Super Rugby
Mark Hammett to coach inaugural Sunwolves squad
ESPN Staff
December 21, 2015
The Sunwolves' "primary jumper represents the rising sun while the grey alternative signifies the speed and fighting spirit of the wolf that is fiercely emblazoned across both jerseys" © Sunwolves / Twitter
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Mark Hammett will coach the Sunwolves in the expanded 18-team Super Rugby competition in 2016.

Hammett, who won 81 caps with the Crusaders between 1996 and 2003 and played 29 Tests in four years with the All Blacks before assuming the reins as Hurricanes and then Cardiff Blues coach, will have at his disposal 15 Japan players with Test experience including 10 of the Brave Blossoms who starred at the Rugby World Cup.

The Sunwolves squad also features Samoa fly-half Tusi Pisi. former Argentina back-rower Tomas Leonardi, who has joined from Top 14 club Toulouse, and Andrew Durutalo, who made his name in the United States Sevens program before featuring for the Eagles in the Rugby World Cup, as well as Ed Quirk, Liaki Moli, who have Super Rugby experience respectively with Queensland Reds and the Blues). Japan hooker Shota Horie and South African Riaan Viljoen also have Super Rugby experience with Melbourne Rebels.

2016 Sunwolves Squad

Ryuhei Arita (Hooker, Coca-Cola Red Sparks and Japan) Timothy Bond (Lock, Bay of Plenty Steamers) Derek Carpenter (Centre, Toyota Verblitz) Andrew Durutalo (Back-Row, OPSB and United States) Ziun Gu (Prop, Takushoku University) Shohei Hirano (Prop, Tokai University) Atsushi Hiwasa (Scrum-half, Suntory Sungoliath) Shota Horie (Hooker, Panasonic Wild Knights and Japan) Yoshiya Hosoda (Back-Row, NEC Green Rockets) Keita Inagaki (Prop, Panasonic Wild Knights and Japan) Daisuke Inoue (Scrum-half, Kubota Spears) Shinnosuke Kakinaga (Prop, Suntory Sungoliath and Japan) Takeshi Kizu (Hooker, Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers and Japan) Yamamoto Koki (Prop, Yamaha Jubilo) Faatiga Lemalu (Back-Row, Munakata Sanix Blues) Tomas Leonardi (Back-Row, Toulouse and Argentina) Amanaki Lotoahea (Wing, Ricoh Black Rams) Shinya Makabe (Lock, Suntory Sungoliath and Japan) Paea Mifi Poseti (Centre, NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes) Masataka Mikami (Prop, Toshiba Brave Lupus and Japan) Liaki Moli (Lock, Blues) Tsuyoshi Murata (Back-Row, NEC Green Rockets and Japan) Hitoshi Ono (Lock, Toshiba Brave Lupus and Japan) Tusi Pisi (Fly-half, Suntory Sungoliath and Samoa) Eddie Quirk (Flanker, Queensland Reds) Yusataka Sasakura (Full-back, Panasonic Wild Knights) John Stewart (Wing, Fiji Warriors) Yu Tamura (Centre, NEC Green Rockets and Japan) Harumichi Tatekawa (Fly-half, Kubota Spears and Japan) Riaan Viljoen (Full-back, Griquas) Akihito Yamada (Wing, Panasonic Wild Knights and Japan) Ryohei Yamanaka (Centre, Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers and Japan) Hajime Yamashita (Full-back, Toyota Shokki Shuttles) Yuki Yatomi (Scrum-half, Yamaha Jubilo and Japan)

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