Kaito Shigeno

Kaito Shigeno
Date of birth	21 November 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth	Osaka, Japan
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight	75 kg (11 st 11 lb; 165 lb)
School	Gonokawa High School
University	Daito Bunka University
Rugby union career
Position(s)
Position(s)	Scrum-Half
Current team	Toyota Verblitz
Amateur team(s)
Years	Team
2015	Ponsonby
Senior career
Years	Team
2013–2017	NEC Green Rockets
2015	Auckland
2016–2019	Sunwolves
2018–	Toyota Verblitz
	Correct as of 21 February 2021
International career
Years	Team
2016–present	Japan
	Correct as of 21 February 2021

Kaito Shigeno (茂野海人, Shigeno Kaito, born 21 November 1990) is a Japanese international rugby union player who plays in the scrum-half position.^[1] He captains Toyota Verblitz in Japan's domestic Japan Rugby League One.^[2]

Early and provincial career

Shigeno was born in Osaka Prefecture but attended university in Tokyo after which he joined the NEC Green Rockets ahead of the 2013–14 Top League season.^{[citation needed]} In 2015, he spent a year in New Zealand playing for Ponsonby in the local Auckland league after which he earned selection for Auckland's squad for the 2015 ITM Cup where he made 6 appearances.^[3]

Super Rugby career

Shigeno was selected as a member of the first ever Sunwolves squad ahead of the 2016 Super Rugby season. He played 11 matches in their debut campaign and scored 1 try.^[3]^[4]

International

Shigeno earned his first cap for Japan in a match against Canada in Vancouver during the 2016 mid-year rugby union internationals and followed it up with 2 more appearances in Japan's home series against Scotland which was played in Toyota and Tokyo. His first try for his country came in his third appearance, a 21–16 defeat to Scotland.^[1]