View source for Coca-Cola Red Sparks

{{Short description|Defunct Japanese company-owned rugby union club, based in Fukuoka city}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox rugby team
| teamname     = Coca-Cola Red Sparks
| image        = Red sparks logo.png
| image_size   = 125px
| fullname     = Coca-Cola Red Sparks
| nickname     = Red Sparks
| founded      = 1966
| disbanded    = 2021
| ground       = [[Level-5 Stadium]]
| capacity     = 22,563
| coach        =
| captain      =
| chairman     = 
| competitions = [[Top League]]
| union        = [[Japan Rugby Football Union]]
| location     = [[Fukuoka, Fukuoka|Fukuoka]], [[Japan]]  
| league       = [[Top Challenge League]]
| season       = 
| position     = 
| countryflag  = Japan
| pattern_la1  = _
| pattern_b1   = _redsparkskit
| pattern_sh1  = _Redsparksshorts
| pattern_so1  = _Redspakssocks
| leftarm1     = ED1C24
| body1        = ED1C24
| rightarm1    = ED1C24
| shorts1      = ED1C24
| socks1       = ED1C24
| pattern_la2  =
| pattern_b2   = _Redsparkskitb
| pattern_sh2  = _Redsparksshortsb
| pattern_so2  = _Redspakssocksb
| leftarm2     = 000000
| body2        = 000000
| rightarm2    = 000000
| shorts2      = 000000
| socks2       = 000000
}}
The '''Coca-Cola Red Sparks''' ({{langx|ja|コカ・コーラレッドスパークス}}) was a Japanese company-owned rugby team based in [[Fukuoka, Fukuoka|Fukuoka]] city, [[Kyūshū]].

The team was initially founded as [[Kitakyushu]] Coca-Cola and then changed its name to Coca-Cola West Japan.

The team won promotion to the expanded [[Top League]] of 14 teams at the end of the 2005–06 season, and was renamed Coca-Cola West Red Sparks. The club motto is "Have Guts Have Glory" and their slogan for 2006 season: "Always Attack & Aggressive". In the fourth Top League (2006–07) the team came 10th, with four wins, nine losses and 21 points. It therefore did not need to take part in any play-offs. Sanix, the local rivals, came ninth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyarchive.net/team/1105|title=Coca-Cola West Red Sparks|work=Rugby Archive|access-date=24 May 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210718132604/https://www.rugbypass.com/news/coca-cola-to-disband-red-sparks-rugby-team/|archive-date=18 July 2021}}</ref>

The team was promoted from the [[Kyūshū]] league to the [[Top League]] in 2013, and was renamed the Coca-Cola Red Sparks for the 2013–14 season. Following six seasons in the top flight, they were relegated back to the [[:ja:トップキュウシュウ|Top Kyūshū League]] after the 2018–19 season.

On 30 April 2021, it was announced that the Red Sparks would disband as a rugby club at the conclusion of the 2021 Top Challenge League Season.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.rugbypass.com/news/coca-cola-to-disband-red-sparks-rugby-team/|title=Coca-Cola to disband Red Sparks rugby team|work=Rugby Pass|date=3 May 2021|access-date=24 May 2021}}</ref> It had previously agreed to join the new 25-team domestic competition in Japan before withdrawal.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.planetrugby.com/japan-unveil-bold-new-25-team-domestic-competition/|title=Japan unveils bold new 25-team domestic competition|work=Rugby Planet|date=16 January 2021|access-date=24 May 2021}}</ref>

==Final squad==

The Coca-Cola Red Sparks' team for the 2021 season was:<ref name="Coca-Cola Red Sparks: The Team">{{cite web | url=https://club.ccbji.co.jp/en/rugby/members/index | title=Coca-Cola Red Sparks: Members | work=Coca-Cola Red sparks | accessdate=30 December 2020 | language=Japanese}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left; font-size:90%; width:60%"
|-
! colspan="100%" | Coca-Cola Red Sparks squad
|- valign="top"
|
'''Props'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} Kanta Hasegawa
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Masahiro Hibino]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Yuichiro Hosono]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} Ryoma Kuhara
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Yasuo Saruwatari]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} Kurato Shiota
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Tomohiro Tanaka (rugby union)|Tomohiro Tanaka]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Genki Tokushige]]

'''Hookers'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Mitsumasa Harayama]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Kosetsu Kawachi]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Atsuro Nakamura]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} Kota Nishimura
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Mitsugu Yamamoto]]'''

'''Locks'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Shuichi Kinoshita]]
* {{Flagicon|New Zealand}} [[Will Mangos]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Ryoma Nishimura (rugby union)|Ryoma Nishimura]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Naoto Osajima]]
* {{Flagicon|Samoa}} [[Jotham Wrampling]]

||

'''Loose forwards'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Hiroki Hanada]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Malgene Ilaua]]'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Yuuksaku Kuwazuru]]
* {{Flagicon|Australia}} [[Brody MacAskill]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Ataru Nishikawa]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Hideaki Suzuki]]
* {{Flagicon|Samoa}} [[Joe Tupe (rugby union)|Joe Tupe]]

'''Scrum-halves'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Shota Egashira]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Genta Hoshino]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Takahiro Kimura (rugby union)|Takahiro Kimura]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Hisanori Mimata]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} Sho Nakamura
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Masafumi Tanabe]]

'''Fly-halves'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} Jin Imaizumi
* {{Flagicon|Australia}} [[Ben Lucas (rugby union)|Ben Lucas]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} Kento Tanaka
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Yuki Yamasaki (rugby union)|Yuki Yamasaki]]

||

'''Centres'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} Daiki Hoshino
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Kohei Ishigaki]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} Joichiro Iwashita
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Yoshitsumi Shimora]]
* {{Flagicon|Tonga}} Tone Tukufuka
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Will Tupou]]'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Junshi Yamakita]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Youji Yamamoto]]

'''Wingers'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Joe Kamana]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} Rafi Kurokawa
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} Naoki Sarugaku
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Kameli Soejima]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Shotaro Tsuoka]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} Masakazu Yatumonji

'''Fullbacks'''
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Kentaro Kamata]]
* {{Flagicon|Japan}} [[Taichi Yoshizawa]]
|-
| colspan="100%" style="height: 10px;" | 
|-
| colspan="100%" style="text-align:center;" | <small> ([[Captain (sports)|c]]) Denotes team captain, '''Bold''' denotes player is internationally capped</small>
|}

===Former===
*[[Lelea Paea]] - outside centre
*[[George Leaupepe]] - Centre
*[[Luke Andrews]] - No.8
*[[Mark Ranby]] - Centre
*[[Benjamin Jones (rugby union)|Benjamin Jones]] - Full back
*[[Soushi Fuchigami]] - Fly Half
*[[Glenn Paterson]] - Fly Half
*[[Nick Cummins]] - Wing
*[[Sam Afro Wykes]] - Second row

==Coaches==
{{update-section|date=June 2021}}
* {{flagicon|NZL}}[[Earl Va'a]] 2017–2020

==See also==
*[[Top League#Top League Challenge series|Top League Challenge series]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official site}}

{{Japan Rugby Top League}}
{{Top Challenge League}}
{{Rugby union in Japan}}

[[Category:Rugby in Kyushu]]
[[Category:Rugby clubs established in 1966]]
[[Category:Sports clubs and teams in Fukuoka]]
[[Category:Coca-Cola|Red Sparks]]
[[Category:1966 establishments in Japan]]
[[Category:Rugby union teams in Japan]]
[[Category:Rugby union clubs disestablished in 2021]]
[[Category:2021 disestablishments in Japan]]