Akihito Yamada

Akihito Yamada
Personal information
Full name Akihito Yamada
Born (1985-07-26) 26 July 1985
Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight 90 kg (14 st 2 lb)
School(s) attended Kokura High School
University Keio University
Club information
Playing position Wing
Current club Panasonic Wild Knights / Force
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Pts)
2010− Panasonic Wild Knights 72 (325)
2015 Force 0 (0)
2016− Sunwolves 4 (20)
Representative team(s)
2013− Japan 15 (65)

* Senior club appearances and points correct as of 12 March 2016.
† Appearances (Points).

‡ Representative team caps and points correct as of 3 October 2015.

Akihito Yamada (山田章仁 Yamada Akihito, born 26 July 1985 in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture) is a Japanese rugby union player who currently plays as an winger for the Western Force in the international Super Rugby competition.[1][2] He also plays for Top 14 side the Panasonic Wild Knights in his home country.[3][4]

Career

Yamada has been a prolific try-scorer for the Wild Knights in Japan's Top 14 competition since making his debut during the 2010-11 season. He enjoyed a stand-out year in 2012-13 scoring 20 tries in 14 games to be the league's top scorer.[4]

Ahead of the admission of a Japanese franchise into Super Rugby, Australian sides were permitted to contract one Japanese player per season to aid their development. And so it was that the Perth-based Western Force signed Yamada to a one-year contract ahead of the 2015 Super Rugby season.[1]

International career

Yamada made his debut for Japan on 15 November 2013 in a 40-13 victory over Russia in Colwyn Bay, Wales.[5] To date he has scored 8 tries in 10 international matches.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 "Akihito Yamada Western Force Player Profile". Western Force Rugby. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  2. "Force bring in Japan flyer Yamada". ESPN. 18 December 2014. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Akihito Yamada ESPN Scrum Player Profile". ESPN. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Akihito Yamada itsrugby Player Statistics". itsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
  5. "Japan vs Russia 15 November 2014". ESPN. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
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