Big-spending Honda Heat have named key duo Pablo Matera and Lomano Lemeki as two of four ‘leaders’ for the 2024-2025 season.
Argentina star Matera, 31, whose currently away with his country for The Rugby Championship, has been a crucial player for the club since joining in 2022.
Lemeki, 35, was a summer addition from the Green Rockets on a lucrative three-year contract and returns to Suzuka city having played for the Kieran Crowley’s side from 2025 – 2020.
Prop Takumi Fujii, 28, who has made 31 League One appearances, has been named as the club’s new captain.
Fujii joined Honda in 2018 after graduating from Kansai University where he captained the University’s rugby team.
“Last season, we set a goal of making it to the top 8 in the league, but we were unable to achieve a satisfactory result, coming in 11th place,” said Fujii (below).
“However, this season we have set a new, even higher goal of making it to the top 6. We will come together as a team and work harder than ever to achieve this goal. To all the fans, we ask for your enthusiastic support this year as well. Let's get HEAT together at the game venue!”
Joining Matera and Lemeki as ‘leaders’ will be highly-rated young scrum scrum-half Takuro Hojo, 22, who graduated from Tenri University this year and New Zealand-born back-rower Waimana Kapa, 25, who joined in 2023.
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