KA-RA-DA Factory A.P. Pirates is a women’s rugby sevens team launched in 2014 by Factory Japan Group Co., Ltd., which runs fitness-related businesses including the “KA-RA-DA factory” manual therapeutics salons. Based in Yokohama where Factory Japan was founded, the team has a logo that features a sea and a pirate venturing into wild waves and keeping on sailing, as well as the company’s message for its core business: “Bones are crucial for health.”

　
　

Interviews conducted on October 1 (Wednesday), 2014,
at the Rugby Field of Kanagawa Prefectural Hodogaya Park

What the Players Do as a Daily Job

After the training sessions in the morning, the players of KA-RA-DA Factory A.P. Pirates work as therapists at “KA-RA-DA factory” salons near Yokohama. Physical care is essential for both rugby and work. Knowing its importance firsthand, they are sincerely committed to helping people get healthy and stay fit.
(Photos are those exhibited at the Yokohama Sports Health beauty festival held on September 14 (Sunday).)

　

Members

About the Players Name (position) 1: Nickname 2: Date of birth 3: Place of birth 4: Attention point

Chihori Yamamoto, Captain (prop)
1 Chiri
2 February 21, 1991
3 Kanagawa Prefecture
4 Come and see me hustle around the field. It’s just half a year since I started to play rugby, and I’m practicing hard every day to become a good player as soon as I can. I’m making progress one step at a time.

Erika Kimoto, Sub-captain (standoff)
1 Erika
2 September 11, 1990
3 Osaka Prefecture
4 Look at how I use fast steps. I have a small build, which is often seen unfit for rugby. But, taking advantage of my small build, I weave my way through bigger players by taking short, fast steps.

Kaori Hattori (hooker)
1 Kaori
2 October 14, 1990
3 Aichi Prefecture
4 Look at how I throw a long pass. I catch the ball right after the kickoff, look over the field to locate teammates and throw a fast long pass whenever there’s a chance.

Anna Iwamatsu (center)
1 Anna
2 April 10, 1992
3 Kanagawa Prefecture
4 I always try to be at the starting point of play. I’m proud of playing the center position of a team whose play style is based on starting play at the center. I take a wide look around, move teammates and create a chance to score a try.

Nanami Kasai (scrum-half)
1 Nana
2 April 23, 1994
3 Osaka Prefecture
4 My smiling face. I think it’s important that players truly enjoy both practices and games. I smile through tough practices, and it’s great if that helps cheer up the team. A smile matters most when things are tough.

Risa Watanabe (prop)
1 Risa
2 January 13, 1994
3 Chiba Prefecture
4 My thigh muscles. Having trained myself in track and field, I can run fast in the game of rugby as well to score tries.

Ai Nakamaru (wing)
1 Kai
2 September 7, 1993
3 Kanagawa Prefecture
4 My stamina and long arms. I have confidence in my stamina that I developed from playing basketball, and such stamina is needed to endure the game of rugby that involves a lot of movements. And, I’m proud of my long arms, too.

With Deep Dedication
Yoshihito Yoshida, Manager

While at Meiji University, Yoshihito Yoshida led its rugby team as captain to win the Japan National Collegiate Championship. He became the first professional rugby player in Japan and later coached at his alma mater, Meiji University, leading its team to clinch the Kanto Universities Rugby League title. Mr. Yoshida, who has achieved a brilliant success both as player and coach, decided to become the first manager of KA-RA-DA Factory A.P. Pirates when he met Hiroki Koyasu, the president of Factory Japan Group Co., Ltd. (hereinafter FJG) that sponsors the team.

President Koyasu told me that he wanted FJG to grow in the spirit of rugby and that he hoped to create a team that would symbolize that concept. A lot of women work at the company, so we decided to form a women’s sevens team. Mr. Koyasu was born in Yokohama, and his company was founded in Yokohama, too. I was also thinking about contributing to my hometown of Yokohama. We shared a mutual interest, so I accepted the offer to manage the team. Since Pirates is based in Yokohama, I want it to grow to be a team that Yokohama citizens love and support. For that to happen, each member of the team needs to practice with the aim of “growing as a person.” My major role is to make sure that the players stay committed to this aim. Working earnestly with the players, I intend to put in effort to help them grow day by day.

Our first goal is to become famous here in Yokohama. Beyond that, we are looking to take part in the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

I hope that as many members of our team as possible will make the Olympic squad. I am going to work with deep dedication to make it happen.

Yoshihito Yoshida

Born in Oga City, Akita Prefecture, on February 16, 1969; former member of the national team
Played at: Oga Higashi Junior High School – Akita Industrial High School – Meiji University – Isetan – Union Sportive Colomiers Rugby (France) – Sanyo Electric – Fukuoka SANIX BOMBS
Coached at: Yokogawa Electric’s rugby team – Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars – Meiji University

New Challenge
Chihori Yamamoto, Captain

Chihori Yamamoto, who serves as the first captain of KA-RA-DA Factory A.P. Pirates, says that she had not had a chance to play rugby before she joined the team.

When the company launched the sevens team, I was invited to join. At first, I was not sure if I wanted to do it. I started to feel that the game of sevens might be interesting when I played in a trial game in which employees of the company participated. I have had a longing to be a member of a national team. I was a javelin thrower when I was at college, but I couldn’t make the national team. Now, I play rugby sevens and have a chance to be on the national team. That’s why I started to play rugby. I wanted to make another try.

Ms. Yamamoto was appointed the first captain of the new team although she had never undertaken such a role in her previous athletic career. It brought a change of heart, making things different from what they used to be. She now feels that she needs to be more focused on training.

Serving as a captain, I have realized for the first time in my life how demanding it is to be a captain, which is something that someone else has done for me in the past. The captain represents the team, so I think that I should be the most competent member. I practice harder than anyone else on the team every day. I hope that looking at the way I practice inspires the other members to do more.

The passion toward the team raises awareness and goals day by day.

I want our team to be strong enough to beat powerful teams. My personal goal is to become a member of the national team. I hope that someday I will be able to tell people that the first captain of KA-RA-DA Factory A.P. Pirates is on the national team.

For the latest information on the team, visit KA-RA-DA Factory A.P. Pirates’ official website :http://karadafactory-ap-pirate.com/

Official Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/karadafactory.ap.pirates