Ex-Hurricanes boss Mark Hammett to coach Japan’s Sunwolves in Super 18

Asia’s first Super Rugby club unveils line-up featuring 15 test veterans and 10 members of Brave Blossoms squad from RWC 2015

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New Zealander Mark Hammett attends a press conference in Tokyo after being named the first head coach of the Sunwolves, Japan's new Super Rugby side. Photo: Kyodo

Published: 3:00am, 23 Dec 2015Updated: 2:54am, 23 Dec 2015

New Zealander Mark Hammett was confirmed as the inaugural coach of Japan’s new Super Rugby team the Sunwolves on Monday, unveiled at a news conference just over two months before their maiden match.

The former All Blacks hooker, who had four seasons in charge of the Wellington-based Hurricanes, also revealed the Tokyo and Singapore-based team’s 34-man squad for their first season.

The squad contained 15 players with test experience and 10 of the Japan squad who stunned rugby by beating South Africa at the 2015 World Cup in England and went on to win three games.

As well as a majority of players based at Japanese clubs, the playing group featured Argentina loose-forward Tomás Leonardi, Springboks tourist Riaan Viljoen and former Queensland Reds flanker Eddie Quirk.

Argentine test international Tomás Leonardi was Monday named in the Sunwolves’ inaugural 34-man squad. Photo: AFP

The Sunwolves will join an expanded 18-team Super Rugby competition with Argentina’s Jaguares and South Africa’s Kings the two other new teams.

Sporting a red and orange strip that was also unveiled on Monday, the first Asian Super Rugby side will play in one of the South Africa conferences along with the Bulls, Cheetahs and Stormers.

The announcements might go some way to easing concerns in southern hemisphere rugby circles about how competitive the Sunwolves will be in their first season with so little time remaining before they take on South Africa’s Lions on 27 February 2016.