Sport + Motorsport
Two Japanese players from the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights will join the Southland Stags for the 2026 NPC season, extending a sister-city relationship between Invercargill and Kumagaya City that has been running since 1993.
Hayata Taniyama and Takaya Saito, both from the Wild Knights, are heading south — adding experience and depth to a Stags squad that has plenty to prove this season.
Head coach Scott Eade framed it as more than a one-way deal. "This partnership creates a genuine two-way opportunity for player development, providing players from Kumagaya and Southland with a meaningful pathway to experience and grow across our unique cultures and team environments. We're excited to welcome both Takaya and Hayata into our team. Their professionalism and experience will aid in the development of both them and the players around them in our squad."
Saito featured prominently for the Wild Knights during the 2025/26 Japan Rugby League One season. He said he was not coming to take it easy. "My goal is to make every single day count alongside Hayata, pushing the limits both on and off the field."
In full, Saito said: "I am very excited to announce that I will be joining the SBS Bank Southland Stags this year. Sincere gratitude goes out to everyone at Rugby Southland and Wild Knights for giving me this opportunity."
Taniyama was equally direct about his intentions. "Challenging myself in such a high-performance environment is an absolute privilege, and I will give my absolute best to ensure strong results and make a difference for the team."
He added: "This upcoming July brings the exciting news that I will be joining the SBS Bank Southland Stags. A massive thank you goes to the staff and management of both Rugby Southland and Wild Knights for putting in all the hard work for this opportunity."
The Invercargill–Kumagaya sister-city link is one of the older such arrangements in New Zealand, and this is not the first time it has produced a rugby connection. But landing two players from one of Japan's top clubs at once is a step up. The Stags get proven talent. The Wild Knights get a development pathway. Southland rugby, at least on paper, gets both.