New Zealand-Born Teacher Brings Rugby Journey Full Circle at Japanese High School

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In February, Brendan Neilson, a coach at Sendai Ikuei High School in Miyagi Prefecture, stood on the school's athletic field in Tagajo, watching over rugby practice.

Partway through training, one of the players called out clearly: "Sensei, I didn't understand part of the practice menu. Could you explain it again?"

Neilson, 48, calmly went over the instructions once more. Moments later, the mood shifted. The players snapped into motion, and the session came alive.

A Lighthearted Start

School club activities are among the factors behind Japan's long teacher working hours. At the same time, many schools are struggling with a shrinking pool of young athletes as the birthrate declines. In that environment, foreign-born coaches are beginning to play a supporting role on the front lines.

Neilson, a native of New Zealand, first came to Sendai Ikuei as an exchange student in 1993. As a second-year student, he played in the National High School Rugby Tournament in Osaka Prefecture. And he drew attention as "the first foreign student at Hanazono," Japan's top high school rugby stage.

He went on to play university rugby before joining NEC, where he won a national title. He was also selected for the Japan national team. After marrying, he acquired Japanese citizenship. Following his retirement as a player, he returned to his alma mater, where he now teaches social studies and leads the rugby team.

He did not come to Japan 33 years ago out of some grand ambition.

"I didn't want to move to the Middle East, where my father was relocating for work. Then the chance to study abroad came up, and I jumped at it," Neilson recalled.

Japan meant he could keep playing rugby. Beyond that, he admits, his expectations were lighthearted: maybe he would even get to see "ninjas or samurai."

'Don't Lose to a Foreigner'

Sendai at the time still had few foreign residents, and Neilson says he felt people looking at him as a curiosity. During matches, jeers would sometimes come from the stands: "Don't lose to some foreigner."

Competitive by nature, Neilson did not take it quietly.

"I'd tackle them while shouting, 'Don't call me a foreigner,' " he said.

Hirotaka Tanno, 60, his coach at the time and later a mentor, also remembers the hostility.

"People would call my house and say, 'Are you trying to win by using a foreigner? Do you want to get to Hanazono that badly?' That happened over and over," he said.

*Brendan Neilson, center, speaks to players during a National High School Rugby Tournament match at Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Higashiosaka, Osaka Prefecture, in December 2025.*

From Player to Teacher

Neilson's bright, persistent personality also proved a natural fit for Japan.

"He made a real effort to adapt to Japanese culture," Tanno said. "He picked up Japanese mixed with the local dialect from his host family, and his honest, straightforward attitude changed the people around him."

When Tanno stepped down after the 2020 school year, he entrusted the team to Neilson.

It is not unusual for school clubs to bring in foreign-born coaches on a contract basis. But it is rare for someone from overseas to be hired as a full faculty member, teach classes, and coach a team. After retiring as a player, Neilson returned to university and earned a teaching license.

As a coach, he puts his students' growth first. He wants to preserve the best parts of Japan's school club culture while eliminating practices he considers unreasonable.

One rule is non-negotiable: "I will never punish students through collective responsibility," he says.

He teaches his students to respect Japanese culture and rules, while also recognizing the value of different ways of thinking.

"As a teacher, being able to bring Japanese and overseas cultures together would be ideal," Neilson says. "I may still look foreign, but inside, I'm Japanese. That is a feeling I want to hold on to."

Recruited From Sporting Powerhouses

Foreign-born coaches have become more visible at Japanese high schools and universities only in recent years.

Some, like Neilson, first came to Japan as international students, stayed on, and later became coaches. Others have been recruited from countries known as powerhouses in their sport by schools looking to strengthen their athletic programs.

Foreign-born athletes and coaches have also shaped other Japanese sports.

Stephen Mayaka, 53, came to Japan from Kenya in 1990 as a track athlete and enrolled at the high school affiliated with Yamanashi Gakuin University. He later advanced to the university itself, where he made his name in the Hakone Ekiden. After running for a corporate team, he is now the general manager of J. F. Oberlin University's ekiden team.

Badminton offers another example. Imam Tohari, 50, who came from Indonesia, coached Kento Momota at Tomioka Daiichi Junior High School and Tomioka High School in Fukushima, helping build the foundation for Momota's rise to world champion.

In table tennis, Rui Nakazawa, 46, who was appointed head coach of Japan's women's national team last year, was born in China. He was first invited to Shitennoji Junior and Senior High School in Osaka, where he helped develop players, including Kasumi Ishikawa, who went on to become an Olympic medalist.