New Zealander Hammett hired as Sunwolves Super Rugby coach
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) Former All Blacks hooker Mark Hammett has been hired to coach the new Japanese Super Rugby franchise the Sunwolves.
The 43-year-old Hammett, who coached the Wellington-based Hurricanes in Super Rugby for four years, will lead a squad that includes 10 members of the Japan national squad which played at this year's World Cup, causing a massive upset when it beat South Africa.
The Sunwolves squad also includes Samoa flyhalf Tusi Pisi, former Auckland Blues lock Liaki Moli and New Zealand provincial players Tim Bond and Derek Carpenter.
Hammett coached the Hurricanes between 2011 and 2014, recording 29 wins, two draws and 33 losses. He then joined the Cardiff Blues as director of rugby but left six months into a three-year contract at his own request.
Hammett was a contentious appointment when he was appointed as Hurricanes coach, joining the Wellington team with little experience as head coach. He began by firing All Blacks Ma'a Nonu and Andrew Hore, two of the franchise's most-experienced and popular players, and that played a part in alienating fans.
Over four years, he coached the Hurricanes to seventh, eighth, ninth and eleventh placings, never reaching the tournament playoffs.
The 34-man Sunwolves squad, named Monday, includes 15 players with test experience. The franchise also revealed an orange primary playing strip, designed to represent the rising sun, and a grey secondary strip.
The Sunwolves will join the Super Rugby tournament for the first time in 2016, along with an Argentina-based team and South African franchise the Kings, expanding the competition from 15 to 18 teams.
Delays in announcing a coach and squad raised questions about the Japan franchise's viability, but Monday's announcements are considered as positive signs of the team's health.
The Sunwolves open their season with a match against South Africa's Lions in Tokyo on Feb. 27.
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Sunwolves squad: Ryuhei Arita, Timothy Bond, Derek Carpenter, Andrew Durutalo, Ziun Gu, Shohei Hirano, Atsushi Hiwasa, Shota Horie, Yoshiya Hosoda, Keita Inagaki, Daisuke Inoue, Shinnosuke Kakinaga, Takeshi Kizu, Yamamoto Koki, Faatiga Lemalu, Tomas Leonardi, Amanaki Lotoahea, Shinya Makabe, Paea Mifi Poseti, Masataka Mikami, Liaki Moli, Tsuyoshi Murata, Hitoshi Ono, Tusi Pisi, Eddie Quirk, Yusataka Sasakura, John Stewart, Yu Tamura, Harumichi Tatekawa, Riaan Viljoen, Akihito Yamada, Ryohei Yamanaka, Hajime Yamashita, Yuki Yatomi
