The Ganbatte Trophy was a silver cup presented to the winner of any rugby union match between the Melbourne Rebels team from Australia and the Sunwolves team from Japan. The word Ganbatte (Japanese: 頑張って, "Do your best") is often used as an exhortation at Japanese sporting events meaning to "Go for it!" or to strive.[1]

History

The Melbourne Rebels recruited Japanese international players Shota Horie in 2013, followed by Keita Inagaki, Male Sau, and Kotaro Matsushima.[2] The club was the first in Australia to launch a website in the Japanese language.[3] In 2016, following the introduction of the Sunwolves team to the Super Rugby competition, the Ganbatte Trophy was inaugurated to mark the relationship between the Rebels and Japanese rugby.[3][4] The Rebels won the trophy on 5 of the 6 occasions the trophy was contested, with the Sunwolves solitary win coming in February 2020. The 7th and final contesting of the trophy scheduled for March 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the Sunwolves being disbanded in June 2020 following the cancellation of the 2020 Super Rugby season.

Winners

  • 2016 Rebels
  • 2018 Rebels
  • 2018 Rebels
  • 2019 Rebels
  • 2019 Rebels
  • 2020 Sunwolves

Fixtures

19 March 2016 Sunwolves 9–35 Rebels Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo  
13:15 Pen: Tusi Pisi rugby goalposts icon 3', 28', 43' (3/3) Report
Scoreboard[5]		 Try: Jordy Reid rugby ball 12'
Ben Meehan rugby ball 49'
Tom English rugby ball 57'
Sean McMahon rugby ball 70'
Con: Jack Debreczeni rugby goalposts icon 50', 58' (2/3)
Daniel Hawkins rugby goalposts icon 71' (1/1)
Pen: Jack Debreczeni rugby goalposts icon 26', 36', 54' (3/3)
Cards: Lopeti Timani Yellow card 60'		 Attendance: 16,444[6]
Referee: Mike Fraser
3 March 2018 Sunwolves 15–37 Rebels Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo  
13:15 Try: Will Tupou rugby ball 35'
Ed Quirk rugby ball 78'
Con: Ryoto Nakamura (2/2) rugby goalposts icon 36', 78'
Pen: Ryoto Nakamura (1/1) rugby goalposts icon 26'
Cards: Ed Quirk Yellow card 81'		 Report Try: Jack Maddocks (3) rugby ball 9', 48', 52'
Amanaki Mafi rugby ball 12'
Sefa Naivalu rugby ball 44'
Penalty try rugby ball 81'
Con: Jack Debreczeni (0/3)
Reece Hodge (1/2) rugby goalposts icon 49'
Pen: Jack Debreczeni (1/1) rugby goalposts icon 42'
Cards: Dane Haylett-Petty Yellow card 75'		 Attendance: 11,181[7]
Referee: Egon Seconds (South Africa)
25 May 2018 Rebels 40–13 Sunwolves AAMI Park, Melbourne  
19:45 Try: Marika Koroibete (3) rugby ball 6', 68', 71'
Jack Maddocks (2) rugby ball 17', 48'
Amanaki Mafi rugby ball 21'
Con: Reece Hodge (5/6) rugby goalposts icon 6', 17', 23', 49', 72'		 Report Try: Lomano Lemeki rugby ball 3'
Con: Hayden Parker (1/1) rugby goalposts icon 4'
Pen: Hayden Parker (2/2) rugby goalposts icon 32', 38'
Cards: Hosea Saumaki Yellow card 63'		 Attendance: TBC
Referee: Federico Anselmi (Argentina)
6 April 2019 Rebels 42–15 Sunwolves AAMI Park, Melbourne  
19:45 Try: Reece Hodge (3) rugby ball 7', 16', 61'
Bill Meakes rugby ball 25'
Quade Cooper rugby ball 39'
Will Genia rugby ball 68'
Con: Quade Cooper (6/6) rugby goalposts icon 7', 17', 26', 40+1', 63', 69'
Cards: Semisi Tupou Yellow card 75'
Campbell Magnay Yellow card 80+1'		 Report Try: Semisi Masirewa (2) rugby ball 31', 42'
Con: Hayden Parker (1/2) rugby goalposts icon 44'
Pen: Hayden Parker rugby goalposts icon 14'
Cards: Nathan Vella Yellow card 75'		 Attendance: TBC
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia)
25 May 2019 Sunwolves 7–52 Rebels Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo  
14:00 Try: Jason Emery rugby ball 63'
Con: Hayden Parker rugby goalposts icon 64'		 Report Try: Angus Cottrell rugby ball 13'
Marika Koroibete (2) rugby ball 16', 28'
Jack Maddocks (2) rugby ball 53', 78'
Dane Haylett-Petty rugby ball 58'
Michael Ruru rugby ball 73'
Jordan Uelese rugby ball 80+2'
Con: Quade Cooper (6/8) rugby goalposts icon 14', 17', 54', 74', 79', 80+3'
Cards: Matt Philip Yellow card 22'		 Attendance: TBC
Referee: Nick Briant (New Zealand)
1 February 2020 Sunwolves 36–27 Rebels Level5 Stadium, Fukuoka  
12:45 Try: Keisuke Moriya rugby ball 9'
Jaba Bregvadze rugby ball 19'
Tautalatasi Tasi rugby ball 26'
James Dargaville rugby ball 41'
Garth April rugby ball 61'
Con: Garth April (4/5) rugby goalposts icon 20', 28', 42', 62'
Pen: Garth April rugby goalposts icon 36'		 Report Try: Anaru Rangi rugby ball 23'
Dane Haylett-Petty rugby ball 31'
Andrew Kellaway rugby ball 65'
Andrew Deegan rugby ball 76'
Con: Matt To'omua (1/3) rugby goalposts icon 66'
Reece Hodge rugby goalposts icon 76'
Pen: Matt To'omua rugby goalposts icon 15'		 Attendance: TBC
Referee: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand)

See also

References

  1. ↑ Patterson, Tim (17 March 2011). "Japan's Resolve is found in its language". Matador Network. Archived from the original on 12 May 2016. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  2. ↑ Ward, Roy (5 February 2016). "Melbourne Rebels sign Japanese back Kotaro Matsushima for Super Rugby season". The Age. Melbourne: Fairfax. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
  3. 1 2 17 March 2011 Rebels And Sunwolves Unveil Ganbatte Trophy Archived 21 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine（Official Website of Melbourne Rebels, 18 March 2016 Retrieved 20 March 2016）
  4. ↑ Ganbatte Trophy 創設 Archived 1 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine（Official Website of Sunwolves, 18 March 2016 Retrieved 20 March 2016）
  5. ↑ "SA Rugby Match Centre – Sunwolves 9–35 Rebels". South African Rugby Union. 19 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  6. ↑ "Rebels Overpower Sunwolves in Tokyo". Green and Gold Rugby. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  7. ↑ サンウルブズ、レベルズに完敗. J Sports (in Japanese). 3 March 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
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