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LeRIRO Fukuoka

Japan LeRIRO Fukuoka
ルリーロ福岡
Full nameLeRIRO Fukuoka
UnionJapan Rugby Football Union
NicknameLR Fukuoka
Founded2022
LocationChikugo, Fukuoka
CoachMasahiro Toyoda
League(s)Japan Rugby League One, Division Three
Official website
leriro-fukuoka.com

LeRIRO Fukuoka – known as LR Fukuoka – is a Japanese rugby union team, currently playing in the Japan Rugby League One.[1] The team is based in Chikugo, Fukuoka in the Fukuoka Prefecture.

The team was created in 2022 and, unlike the majority of Japanese professional sides, doesn't have a professional company.[2] The team was originally created to accommodate players without a club following Coca-Cola Red Sparks, based in Fukuoka, withdrawing from competition in 2021, with 30 players joining from that side.[3] Another local team, Munakata Sanix Blues based in Munakata, would also withdraw from competition in 2022, drawing more players to the team.[4] In July 2023, the team applied to join the new Japan Rugby League One competition.[5]

On 31 January 2024, it was announced the side would join the Japan Rugby League One competition, ahead of the 2024–25 season, competing in Division Three.[6] Unlike others sides who compete in Japan Rugby League One, players who play for the side don't have fixed salaries, and instead receive salaries from local companies and receive sponsorship from fans and companies.[7]

Notable players

Current squad

The LeRiRO Fukuoka squad for the 2025–26 season is:[8] [a] [b]

LeRiRO Fukuoka squad

Props

  • Japan Kanta Hasegawa
  • Japan Tomoki Nobeta
  • Japan Tsubasa Arai
  • Japan Rintaro Noda
  • Japan Shun Terawaki
  • Japan Daisuke Fujikura
  • Japan Ryuji Murata
  • Japan Yusho Narita
  • Japan Kento Yamamoto
  • Japan Wataru Furuya
  • Japan Shoma Tsujioka REP DEP[a] [b]

Hookers

  • Japan Haru Tomoda
  • Japan Yoshiaki Takeuchi
  • Japan Yuki Uchiyama
  • Japan Atsuro Nakamura
  • Japan Taiyo Minami
  • Japan Kazuki Yasui

Locks

  • Japan Tatsuya Kuzumi
  • Japan Masahiro Eriguchi
  • Japan Keita Terada
  • Japan Shuta Takami
  • Japan Kotaro Ohashi

Flankers

  • Samoa Iosefatu Mareko*
  • Japan Masahito Tonomoto
  • Japan Kenta Ueda
  • Japan Daishiro Inoue
  • Japan Ryosei Kohara
  • Japan Rihito Kato
  • Japan Shunya Kato
  • South Korea Kim Ji-song*

No8s

  • Tonga Makavaha Finau*
  • New Zealand Elijah Wichme

Loose forwards

Scrum-halves

  • Japan Kentaro Obata
  • Japan Hisanori Mimata (c)
  • Japan Masafumi Tanabe
  • Japan Fumiya Saito
  • Japan Taiga Mihara
  • Japan Yuki Mitamura
  • Japan Ginga Ishi
  • Japan Kaito Shige DEP [A]
  • Japan Sho Morita
  • Japan Koyo Mitsunaga

Fly-halves

  • Japan Daisuke Hiji
  • Japan Kentaro Nagatomi
  • Japan Shotaro Matsuo

Centres

  • Japan Rei Shibata
  • Japan Rinto Kagawa
  • Japan Sitaleki Taufa Makisi
  • Tonga Fakataha Havili*
  • Tonga Manase Havili*
  • Japan Issei Shige

Wings

  • Japan Yoshitsumi Shimora
  • Japan Shuto Inoue
  • Tonga Amanaki Lisala
  • Japan Rafi Kurokawa
  • Japan Shoon Kataoka
  • Japan Haruto Makiyama
  • Japan Takuto Kajiwara
  • Japan Taro Ide
  • Japan Tsuyoshi Hasegawa
  • Japan Daichi Nagayama
  • South Korea Mun Myong-il* REP DEP[a] [b]

Fullbacks

  • Japan Doga Maeda
  • Japan Yusuke Aramaki
  • Japan Yoshiteru Hino
  • Japan Masakazu Yatsumonji
  • Japan Tatto Katsuta
  • Japan Daigo Uehata
  • Japan Hibiki Nakazawa
  • Japan Yuki Kono

Utility backs

(c) denotes team captain.
  1. ^ a b c February 15 2026,Tsujioka,Mun was Joined as an early entry(graduating from university this academic year) from the team after the round 6
  2. ^ a b c Tsujioka,Mun is eligible to compete starting from Round 8.
  1. ^ February 15 2026,K.Shige was released from the team after round 6

References

  1. ^ "LeRIRO Fukuoka". Japan Rugby League One. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  2. ^ "LeRIRO Fukuoka". LeRIRO Fukuoka (in Japanese). Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  3. ^ "福岡にラグビー新チーム「ＬｅＲＩＲＯ福岡」誕生へ、宗像サニックス廃部なら受け皿に". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). 23 February 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  4. ^ "わずか1年で3チームが休部＆規模縮小　新リーグ創設の日本ラグビーが直面する課題". The Answer (in Japanese). 13 April 2022. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  5. ^ "ジャパンラグビー リーグワン　新規参入 チーム申請状況のお知らせ". Japan Rugby League One (in Japanese). 18 July 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  6. ^ "ジャパンラグビー リーグワン2024-25シーズン　新規参入チーム決定のお知らせ". Japan Rugby League One (in Japanese). 31 January 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  7. ^ "大企業の後ろ盾なし、設立2年でリーグワン参入果たしたラグビークラブ「ルリーロ福岡」の驚きの"稼ぐ仕組み"". JB Press (in Japanese). 5 June 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  8. ^ "LeRiRO Fukuoka: Members" (in Japanese). LeRiRO Fukuoka. Retrieved 27 December 2024.
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