IBM Big Blue (rugby union)

IBM Big Blue
日本IBMビッグブルー
Full name	IBM Big Blue
Union	Japan Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s)	Big Blue, BBB
Founded	1976
Location	Yachiyo, Chiba, Japan
Ground(s)	IBM Yachiyodai Ground
Coach(es)	Hiroki Ando
	Team kit
	Team kit

IBM Big Blue is a Japanese semi-professional rugby union team in the Top League. The team was founded in 1976 by IBM. The company decided to make rugby, along with baseball and American football, one of the official company sports in 1989, which allowed the rugby club to gain support and momentum.

Big Blue won promotion from the Japan East Ten league to the Top League at the end of the League's first season (2003-4) but was then automatically relegated by coming 12th in the second season (2004-5). The team returned to the Top League for the 2006-7 season. It is based in Chiba prefecture in the Kanto area.

The former head coach, Ippei Onishi, is a former captain of Kobe Kobelco Steelers. As of 2007–2008, the coach is Hiroki Ando. USA Eagle flyhalf Mike Hercus is a notable alumnus.

Squad 2011/2012[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.

Player	Position	Union
Atsushi Yamaga	Prop	Japan
Kochi Nakamura	Prop	Japan
Takayuki Kinoshita	Prop	Japan
Keisuke Ando	Hooker	Japan
Shinji Terayama	Hooker	Japan
Hiroshi Ebisawa	Hooker	Japan
Tatsuji Yoshida	Hooker	Japan
Hiromitsu Matsuba	Lock	Japan
Takamasa Maruyama	Lock	Japan
Takumi Nishikawa	Lock	Japan
Hiroaki Tatsumichi	Lock	Japan
Keisuke Omata	Flanker	Japan
Daigo Fujita	Flanker	Japan
Yosuke Watanabe	Flanker	Japan

Player	Position	Union
Nagamasa Miyazawa	Scrum-half	Japan
Katsuya Higuchi	Scrum-half	Japan
Kento Ikeda	Scrum-half	Japan
Sogen Masumoto	Fly-half	Japan
Takuya Himeno	Centre	Japan
Muso Imamura	Centre	Japan
Tatsunori Kojima	Wing	Japan
Hiromichi Ikeda	Wing	Japan
Hideki Ishibashi	Fullback	Japan
Yuta Kato	Fullback	Japan