Coca-Cola Red Sparks
The Coca-Cola Red Sparks are a Japanese company-owned rugby union team based in Fukuoka city, Kyūshū.
 | |||
| Full name | Coca-Cola Red Sparks | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | Japan Rugby Football Union | ||
| Nickname(s) | Red Sparks | ||
| Founded | 1966 | ||
| Location | Fukuoka, Japan | ||
| Ground(s) | Level-5 Stadium | ||
| Chairman | 22,563 | ||
| Coach(es) | Earl Va'a | ||
| Captain(s) | Timothy Lafaele | ||
| League(s) | Top Challenge League | ||
| 2018–19 | 16th (Top League) (relegated) | ||
| |||
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 2021 season is:[1]
| Coca-Cola Red Sparks squad | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Props
Hookers
Locks
|
Loose Forwards
Scrum-halves
Fly-halves
|
Centres
Wingers
Fullbacks
|
| (c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes player is internationally capped |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small}
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
Earl Va'a 2017–present
Home ground
- Sawayaka Sports Hiroba, Kashiihama 3–21, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka. Tel:092-672-3404
See also
References
- "Coca-Cola Red Sparks: Members". Coca-Cola Red sparks (in Japanese). Retrieved 30 December 2020.
External links
| Governing body | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National teams |
| ||||||||||
| Competitions |
| ||||||||||
| Major figures |
| ||||||||||
| Related articles | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
