Daisuke Ohata

Daisuke Ohata
大畑大介

Ohata in 2015
Date of birth	(1975-11-11) 11 November 1975 (age 48)
Place of birth	Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
Height	176 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight	82 kg (181 lb)
University	Kyoto Sangyo University
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing, Centre Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1998–2002 Kobe Steel () 2003 Clermont Montferrand[1] 2 (20) 2003–2011 Kobelco Steelers 67 (210) International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1996–2006 Japan 58 (345) Correct as of 25 November 2006 National sevens team Years Team Comps –1996 Japan 13

Daisuke Ohata (大畑大介, Ōhata Daisuke, born November 11, 1975) is a former Japanese rugby union player. He usually played on the wing, and sometimes at centre, for the Japanese national team. He made his name internationally as a speedy ace in the World Rugby Sevens Series (then known as the IRB World Sevens Series), and went on to become a regular member of the national team. He first played for Japan on November 9, 1996, and scored three tries that day. He is the leading rugby union test try scorer of all time. In November 2016, Ohata was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame at the opening ceremony for the Hall's first physical location in Rugby, Warwickshire.^[2][3]

Ohata was born in Osaka and speaks with a strong Kansai accent. He attended rugby nurseries Tokai Dai Gyosei High School with Koji Uehara and Yoshinori Tateyama, where the three were classmates, and Kyoto Sangyo University.^[4]

On 14 May 2006, Ohata scored three tries for Japan against Georgia at Hanazono Stadium, in doing so claiming the world record for tries in rugby test matches.^[5] This gave him sixty-five tries for his country in fifty-five tests; he has since extended his record to sixty-nine tries from fifty-eight tests.^[6] The record was previously held by David Campese of Australia, who scored 64 tries from 101 tests. Brian Habana of South Africa eclipsed Campese's record with 67 tries (124 caps), the last one coming in 2016. However, unlike Campese and Habana, only a quarter of Ohata's tries were scored against major rugby union playing nations, causing controversy in some media.^[7]

Ohata did not take part in the Rugby World Cup 2007, as he had ruptured his left Achilles tendon in an August practice match against Portugal. He had only just returned that month to the national side, having recovered from a right Achilles tendon rupture in January.^[8]

In January 2011 Ohata's retirement was announced. Ohata, being 35-years-old, stated: “It's sad that it ended like this but I think I have had a good career. I feel I have left my mark as a rugby player.”^[9]

Ohata is one of prominent Pro Sportsman No.1 competitors during early 2000's tenure, as he particularly shined in the 2001 and 2003 Pro Sportsman tournaments, achieves No.1 in said tournaments. He also earned New World Record of Shot-Gun-Touch event at the time by achieving 13m40cm.

• List of leading rugby union test try scorers

• "Ohata deserves his place in the record books", Daily Yomiuri, May 16, 2006
• "Ohata sets new world mark", Daily Yomiuri, May 15, 2006
• Photo of Ohata - JRFU website
• Article on JRFU website
• Daisuke Ohata at ESPNscrum
• Daisuke Ohata at the World Rugby Men's Sevens Series (archived)