Rikiya Matsuda

Rikiya Matsuda
松田 力也

Matsuda with the Sunwolves during the 2019 Super Rugby season.
Date of birth	(1994-05-03) 3 May 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth	Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Weight	90 kg (198 lb; 14 st 2 lb)
School	Fushimi Tech High School
University	Teikyo University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half, Fullback Current team Toyota Verblitz Youth career 2009–2010 Kyoto Junior High School 2011–2013 Fushimi Junior High School Amateur team(s) Years Team Apps (Points) 2013–2017 Teikyo University 21 (218) Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2017–2019 Sunwolves 10 (15) 2017–2024 Saitama Wild Knights 70 (588) 2024– Toyota Verblitz () Correct as of 28 August 2023 International career Years Team Apps (Points) 2012–2014 Japan U20 11 (90) 2016– Japan 39 (126) 2023 Japan XV 2 (6) Correct as of 21 July 2024

Rikiya Matsuda (松田 力也, Matsuda Rikiya, born 3 May 1994) is a Japanese professional rugby union player who typically plays as a fly-half. Most recently contracted to the Japan Rugby League One club Saitama Wild Knights, Matsuda is a free agent. Matsuda also plays for the Japan national team.[1][2]

Club career

Matsuda was a student at Teikyo University in Tokyo and has appeared for them in both the All-Japan University Rugby Championship and the All-Japan Rugby Football Championship.[2] After graduating from university he joined the Panasonic Wild Knights in 2017.[3]

In May 2024, following the conclusion of the 2023–24 Japan Rugby League One season, Matsuda departed the Saitama Wild Knights.[4]

International career

Matsuda represented Japan at Under-20 level from 2012 through to 2014, making 7 appearances in total at the World Rugby Under 20 Championships.[5] He made his senior international debut as a replacement in a match against Canada in Vancouver on 11 June 2016. He went on to make two more appearances in the home tests against Scotland during the 2016 mid-year rugby union internationals series, coming on as a substitute in the first test in Toyota and then starting in the second in Tokyo.[1]

References

1. "Rikiya Matsuda ESPN Scrum Player Profile". ESPN. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
2. "Rikiya Matsuda Brave Blossoms Player Profile" (in Japanese). Rugby Japan. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
3. "Rikiya Matsuda rejoindra Panasonic Wild Knights en 2017!" (in French). Japon Rugby. 1 June 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
4. "Rugby: Japan No. 10 Matsuda leaves League One powerhouse Wild Knights". Mainichi Shimbun. 31 May 2024. Archived from the original on 1 June 2024.
5. "Rikiya Matsuda itsrugby Player Statistics". itsrugby. Retrieved 21 August 2016.

External links

• Rikiya Matsuda at ESPNscrum
• Rikiya Matsuda at ItsRugby.co.uk