Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers

Rugby team
teamname = Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers
神戸製鋼コベルコスティーラーズ


imagesize = 150px fullname = Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers | nickname = Kobelco Steelers
founded = 1928
ground = Nadahama Ground
capacity =
coach = Seiji Hirao
chairman =
competitions = Top League
union = Japan Rugby Football Union
location = Kobe, Hyogo, Japan
country
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union = Japan Rugby Football Union
location = Kobe, Japan
country
"For the American football team, see Pittsburgh Steelers. For other uses, see Steelers (disambiguation)."

Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers (神戸製鋼コベルコスティーラーズ "Kobe Seiko Koberuko Suti-ra-zu") are a Japanese rugby union team owned by Kobe Steel, Ltd., and based in Kobe. They were the first ever Top League champions when the League started in the 2003-4 season. They were coached by Terunori Masuho a former Waseda and Steelers player but he resigned after the 2006-7 season when the team was placed 6th in the Top League. For now Seiji Hirao is the coach.

The team plays its home games at Home's Stadium Kobe (formerly Kobe Wing Stadium).

Honors

* Top League:
** Champions: 2003-04

Current players

*Ron Cribb
*Pierre Hola
*Takeomi Ito
*Yuji Matsubara
*Yukio Motoki
*Daisuke Ohata - current holder of the world record for tries in test matches
*Josh Blackie

Past players

* Dave Bickle
* Mark Egan
* Kensuke Iwabuchi
* Andrew Miller
* Simon Wensley

External links

* [http://www.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?sr20050124a1.htm Steelers upset Green Rockets in Microsoft Cup] - Japan Times, January 24, 2005
* [http://www.kobesteelrfc.com/ Kobelco Steelers] official home page
* [http://www.top-league.jp/index.html Top League] official site