Urayasu D-Rocks, commonly known as the D-Rocks, or the Shining Arcs, is a rugby union team owned by NTT Communications and is part of Japan's Rugby League One competition, currently in Division 1. Given the name, the team is based in Urayasu City, Chiba Prefecture in the Kantō region. The team has undergone several re-brands throughout its history, most recently in 2022, rebranding from Shining Arcs Tokyo-Bay Urayasu in line with the newly formed Japan Rugby League One competition in 2021/22, to the Urayasu D-Rocks in 2022 onwards.

History and name

NameDate(s)
NTT Communications RFC NTTコミュニケーションズRFC1976–c. 2000s
NTT Communications Shining Arcs/NTT Shining Arcs NTTシャイニングアークスc. 2000s–2021[citation needed]
Urayasu D-Rocks 浦安D-Rockssince 2022

NTT Communications RFC was founded in 1976. They won promotion to the expanded Top League of 14 teams at the end of the 2009–10 season. They made their Top League debut for the 2010–11 season. After their first season, they finished 12th place with 4 wins and 9 losses. They had to play a play-off to keep themselves in the Top League, in which they beat Canon Eagles 31–19. In the 2011–12 season, they finished in ninth place.

In July 2022, following the establishment of a new rugby business and sports company by parent company NTT, the Shining Arcs formally rebranded to the Urayasu D-Rocks. The new company, NTT Sports X, was established at the end of the 2022 season and is alleged to have begun with JP¥2.5 billion (US$17.8 million) in capital.

Current squad

The Urayasu D-Rocks is for the 2025-26 season:

Urayasu D-Rocks squad
Props Japan Gakuto Ishida Japan Hidetomo Nabeshima Japan Kaisei Umeda Japan Genki Sudo Japan Shotaro Hirai Japan Jinichiro Tamanaga South Korea Kim Ryo-m* Tonga Halaholo Tokolahi* Japan Yang Jung-soo New Zealand Sekonaia Pole* Hookers Fiji Samisoni Asaeli* Japan Ryuji Fujimura (c) Japan Junichiro Matsushita Japan Shokei Kin Japan Takashi Ōmoto REP Locks New Zealand Manaaki Selby-Rickit Japan Daiki Sato Japan Yūta Kojima South Korea Kim Ryong-ji* New Zealand Quinten Strange Australia Steve Cummins Japan Uwe Helu Japan Shin Takeuchi Japan Yuzuki Sasaki Australia Zephaniah Tuinona*Flankers Japan Hendrik Tui Japan Tetta Shigematsu Japan Miu Austin Moriyama REP Japan Yūsei Tanaka REP No8s Fiji Rusiate Finau South Africa Jasper Wiese Japan Daishi Kojima Australia Brody Macaskill* Australia Tamati Ioane Samoa Larry Tipoai-Luteru* REP Scrum-halves Japan Norihumi Hashimoto Japan Ren Iinuma Japan Taisei Konishi Japan Takuya Shirae Fly-halves Japan Hikaru Tamura Japan Shunta Mori South Korea Kim Yu-o* New Zealand Otere Black* New Zealand Luteru Laulala*Centres Japan Shane Gates Japan Samisoni Tua Australia Samu Kerevi New Zealand Tana Tuhakaraina Japan Kentaro Nanimatsu Japan Soma Matsumoto Wingers Japan Siosifa Lisala Japan Junya Matsumoto Japan Kai Ishii New Zealand Caleb Cavubati* Japan Ryota Ōhata Fullbacks Japan Ryohei Yamanaka Tonga Israel Folau Japan Taiga Ishida Japan Takuhei Yasuda Utility Backs
(c) Denotes team captain, Bold denotes player is internationally capped
  • * denotes players qualified to play for Japan on dual nationality or residency grounds.

Notable former players

Home ground

  • The Shining Arcs' home stadium is the NTT Grand Chiba Stadium in Ichikawa.

See also

External links