Japanese Team's Signing High Profile Players

With the recent news that James Haskell is interested in joining a Top League team in Japan and that Ma'a Nonu will play several months there, it got me interested about what other notible players play their trade in Japan or are set to join a Japanese team after the world cup. So I researched the squads of the teams that play in the Top League (Japans top flight rugby league) and I was a little bit shocked at some of the high profile names that i found. Some of the names I found include -

Brad Thorn (Fukuoka Sanix Blues)
Rico Gear (Kintetsu Liners)
Scott MacLeod (Kobe Steelers)
George Smith, Mike Delany and Sam norton-Knight (Panasonic Wild Knights)
Danie Rossouw, Todd Clever, Fourie Du Preez and Peter Hewat (Suntory)
William Ryder and Stephen Brett (Toyota Verblitz)
Rodney So'oialo has also signed for a Japanese team but they were relegated to a lower division league.

Now I know that the player signing is not on the same scale as the Top 14, Aviva Premiership or the Pro 12 (I refuse to call it RaboDirect) but my question is do you think the Top League will eventually be as bad as the 3 leagues mentioned, and if it does will we see a team in the Super 15?. I know these foreign players are stopping young local talent playing but at the moment I think they are making the Top League better in terms of professionalism and the experience they bring with them. I also feel that in the long run it will improve the Japanese national side.

These are just my thoughts but I would like to hear yours.
p.s don't be too harsh this is my time posting a topic

Japanese rugby is very much in its infancy, so having a few top class players (and a few top class coaches) will really help them improve their standard of play. It will be good for young Japanese players to train with and play against the calibre of player you have mentioned, and I can only see it improving the game out there.

http://www.planetrugby.co.uk/story/0,25883,16024_7015862,00.html

James Haskell (Ricoh Black Rams)

Do you think playing for the Ricoh Black Rams will be beneficial to James haskell career or should he come straight back to wasps?

They do seem to have a frightening amount of money to tempt the worlds best players. I think it's quite a big jump change for European players though, the language, alphabet and culture is totally different. Islanders seem to be very tempted to go there though.

It'll be beneficial to his bank account.

I think it will help him as well. It's like a career break, going to experience a different culture and getting away from the media scrutiny that exists for Stade Francais and England players- like the Kiwis call it, it's a sabbatical. I imagine he'll come back to Wasps the next season refreshed.

He's also looking to get a season of Super Rugby in before signing for Wasps in 2012; if he does, he'll really develop as a player from that.

When is the Japanese season? If Haskell is at the World Cup until October, is he just going to play 4 months in Japan and then play the whole S15 season (should he get a contract), or is he going to turn up to the S15 late?

Somebody on the other thread said it finished in January.

robbo277 wrote:When is the Japanese season? If Haskell is at the World Cup until October, is he just going to play 4 months in Japan and then play the whole S15 season (should he get a contract), or is he going to turn up to the S15 late?

To the best of my knowledge Japan are a Northern Hemisphere country and their season is similar to Europes.

The Top League season is September to January (no HC, AIs or 6N in the middle).

I imagine the reason he's not going straight to Wasps is because they don't have room for him at the moment, certainly in terms of salary (I wouldn't be surprised if Worsley has told Wasps he intends to retire for 2012). Also, earlier in the year, Haskell had this to say:

"it's very difficult joining a new club straight after a World Cup. It means that when you finally hook up with your new team-mates in November they've had a full preseason under their belts and seven or eight games"

Mapusua has gone to Japan as well.

johnpartle wrote:Mapusua has gone to Japan as well.

which club?

^^Kubotu spears i think (if ive spelt that right)

Yeah, the Kubota Spears.

Jerry Collins is going to Yamaha Jubilo as well, and Rico Gear plays for the Kintetsu Liners.

Oh, and Dave Walder is going to the Mitsubishi Dynaboars (great name).

How long do people think it will be before a company buys the name of a top European team? I know Benetton used to have the rights for Treviso and weren't Harlequins known as NEC Harlequins for a period.

Could we have the Sony Tigers or the Toshiba terriers?

I think most players are going for £££ (or Yen, Yen, Yen to be more accurate).
Scott Macleod isn't the most intelligent player ever and, without wanting to sound a bit sick, I had to chuckle when he signed for Kobe. It was the day after the nuclear reactors started (officially) leaking - everyone else is trying to leave Japan but not our Scott!!!
Back on topic, there is a heap of money in the Japanese game which could entice others to let a Japanese team into S14 but I don't know what the journey times are from NZ, Aus and SA. That may be the "mars bar in the swimming pool" that kills the idea

I suspect it might be more due to Japanese social & business culture rather than a growing sporting trend. It's not common in any western sports I can think of and the examples you provide suggest that it's something European teams are moving away from rather than towards.

If it were to take off though, something like Rolls-Royce Rovers might be more acceptable, or if you had Jonathan Ross announcing, Wolls-Woyce Wasps.

The curious thing for me: Where's the money coming from and why?

Can't be gate receipts, so why are sugar daddies chucking money into what is a minor sport in Japan?

Spare a thought for the japanese commentators pronouncong the players names in their national team"Ives,thompson,Leitch,Nicholas,robins and webb" try saying those after a few sakis.

Draigoch wrote:The curious thing for me: Where's the money coming from and why?

Can't be gate receipts, so why are sugar daddies chucking money into what is a minor sport in Japan?

The average attendance for the Top League is around the 5000 mark, which isn't too bad, and I can't imagine the rest of the teams' salaries are that high. Undoubtedly a few team owners speculating on boosting crowds with a sprinkling of big names though.

The teams are all corporate I understand so the Mitsubishi team isn't sponsored or even own by Mitsubishi in the same way as other teams might be. It is actually part of the business. They hire engineers, marketing people and rugby players.

Injuredyetagain commented that
I think most players are going for £££ (or Yen, Yen, Yen to be more accurate).

Well Kiwis arent' playing in Ireland cause they like potatoes or France cause they like snails and they aren't going to Japan cause they like sushi. They're also not going to these countries to improve their rugby.

Mind you I think the Japanese team has almost the same number of Kiwis as the English team.

Ngan
and a kiwi coach..

With due respect the player drain to Japan has been going on for many years.Relatively easy after S15/Test level or even Itm/Currie Cup.
Easy Money compared to top SH or NH level a good pension.

Draigoch wrote:The curious thing for me: Where's the money coming from and why?

Can't be gate receipts, so why are sugar daddies chucking money into what is a minor sport in Japan?

It's part of the corporate culture over there. Even before professionalism Japanese companies hired players (Graeme Bachop etc) to work for them. Then they just happened to turn out for the company team on Saturday ...

So it's at least not just one Sugar Daddy - it's a whole Board's worth for each team. Having a successful company team (and certainly many of the local players in the Japanese teams will be doing day jobs for the company) adds to corporate morale and once established, downgrading one is a loss of face.

"Fukuoka Sanix Blues" - Sounds like a song about venereal disease.