Michael Leitch height - How tall is Michael Leitch?

There is a statue of Leitch in one of the communal parks in Tokyo. During the 2019 World Cup it has been a popular place for fans to have their photos taken.

For the 2018 season, Leitch moved to the Sunwolves, the Japanese Super Rugby team.

He is the current captain of the Japan national team and led them to "the biggest shock in Rugby World Cup history" as part of the team that defeated South Africa in 2015. Japan achieved a similar feat under Leitch's leadership in the 2019 World Cup as hosts, when they beat Ireland, ranked second in the world at that time, 19-12. Also in the 2019 World Cup Japan defeated Scotland to qualify for the knockout stages for the first time ever.

He was appointed Japan captain by coach Eddie Jones in April 2014, becoming the second New Zealand-born player to lead the Brave Blossoms after Andrew McCormick in the 1990s.

He moved back to New Zealand after being named in the Hamilton-based Chiefs wider training squad for 2013, but was denied the chance to play after breaking an arm. In his first match back from injury, playing for Japan against Fiji in June, he broke a leg. He got a second chance with the Chiefs, signing a contract with the side for the 2015 Super Rugby season.

He impressed in the 2011 Rugby World Cup and was praised as one of Japan's best forwards, winning 'man of the match' in the loss to Tonga, where he scored a try and made a try-saving tackle on Siale Piutau. After the World Cup he joined the Toshiba Brave Lupus in the Top League. In his first season he was named in the league's team of the season and given the award of "revelation of the season" at the end of the season awards. He followed this up by being named in the team of the season for a second season in 2012/2013.

After finishing school he attended Tokai University and in 2008 captained the Japan U20 team at the Junior World Championship. He became a Japanese citizen in 2013 and officially inverted his name in Japanese from Michael Leitch to Leitch Michael.

He made his test match debut for Japan in 2008 against the USA in Nagoya aged 20, receiving a yellow card in that game for a dangerous tackle. He quickly established himself as a regular member of the national side. His first try came against Kazakhstan in April 2009.

Leitch was born in Burwood, Christchurch, New Zealand, to a European New Zealander father and a Fijian mother. He was raised in Christchurch where he attended St Bede's College. In 2004, at the age of 15, he went to Sapporo Yamanote High School in Sapporo, Japan, as part of St Bede's school exchange program.

Michael Leitch (リーチ マイケル , Rīchi Maikeru, born 7 October 1988, né Michael Geoffrey Leitch) is a Japanese rugby union player who plays in the back row for the Sunwolves in Super Rugby and captains the Japan national team. Leitch was born in New Zealand and moved to Japan as a teenager.