Union | Japan Rugby Football Union |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | Shuttles |
Founded | 1984 |
Location | Aichi, Mizuho |
Ground(s) | Mizuho Rugby Stadium (Capacity: 15,000) |
Chairman | Jun Matsuda |
Coach(es) | Masaya Niu |
2016–17 | 15th |
Toyota Jido Shokki (also called Toyota Industries as distinct from Toyota, which was renamed Toyota Verblitz) is a Japanese rugby team owned by Toyota Industries. They were promoted to Japan's top-flight league Top League for the first time in the 2010-11 season. Its home base is Kariya City.
The team name "Shuttles" derives from a part used in the Non-Stop Shuttle Change Toyoda Automatic Loom (for weaving fabrics), invented by Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of Toyota Industries.
The team and plays in a sky blue jersey with white shorts and sky blue socks.
The Toyota Industries rugby team was founded in 1984. In the late 1990s, the team played in the Kansai League and competed in the Companies National Tournament. From 2003–04, Toyota Industries competed in the West Regional League.
Toyota Industries gained promotion to the Top League for the first time in 2010-11, but only stayed up for one season.
Under Australian coach Tai McIsaac, Toyota Shokki defeated Fukuoka Sanix Blues in a promotion-relegation match in 2013 to gain entry to the 2013–14 Top League.
Toyota Shokki play their Top League home games at Mizuho Rugby Stadium in Nagoya. The stadium holds 15,000 people and was originally built in 1941. It has also been used to host international rugby matches, including for the 2014 Asian Five Nations.
The team trains at the Toyota Industries ground in Kariya.
The current Toyota Industries Shuttles squad is:
Props
Hookers
Locks
Loose Forwards
Scrum-halves
Fly-halves
Centres
Wingers
Fullbacks