Japan Rugby Top League 2016-2017 Season: The Century Club

In round six of the 2016-17 Japan Rugby Top League season, referee Taizo Hirabayashi officiated his one hundredth Top League game. At the Hanazono Rugby Ground in Osaka, Hirabayashi refereed the match between Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers and Ricoh Black Rams on Saturday 8 October 2016. The 41-year-old whistle-blower refereed his first Top League game back in September 2005 in the match between NEC Green Rockets and Sanyo Electric Wild Knights in Osaka.

In round six of the 2016-17 Japan Rugby Top League season, Kintetsu Liners prop Atsushi Tanabe played his one hundredth Top League game. The 32-year-old Tanabe became the fifty-sixth player to join the century club against Toyota Verblitz at the Hanazono Rugby Ground in Osaka on Saturday 8 October 2016. He made his Top League debut while playing for Japan IBM Big Blue against Coca-Cola West Red Sparks in Tokyo in September 2006. Tanabe played for IBM from 2006-7 to 2008-9 before spending a season with Yokogawa Musashino Atlastars in 2009-10. He joined the Kintetsu Liners in 2010-11 and this is his seventh season with the club.