People : The Former Captain of the Rugby Team
Mr. Takamichi Sasaki

Born in Osaka prefecture, 1983. Graduated from Keikogakuen High School. This spring graduated from the School of Human Sciences at Waseda. His hobbies are shopping and snowboarding. His motto is “20 percent talent, 80 percent effort”. Now he's playing an active part in the “Top League”.

His occasional sharp glances made us feel the charisma that kept together a team of 144 members. “Team Sasaki” was disbanded after the match with Toshiba-Fuchu (the third round of the Japan Championship) on February 19. “It was sort of sad when it all ended”, he says, and his smile too shows a touch of sadness.

Mr. Sasaki started rugby in junior high school, and gradually rose to be a top rugby player. However, at various turning points he asked himself, “Should I stop playing rugby? I don't want to be someone who can only play rugby. Maybe there're other things I can do.” Again, since he was a freshman he has been number eight on the regular team, and was on the winning team in the Kanto University competition four times. However, in spite of his outstanding achievements, he said, “Although as a team we won, I thought there were a lot of people who played better than I did.” Stimulated by such regrets, he continued setting challenges for himself. It's probably his endless struggle for betterment which has made Mr. Sasaki what he is.

Last year, before the season started, he went to Australia to study rugby for a short period. Compared with conditions there, he realized how comfortable it was in Waseda, and how lucky the team was. At that time he renewed his resolve not to "complain about our conditions and surroundings."

“I didn't feel at all the pressure of the five consecutive championship matches.” The previous tradition of top-down communication changed when he became a senior. He began to ask team members' opinions, considered everyone's personality, and tried to understand all of them. He felt especially close to the 34 seniors, his classmates. “This year the team had excellent underclassmen. However, their skills were able to shine because of the seniors,” he said.

The match that made the biggest impression on him was the victory over Toyota Motors Co. (the second round of the Japan Championship). In the interview after the game, he said, “I want to continue to play rugby with these guys as long as possible.” This feeling united “Team Sasaki” until the end of the season.

“In the future as a rugby player I'll continue to try to raise my level of play and do my best for the development of Japanese rugby”. He has made a further step in the direction of Mr. Kiyomiya, the former coach, whom he respects immensely.