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Japan’s Sunwolves name Kiwi Hammett as coach
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NEW Zealander Mark Hammett was yesterday confirmed as the inaugural coach of Japan’s new Super Rugby team the Sunwolves, unveiled at a news conference in Tokyo just over two months before their maiden match.
The former All Blacks hooker, who had four seasons in charge at the Wellington Hurricanes, also revealed the Tokyo and Singapore-based team’s 34-man squad for their first season.
The squad contained 15 players with test experience and 10 of the Japan squad that stunned the rugby world by beating South Africa at the recent World Cup and went on to win three games.
As well as a majority of players based at Japanese clubs, the playing group featured Argentina loose forward Tomas Leonardi, Springboks tourist Riaan Viljoen and former Queensland Reds flanker Eddie Quirk.
The Sunwolves will join an expanded 18-team Super Rugby competition with Argentina’s Jaguars and South Africa’s Kings also coming in.
Sporting a red and orange strip that was also unveiled yesterday, the first Asian Super Rugby side will play in one of the South Africa conferences along with the Bulls, Cheetahs and Stormers.
The Sunwolves will first take on South Africa’s Lions on February 27.
Hammett coached the Hurricanes from 2011-14 before he left to become the Cardiff Blues’ director of rugby but returned home earlier this year.
He was a foundation player for the Canterbury Crusaders in 1996 and played 81 games for the team, winning three titles. He earned 29 caps for the All Blacks from 1999 until 2003 before a neck injury forced him into retirement.
Eddie Jones, the former Japan coach now with England, was supposed to oversee the Sunwolves’ first season but changed his mind. Another former All Blacks forward, Jamie Joseph, is favorite to succeed Jones as Brave Blossoms coach after leading the Otago Highlanders to their first Super title earlier this year.
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