Fumiaki Tanaka
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| Date of birth | 3 January 1985 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Place of birth | Kyoto, Japan | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 166 cm (5 ft 5 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 72 kg (11 st 5 lb; 159 lb) | ||||||||||||||||
| School | Fushimi Technical High School | ||||||||||||||||
| University | Kyoto Sangyo University | ||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | |||||||||||||||||
| Position | Scrum-half | ||||||||||||||||
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| Professional / senior clubs | |||
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| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 2007–present | Panasonic Wild Knights | 96 | (65) |
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Correct as of 11 February 2015
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| Provincial/State sides | |||
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| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 2012–2013 | Otago | 25 | (5) |
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Correct as of 23 October 2013
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| Super Rugby | |||
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| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 2013–2016 2017–present |
Highlanders Sunwolves |
46 0 |
(10) (0) |
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Correct as of 31 July 2016
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| National team(s) | |||
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| Years | Club / team | Caps | (points) |
| 2008–present | Japan | 58 | (40) |
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Correct as of 26 November 2016
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Fumiaki Tanaka (田中史朗, born 3 January 1985 in Kyoto, Japan) is a Japanese rugby union footballer. He plays as a scrum-half for Japan on international level and for the Panasonic Wild Knights and the Sunwolves at domestic level.
Tanaka was not seen as one of the top prospects in Japan whilst at University, but after joining the Panasonic Wild Knights in 2007 he played alongside former All Blacks fly half Tony Brown who was credited with helping him to develop immensely and Tanaka himself cites Brown as one of the most important influences on his career. After Tanaka's first season in the Top League in 2007/08, he was named in the team of the season alongside Brown and also was named as newcomer of the year.
After his first season in the Top League. Tanaka made his debut for Japan against the Arabian Gulf in May 2008 coming off the bench. He soon became a regular member of the Japan side and made the squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup as first choice scrum half and is currently considered one of Japan's best and most important players. At domestic level, after being named in the Top League team of the season in his first year, he backed that up by being named in it again in 2008–09 and 2010–11.
After performing well at the World Cup despite it being a disappointing tournament for Japan, along with hooker Shota Horie he was signed by Otago and reunited with Tony Brown, his former teammate at the Panasonic Wild Knights who was now his coach. He won plaudits for his performances with Otago with his coach Brown calling him a "world class player" and the New Zealand Herald noted him as one of the most exciting players in the ITM Cup and was regarded as a cult hero for Otago and seen as their standout player.
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