Kintetsu Liners
 |
|
| Full name | Kintetsu Liners |
|---|---|
| Union | Japan Rugby Football Union |
| Nickname(s) | Liners |
| Founded | 1929 |
| Location | Higashiosaka, Osaka, Japan |
| Ground(s) | Higashi Osaka Hanazono Rugby Stadium (Capacity: 30,000) |
| Coach(es) | Ryusuke Maeda |
| League(s) | Top League |
| 2016–17 | 13th |
Kintetsu Liners rugby team are a Japanese rugby union team owned by Kintetsu Corporation which was founded in 1929. They have won the All-Japan Championship three times as an amateur team. Their home is at Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Higashiosaka, Japan, which was also opened in 1929.
Early in 2008 Kintetsu won promotion back to the Top League for the 2008-9 season, and it was announced that former All Blacks coach Peter Sloane would be head coach. After 3 years with Peter Sloane, Ryusuke Maeda become head coach in 2011.
In 1927, this team was founded by some employees of Osaka Denki Kido (called “Daiki”). And the team was confirmed as a company’s official sport club by the company in 1929. In the same year, Hanazono Rugby Stadium was founded by the company.
Before and during the World War II, there was no national tournament, which is well-organized to cover all company rugby teams in Japan. But they won the Osaka Company Rugby Tournament in 1936, and runner-up for three times.
After the World War II, the company name was changed to Kinki Nippon Railway (called “Kintetsu”). And the team was reformed in April 1946. Some members could come back to the team, but some of them could not come back from the war.
At that time, Heinai Tsuge joined the team. He was a player of Sentetsu(Chosen Government Railway) Rugby Club, who had been a leading team in the company rugby scene in the 1930s. Tsuge became a head coach and also a player in Kintetsu, and the team had grown up.
In 1947, they won the qualifying round of western Japan for the National Sports Festival of Japan (only 4 teams were qualified from over Japan, i.e. northern, eastern and western Japan plus Kyushu), and participated in the final rounds.
In 1948–1949 season, they also participated in the first national Company Rugby Football Championship, which consists of 4 teams from all over Japan. And won the runner-up.
...
Wikipedia