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Wales playmaker Gareth Anscombe signs for Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath

Gareth Anscombe with some Wales team-mates (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

After leaving Ospreys, Gareth Anscombe has officially found a new club. The Wales outside-half has signed a deal with Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath from the 2023/24 season.

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The New Zealand-born playmaker, who has played 39 Test matches for Wales, was officially unveiled as the Japanese clubs’ latest signing in the early hours of Friday morning (BST).

Injuries limited Anscombe’s time on the field to just four matches in the URC this season, but there’s no doubting the talent, skill and experience the playmaker brings to the Tokyo-based club.

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“It is a great honour coming to play for a team like Sungoliath,” Anscombe said in a statement.

“I can’t wait to get over to Japan and play in front of the fans and experience the Japanese lifestyle and culture.

“I look forward to joining the team later in the year and getting stuck in with the boys.”

Anscombe was included in Warren Gatland’s 43-man Wales squad for a Rugby World Cup training camp in Turkey.

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The 32-year-old was included in the team along with Dan Biggar and Sam Costelow who are also options at first-five eighth.

“We’re really pleased with how our two-week training camp has gone in Switzerland. The players worked extremely hard and made some really good progress,” coach Gatland said.

“As well as having the natural benefits from living at high altitude, players experienced temperatures in the mid-to-late thirties during our on-pitch session which will be good preparation for our camp in Turkey.

“The 43 players travelling to Turkey are all available for selection for the first match against England on 5 August. Those not travelling remain in our wider training squad and will join back up with us on our return to Wales.”

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Anscombe joins winger Cheslin Kolbe at the Tokyo-based club, with the World Cup-winning Springbok inking a deal after leaving European powerhouse Toulouse.

Kolbe had been linked with a return to the Stormers in South Africa, but ended up signing a lucrative deal – which was believed to be worth R18 million ($1.5m NZD) a season.

“I’m so excited to confirm I will be joining Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath in the Japan Rugby League One competition after this year’s World Cup,” Kolbe said earlier this year.

“This is going to be a new chapter and challenge in my career, and I’d like to thank everyone who made this move possible.

“Suntory is a team with an impressive history, and I am looking forward to making new memories with the team over the seasons ahead.

“To the fans, I hope to put in some performances that you can all enjoy. See you soon!”

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JW 5 minutes ago
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More indecision and excuses from Razor.


You've given a spot at 6 to Finau whom you haven't even had the courage to use off the bench in the last two games. Now the young enforcer is going into a big much with no rugby, we should expect a similar result to how Aumua struggled to impact a game after he'd hardly been given any chances of the bench either.


Weve now dropped a back three player who also wasn't even given any game time off the bench for someone coming in cold when they really need to have been playing constantly to perform at their best. There are just so many better pictures that should have been present rather than this mickey mouse selection.


I really hope Finau can overcome this, it won't be the first time he's had to. How is the bench even made up? Could you not just have included these changes in the article as well? I actually like BB coming back in, it highlights how courageous he is after sitting out through another concussion that could just as easily sent him back into months of symptoms again.


Dmac was also off his game last week, as was Ratima, with the poor platform Razor and his team have been setting the players up with. He needs to freedom to clear his mind from the clutter that saw him make so many bad decisions last week. It will still probably be a net loss for the team performance not having him on from the start but it should be better for them in the long run if he's allowed to just come on late and play his game trying to claw things back for the team.


With Roigard starting that might prove an outlet for the team to actually get on top first however. Along with Ardie busting a gut in his new role and emptying the tank by halftime, and being replaced by another new star, might mean that Dmac is just icing on the cake at the end.

10 Go to comments
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Flankly 31 minutes ago
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I am not an England fan, but still very disappointed at what Borthwick is serving up. Regardless of winning or losing, they should be executing the basics at a world class level. That was the reason they replaced Eddie with Steve. After two years England has not built the solid foundations that the RFU were presumably after. Its hard to see it as anything other than a coaching problem.


Having said that I really hope that Rassie has got his team fired up for the game. The Boks at maximum intensity and with no crises (eg red cards) would be expected to win this game. But it does not take much reduction in pressure for Bok teams to lose. The Boks lose when complacency sets in.


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NH 2 hours ago
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