Daisuke Ohata

Daisuke Ohata (大畑大介, Ōhata Daisuke, born on November 11, 1975 in Osaka) is a former Japanese rugby union player. He usually played on the wing, and sometimes at centre, for the Japanese national team. He made his name internationally as a speedy ace in the World Rugby Sevens Series (then known as the IRB World Sevens Series), and went on to become a regular member of the national team. He first played for Japan on November 9, 1996 and scored three tries that day. He is the leading rugby union test try scorer of all time. In November 2016, Ohata was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame at the opening ceremony for the Hall's first physical location in Rugby, Warwickshire.[1][2]

Daisuke Ohata
大畑大介
Birth nameDaisuke Ohata
Date of birth (1975-11-11) 11 November 1975
Place of birthOsaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Height176 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight85 kg (187 lb)
UniversityKyoto Sangyo University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing, centre
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1998-2002
2003
2003-2011		 Kobelco Steelers
Montferrand
Kobelco Steelers
2
67
(20)
(210)
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1996-2006  Japan 58 (345)
National sevens team(s)
Years Team Comps
 Japan

Life and career

Ohata is from the Kansai region and speaks with a strong Kansai (Osakan) accent. He attended rugby nurseries Tokai Dai Gyosei High School with Koji Uehara and Yoshinori Tateyama, where the three were classmates, and Kyoto Sangyo University.[3]

World record holder

On 14 May 2006, Ohata scored three tries for Japan against Georgia at Hanazono Stadium, in doing so claiming the world record for tries in rugby test matches.[4] This gave him 65 tries for his country in 55 tests; he has since extended his record to 69 tries from 58 tests.[5] The record was previously held by David Campese of Australia, who scored 64 tries from 101 tests. Unlike Campese, however, only a quarter of Ohata's tries were scored against major rugby union playing nations, causing controversy in some media.[6]

Ohata did not take part in the Rugby World Cup 2007, as he had ruptured his left Achilles tendon in an August practice match against Portugal. He had only just returned that month to the national side, having recovered from a right Achilles tendon rupture in January.[7]

Retirement

On 10 January 2011, Ohata's retirement was announced due to a knee injury.

See also

References
  1. "Daisuke Ohata: My Rugby World Cup mission". World Rugby. 2007-03-07. Retrieved 2017-03-10.
  2. "World Rugby Hall of Fame: Jonny Wilkinson attends launch". BBC News Coventry & Warwickshire. 17 November 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  3. Kyoto Sangyo University
  4. BBC Sport: Ohata breaks Campese try record
  5. "Additional Changes to Japan World Cup Squad". Japan Rugby Football Union. 2007-09-11. Retrieved 2007-10-08.
  6. BBC Sport: Ohata breaks Campese's try record
  7. "Japanese star Ohata to miss World Cup". Archived from the original on 2014-03-16. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
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