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 Andrew MCKIRDY

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Andrew MCKIRDY
Andrew McKirdy is a sports writer for The Japan Times. His main beat is soccer, but he has also covered rugby, tennis, volleyball, golf and even tug-of-war. A native of the Scottish Borders, he has written for The Scotsman newspaper and organized filming for a program on Japanese soccer for ITV television.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Mar 4, 2017
Reds bounce back against Cerezo
Urawa Reds picked up their first points of the new J. League season with a 3-1 win over Cerezo Osaka on Saturday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Mar 2, 2017
Private country club must equalize membership rules to host Olympic golf competition: IOC
Kasumigaseki Country Club will be stripped of hosting the Tokyo 2020 Olympic golf tournament if it does not allow women to become full members, the International Olympic Committee warned on Thursday.
Japan Times
Rugby
Feb 25, 2017
Sunwolves crushed in Super Rugby opener
The Sunwolves were handed a rude welcome to their second Super Rugby season with an 83-17 thrashing by the defending champion Hurricanes on Saturday.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Feb 24, 2017
Antlers looking to defend J. League crown
The following is second of a two-part preview for the upcoming J. League season. Team-by-team previews of the nine highest-ranking teams competing in the first division are listed.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Feb 23, 2017
Cerezo target J. League upset
The following is the first of a two-part preview for the upcoming J. League season. Team-by-team previews of the nine lowest-ranking teams competing in the first division are listed.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Feb 22, 2017
Antlers enter new campaign hungry for more success
Kashima Antlers' phenomenal end to last season has whetted, not sated, their appetite for more success, insists manager Masatada Ishii.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Feb 21, 2017
Okubo eager to ignite offense, make impact for FC Tokyo
New FC Tokyo striker Yoshito Okubo admits that he feels "anxious" unless he is scoring goals, but the capital city club will be hoping to see him unwind over the coming J. League season as it goes in search of its first title.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Feb 20, 2017
Vissel aiming for the stars with or without Podolski
Vissel Kobe's reported summer move for former Germany striker Lukas Podolski has made global headlines, but manager Nelsinho believes the players already at the club can lay the foundations for a J. League title challenge this season.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Feb 19, 2017
Urawa determined to turn 'moral victory' into real triumph
Urawa Reds manager Mihailo Petrovic has vowed to use the pain of last season's J. League championship collapse to fuel his players' fire in 2017, but still believes his team was last year's "moral winner."
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League
Feb 18, 2017
Suzuki leads Antlers past Reds in Fuji Xerox Super Cup
Substitute Yuma Suzuki scored an 83rd-minute winner as J. League champions Kashima Antlers maintained their dominance over Urawa Reds with a 3-2 victory in the Fuji Xerox Super Cup on Saturday.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Feb 1, 2017
Tokyo Olympic chiefs call on public to recycle smartphones to make medals
Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic organizers are urging people living in Japan to help make the medals for the games by donating their discarded smartphones for recycling.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Society
Jan 24, 2017
Japan Golf Council urges new Olympic venue over female membership ban
The Japan Golf Council urges Tokyo 2020 Olympic organizers to move the event's golf competition away from a country club in Saitama Prefecture, even if the venue changes its rules and allows women to become full members.
Japan Times
Rugby
Jan 19, 2017
Joseph urges Japan to look toward future, forget 2015
Japan rugby head coach Jamie Joseph on Thursday urged the Brave Blossoms to forget about their 2015 World Cup heroics and focus on rebuilding for the 2019 tournament on home soil.
Japan Times
Rugby
Jan 15, 2017
Rugby star Pocock preparing to swap Japan for African wilderness
Australian rugby star David Pocock has enjoyed locking horns with the big beasts of Japan's Top League since joining the Panasonic Wild Knights in December.
Japan Times
SOCCER / J. League / J. LEAGUE NOTEBOOK
Jan 11, 2017
Seasoned veterans in demand in J. League offseason
The J. League's new 10-year, ¥210 billion broadcasting deal may not have led to any big-name overseas signings just yet, but there has been plenty of action on the domestic transfer front as clubs retool for the coming season.
Japan Times
JAPAN / GEARING UP FOR THE GAMES
Jan 2, 2017
Tokyo 2020 Olympics will come and quickly go, but the legacy is all-important
The eyes of the world will be on Tokyo for more than just the 16 days that it hosts the 2020 Olympics.
Japan Times
JAPAN
Dec 22, 2016
Tokyo Olympics organizers settle on price tag for 2020 Games, eye further cost-cutting
Tokyo Olympic organizers on Wednesday slapped a first official price tag of ¥1.6 to ¥1.8 trillion on the 2020 Games.
Japan Times
SOCCER / SOCCER SCENE
Dec 21, 2016
Japan may have to wait for more Club World Cup heroics
Kashima Antlers showed how far Japanese soccer has come when they gave Real Madrid a mighty scare in the Club World Cup final last Sunday, but it may be some time before a J. League champion gets to take advantage of Japan hosting the tournament again.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 19, 2016
Antlers hold heads high after Club World Cup final near-miss against Real Madrid
Kashima Antlers manager Masatada Ishii hailed his team as an inspiration for the little guy after the J. League champions went down fighting 4-2 against Real Madrid in the Club World Cup final on Sunday.
Japan Times
SOCCER
Dec 18, 2016
Ronaldo hat trick sends Real Madrid past Kashima in Club World Cup final
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick as Real Madrid shook off a monumental effort from Kashima Antlers to lift the Club World Cup with a 4-2 extra-time win in Sunday's final.

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