Hitoshi Ono

Who is Hitoshi Ono?

Hitoshi Ōno is a Japanese rugby player. He plays at lock for the Japan national rugby union team. He is nicknamed the "Iron Man".

Ono started playing rugby after converting from baseball at Nihon University where he was studying to become a firefighter. However he changed career and joined Toshiba Brave Lupus in 2001, who he has gone onto win the Top League four times with.

He made his international debut for Japan in 2004 against Korea. He became a regular member of the national team from there onwards and represented his country at both the 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cup. Since Eddie Jones took over as Japan coach in 2012, he hasn't missed an international match and has become the third most capped player for Japan of all time.

After the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, Ono's family dairy farm suffered greatly, and alongside prop Kensuke Hatakeyama who lost his home Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami he was named honorary captain for the Asian 5 Nations match with the UAE by coach John Kirwan to mark the team's solidarity for the cause.