Coca-Cola Red Sparks

The Coca-Cola Red Sparks are a Japanese company-owned rugby union team based in Fukuoka city, Kyūshū. The coach is currently Shogo Mukai (appointed April 1, 2004), the former Japan national rugby union team coach during the 2003 Rugby Union World Cup.

Coca-Cola Red Sparks
コカ・コーラレッドスパークス
Full nameCoca-Cola Red Sparks
UnionJapan Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s)Red Sparks
Founded1966
LocationFukuoka, Japan
Ground(s)Level-5 Stadium
Chairman22,563
Coach(es)Earl Va'a
Captain(s)Timothy Lafaele
League(s)Top Challenge League
2018–1916th (Top League)
(relegated)
1st kit
2nd kit

The team was initially founded as Kitakyushu Coca-Cola and then changed its name to Coca-Cola West Japan.

The team won promotion to the expanded Top League of 14 teams at the end of the 2005–06 season, and was renamed Coca-Cola West Red Sparks. The club motto is "Have Guts Have Glory" and their slogan for 2006 season: "Always Attack & Aggressive". In the fourth Top League (2006–07) the team came 10th, with four wins, nine losses and 21 points. It therefore did not need to take part in any play-offs. Sanix, the local rivals, came ninth.

The team is now (2013) one of two teams from Kyūshū in the Top League. The other one is Kyuden Voltex. The team mascot's name is Sparky.

In 2014, the team was renamed the Coca-Cola Red Sparks. They were relegated after the 2018/ 19 season.

Current squad

The Coca-Cola Red Sparks squad for the 2019–20 season is:[1]

Coca-Cola Red Sparks squad

Props

  • Masahiro Hibino
  • Yuichiro Hosono
  • Ryoma Kuhara
  • Yasuo Saruwatari
  • Elone Takitaki
  • Tomohiro Tanaka
  • Genki Tokushige
  • Daisuke Yamashita

Hookers

  • Mitsumasa Harayama
  • Kosetsu Kawachi
  • Atsuro Nakamura

Locks

  • Shuichi Kinoshita
  • Ryoma Nishimura
  • Naoto Osajima

Loose Forwards

  • Hiroki Hanada
  • Solomon King
  • Yuuksaku Kuwazuru
  • Ataru Nishikawa
  • Hideaki Suzuki
  • Joe Tupe
  • Kota Yamashita

Scrum-halves

  • Shota Egashira
  • Genta Hoshino
  • Hisanori Mimata
  • Masafumi Tanabe

Fly-halves

Centres

  • Kohei Ishigaki
  • Naoki Sarugaku
  • Yoshitsumi Shimora
  • Will Tupou
  • Junshi Yamakita
  • Youji Yamamoto

Wingers

Fullbacks

  • Kentaro Kamata
  • Arata Nanri
  • Taichi Yoshizawa
(c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes player is internationally capped

Former
  • George Leaupepe - Centre
  • Luke Andrews - No.8
  • Mark Ranby - Centre
  • Benjamin Jones - Full Back
  • Soushi Fuchigami - Fly Half
  • Glenn Paterson - Fly Half
  • Nick Cummins - Wing
  • Sam Afro Wykes - Second row

Coaches

Home ground

See also

References
  1. "Coca-Cola Red Sparks: The Team". Coca-Cola Red sparks (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 4 May 2016. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
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