players

[edit]

* Mark Gerrard \- Melbourne Rebels and former Wallaby
* Brad Mika \- Former Auckland Blues player and played for New Zealand
* Adam Wallace-Harrison \- Former Queensland Reds player
* Sosene Anesi \- Player for Chiefs and NSW Waratahs and New Zealand
* Craig Wing \- former professional rugby league footballer for Australia
* JP Nel \- Former Blue Bulls player
* Fotunuupule Auelua \- Plays for Brumbies
* Alesana Tuilagi \- Plays for Newcastle Falcons
* Isaac Ross \- Lock (2011–20, 89 games), Allblack (2009, 8 caps)
* Amanaki Mafi \- Loose forward (2014–21, 53 games), Japanese international (2014–, 29 caps)
* Greig Laidlaw \- former Scotland captain and scrum-half

## Home ground

[edit]

* The Shining Arcs' home stadium is the NTT Grand Chiba Stadium in Ichikawa.[6]

## See also

[edit]

* Top League

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "La nouvelle ligue japonaise s'appelle la Japan Rugby League One". Asie Rugby (in French). 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
2. ^ a b c Saito, ラグビーレポート by 斉藤 健仁 (27 July 2022). "「浦安D-Rocks」、NTTグループ再編で誕生した新チームの概要。ジャパンラグビー リーグワン" ['Urayasu D-Rocks', an overview of the new team created as a result of the NTT Group restructuring. Japan Rugby League One]. J Sports (in Japanese).
3. ^ McCullagh, Kevin (27 July 2022). "Japan's NTT forms new rugby business unit, reorganises teams". SportBusiness.
4. ^ "ラグビー事業会社の設立について" [Establishment of a rugby business company]. group.ntt (in Japanese). NTT Group. 1 July 2022.
5. ^ "Members". NTT Shining Arcs. Retrieved 8 October 2019.
6. ^ "NTT千葉総合運動場グランドのご紹介" [Introduction of NTT Grand Chiba Stadium]. NTT Communications.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Japan Rugby League One

2024–25 teams|

| Division One|

* Black Rams Tokyo
* Brave Lupus Tokyo
* Kobe Steelers
* Mie Honda Heat
* Sagamihara DynaBoars
* Saitama Wild Knights
* Shizuoka Blue Revs
* Spears Tokyo Bay
* Tokyo Sungoliath
* Toyota Verblitz
* Urayasu D-Rocks
* Yokohama Canon Eagles

|

Division Two|

* Green Rockets Tokatsu
* Hino Red Dolphins
* Kamaishi Seawaves
* Kintetsu Liners
* Koto Blue Sharks
* Kyuden Voltex
* Red Hurricanes Osaka
* Toyota Shuttles Aichi

Division Three|

* Chugoku Red Regulions
* Kurita Water Gush
* LeRIRO Fukuoka [ja]
* Secom Rugguts
* Skyactivs Hiroshima
* Yakult Levins Toda [ja]

Former teams|

* Coca-Cola Red Sparks
* IBM Big Blue
* Munakata Sanix Blues
* World Fighting Bull
* Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars

Seasons|

* 2003–04
* 2004–05
* 2005–06
* 2006–07
* 2007–08
* 2008–09
* 2009–10
* 2010–11
* 2011–12
* 2012–13
* 2013–14
* 2014–15
* 2015–16
* 2016–17
* 2017–18
* 2018–19
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2022–23
* 2023–24
* 2024–25

* Champions
* JRFU

* v
* t
* e

Top Challenge League

2021 teams|

* Chugoku Red Regulions
* Coca-Cola Red Sparks
* Kamaishi Seawaves
* Kintetsu Liners
* Kurita Water Gush
* Kyuden Voltex
* Mazda Blue Zoomers
* Shimizu Blue Sharks
* Toyota Industries Shuttles

Former teams|

* Canon Eagles
* Chubu Electric Power
* Hino Red Dolphins
* Honda Heat
* IBM Big Blue
* JR Kyūshū Thunders
* Kubota Spears
* Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars
* Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
* Munakata Sanix Blues
* NTT Communications Shining Arcs
* NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes
* Osaka Police
* Ricoh Black Rams
* Secom Rugguts
* Tokyo Gas
* Toyota Verblitz
* World Fighting Bull
* Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars

Seasons|

| Top League Challenge Series|

* 2004
* 2005
* 2006
* 2007
* 2008
* 2009
* 2010
* 2010–11
* 2011–12
* 2012–13
* 2013–14
* 2014–15
* 2015–16
* 2016–17

|

Top Challenge League|

* 2017
* 2018

* v
* t
* e

Rugby union in Japan

Governing body|

* Japan Rugby Football Union

National teams|

| Men's|

* Japan
* A
* U-20
* 7's

|

Women's|

* Women's
* 7's

Competitions|

| International|

* Super Rugby

|

National|

* Japan Rugby League One
* Lixil Cup
* Top Challenge League
* All-Japan Rugby Football Championship

Amateur|

* All-Japan University Rugby Championship
* National High School Rugby Tournament

Hosted events|

* 2019 Rugby World Cup
* Japan Sevens
* Japan Women's Sevens
* 2001 World Games
* Sanix World Youth Tournament

Defunct|

* Japan Company Rugby Football Championship

Major figures|

* Ginnosuke Tanaka
* Edward Bramwell Clarke
* Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu
* Shiggy Konno
* Yoshirō Mori
* International Players

Related articles|

* Sunwolves
* Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium
* School Wars: Hero

* Category
* Commons

* v
* t
* e

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone

Main Companies|

* AutoWeb Communication Inc
* HKNet
* Nippon Telegraph & Telephone East Corp
* Nippon Telegraph & Telephone West Corp
* NTT Communications
* NTT Communicationware Corp
* NTT Comware Corp
* NTT Data Corp
* NTT Facilities Inc
* NTT Finance Japan Co Ltd
* NTT Leasing Co Ltd
* NTT Worldwide Telecommunications Corp
* NTT America, Inc.
* NTT Europe Ltd

Main Services|

* Verio
* Plala
* Open Computer Network

Media and broadband companies|

* Docomo Pacific
* Hikari TV

Mobile Networks|

* NTT Docomo
* NTT Docomo USA
* Tata Docomo

Related Articles|

* Omiya Ardija
* NTT Publishing

* v
* t
* e

Urayasu D-Rocks - current squad

Forwards|

* Kabuto Anoku
* Kazuki Ban
* Lourens Erasmus
* Ryuji Fujimura
* Liam Gill
* Shotaro Hirai
* Sam Jeffries
* Shokei Kin
* Yuta Kojima
* Sione Lavemai
* Thomas Lithaud
* Alexander Mackenzie
* Franco Marais
* Kento Matsumoto
* Ryo Miura
* James Moore
* Sota Moriya
* Hidetomo Nabeshima
* Shingo Nakashima
* Kazuma Nishikawa
* Shinya Osugi
* Tom Parsons
* Tyler Paul
* Sekonaia Pole
* Kim Ryom
* Kim Ryong-Ji
* Ken Saito
* Asaeri Samisoni
* Rui Sannomiya
* Daiki Sato
* Tetsuta Shigematsu
* Shin Takeuchi
* Syuhei Takeuchi
* Luke Thompson
* Ryutaro Ueda
* Wimpie van der Walt
* Masahide Yanagawa

Backs|

* Otere Black
* Hayden Cripps
* Israel Folau
* Shane Gates
* Kazushi Hano
* Taiji Hongo
* Ren Iinuma
* Takuya Ishibashi
* Taiga Ishida
* Kai Ishii
* Yuki Ishii
* Takahiro Ishikawa
* Taisei Konishi
* Greig Laidlaw
* Siosifa Lisala
* Sylvian Mahuza
* Junya Matsumoto
* Shotaro Matsuo
* Tian Meyer
* Hayato Nishibashi
* Larry Sulunga
* Shota Takano
* Samisoni Tua
* Tone Tukufuka
* Takuhei Yasuda

Coach|

* Johan Ackermann

*[c.]: circa
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