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Writer's pictureMark Pickering

Toyota Verblitz signs Australia U20s captain

Cash-rich Toyota Verblitz has signed Australia U20s captain Toby Macpherson on a season-long loan deal from Super Rugby Pacific side ACT Brumbies.

The 20-year-old lock won Rugby Australia’s Junior Men’s Player of The Year award a week ago and can now look forward to playing alongside All Blacks great Aaron Smith and Springboks star Pieter-Steph du Toit in Aichi.

Macpherson, who captained his country at the U20 World Championships in June, will return to Canberra upon the conclusion of the fourth League One season next May.  

The highly-touted youngster said: “I am extremely excited to be joining the Toyota Verblitz. I am looking forward to meeting all the supporters and learning about the awesome Japanese culture, whilst becoming a better player through my experiences with the players and coaching staff.”

Steve Hansen and Ian Foster’s talent-rich Toyota squad has already been bolstered by the additions of Japan centre Nicholas McCurran, Saitama fly-half Rikiya Matsuda, Black Rams’ utility-back Matt McGahan and NRL convert Joseph Manu.


The club also announced in October that Scot Richie Gray would be joining from URC champions Glasgow Warriors at the end of November.

RugbyJP exclusively revealed in June that an internal power struggle was taking place at the club in terms of recruitment between Hansen and Foster with one favouring a high-profile international lock and the other preferring to invest in a top-class international 10.

Ultimately, both former All Blacks coaches got their way with the free-spending Nagoya outfit continuing their lavish spending spree from recent seasons which has yet to bear fruit.

Toyota, who finished a disappointing seventh last season, has since signed two experienced fly-halves in Japan-qualified McGahan and seasoned Japan international Matsuda while former British and Irish Lion Gray and one of Australia’s best prospects in Macpherson are impressive second-row options.

Hansen’s team starts their 2024-25 League One campaign against former champions Kubota Spears on Sunday 22 December at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo.  

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