Hanazono Kintetsu Liners

Hanazono Kintetsu Liners
花園近鉄ライナーズ
Full nameHanazono Kintetsu Liners
UnionJapan Rugby Football Union
Nickname(s)Liners
Founded1929
LocationHigashiosaka, Osaka, Japan
Ground(s)Higashi Osaka Hanazono Rugby Stadium (Capacity: 27,346)
Coach(es)Yoshitake Mizuma
League(s)Japan Rugby League One
20221st
Promoted to Division One
1st kit
2nd kit
Preview warning: Page using Template:Infobox rugby team with unknown parameter "countryflag"

Hanazono Kintetsu Liners are a Japanese rugby union team owned by Kintetsu Corporation which was founded in 1929. They have won the All-Japan Championship three times as an amateur team. Their home is at Hanazono Rugby Stadium, which was also opened in 1929 and is in Higashiosaka, Japan.

Early in 2008 Kintetsu won promotion back to the Top League for the 2008–9 season, and it was announced that former All Blacks coach Peter Sloane would be head coach.[1] Sloane coached the team for three years before Ryusuke Maeda succeeded him in 2011.

The team rebranded as Hanazono Kintetsu Liners ahead of the rebranding of the Top League to the Japan Rugby League One in 2022.[2]

  1. ^ Daily Yomiuri, April 26, 2008.
  2. ^ "La nouvelle ligue japonaise s'appelle la Japan Rugby League One". Asie Rugby (in French). 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.