5 facts about Japan vice-captain Dylan Riley

Japan star Dylan Riley, 28, has been named as vice-captain for Saturday’s clash against the Wallabies at the National Stadium in Tokyo.

The Saitama Wild Knights outside-centre will earn his 34^th cap for the Brave Blossoms in the Lipovitan D Challenge Cup encounter which is expected to attract over 45,000 fans. 

1. Born in Durban, South Africa 

Riley was born in Durban on the east coast of South Africa in 1997. South African fans proudly state that fact when Japan and Saitama Wild Knights are in the news and class the midfielder as a ‘Saffa abroad’. 

The classy 6ft 2in centre, who tips the scale at 16 stone, left South Africa at the age of nine and relocated to Australia’s gold coast. 

2. Started playing rugby aged 10 in Australia 

The talented all-rounder started playing rugby for his local club at the age of 10. 

Riley’s father competed in volleyball and represented South Africa at the 1994 World Skydiving Championships. 

3. Also excelled at cricket, swimming and track and field

The Southport School graduate was fanatical about playing sports growing up and still holds some athletics records from his youth.

In cricket, he once scored 100 runs off 53 balls in a first team match (30 runs off one over). 

4. Youngest of five siblings 

Riley is the youngest of five athletically minded siblings. 

His siblings includes a nurse, a policeman and a bodybuilder. 

5. Played for Australia u20s 

Riley, who is known as ‘Dill’ by his teammates, played for Australia schoolboys, Australia’s u20s team and their sevens side before deciding to make the move overseas and joined Robbie Deans’ Saitama in 2018. 

He made his first-team debut in the Top League in 2020 and, as his talent shone through, he was fast-tracked into the Brave Blossoms fold and won his first cap off the bench in 2021 against the Wallabies.