Munakata Sanix Blues
宗像サニックスブルース
Full nameMunakata Sanix Blues
UnionJapan Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s)Blues
Founded1994
Disbanded2022
LocationMunakata, Fukuoka, Japan
Ground(s)Various stadiums
League(s)Japan Rugby League One, Division Three
20223rd
1st kit
2nd kit

Munakata Sanix Blues (宗像サニックスブルース, Munakata Sanikkusu Burūsu), formerly Fukuoka Sanix Blues and Fukuoka Sanix Bombs, was a Japanese rugby union team based in Munakata, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Founded in April 1994 (Heisei 6), the team rose rapidly through the Kyūshū leagues and was in the Top League for the first season (2003-4) as Kyūshū's sole representative, but lost a relegation battle with Kintetsu Liners 42-45 and was demoted. But Sanix managed to return to the Top League for the 2005-6 season, beating Secom Rugguts and Toyota Jido Shokki in the Top League Challenge Series 2005.

In March 2022, Sanix Inc., the operators of the club, announced the disbandment of the team following the conclusion of the 2022 Japan Rugby League One season.[1]

Current squad

Sanix v Kyuden at Global Arena, Top League Round 11, January 20, 2008.

The Munakata Sanix Blues squad for the 2022 season was:[2]

Munakata Sanix Blues squad

Props

  • Samoa Jarred Adams
  • South Korea Shin Dong-Won
  • Japan Kanta Hasegawa
  • Japan Shogo Murakami
  • Japan Samuel Nozomu Faialaga
  • Australia Paddy Ryan
  • Japan Yasuo Saruwatari
  • Japan Shun Terawaki

Hookers

  • Japan Kota Kumamoto
  • Japan Nozomi Kuraya
  • Japan Tatsuya Miyazaki
  • Japan Takuma Takashima

Locks

  • South Africa Jean Droste
  • South Korea Kim Ho Bum
  • Japan Kazuki Kato
  • Japan Shoma Makinouchi
  • Japan Toshihiro Nishii
  • Japan Hibiki Noda
  • Japan Dallas Tatana

Loose forwards

  • Japan Nobuyoshi Arai
  • New Zealand Scott Curry
  • Japan Hiroki Hanada
  • Japan Shinri Tabuchi
  • Japan Masahito Tonomoto
  • Japan Satoshi Tsuruoka
  • New Zealand Joseph Tupe
  • Japan Kojiro Yoshida

Scrum-halves

  • Japan Azuma Doei
  • Japan Kohei Hamazato
  • Japan Kota Kinoshita
  • Japan Hisanori Mimata

Fly-halves

  • Japan Rinto Kagawa
  • New Zealand Coby Miln
  • Japan Taichi Takenaka
  • Japan Hiroshi Tashiro

Centres

Wings

  • Japan Chikara Morita
  • Japan Binjamin Ray Yagi
  • Japan Masakazu Yatsumonji

Fullbacks

  • Japan Kyoji Takano
(c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes player is internationally capped

Former players

Home ground

  • Global Arena (The Sanix company is involved in the running of the Global Arena in Munakata, which is also the venue for the annual Sanix World Rugby Youth Tournament held in May between eight top Japanese and eight top foreign high school teams from various countries.)
  • Sanix Genkai Ground, Kamiminato, Munakata, Fukuoka.

Mascot

  • The former mascot's name was Bombee. He was a cartoon-style dog with floppy ears who wore the Sanix rugby kit and a scrum cap. He was no longer used when the team name changed from Bombs to Blues.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Rugby: Sanix Blues suspending operations due to business struggles". Kyodo News. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  2. ↑ "The Team". Munakata Sanix Blues. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
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