Career
He plays at lock for the Japan national rugby union team He is nicknamed the "Iron Manitoba". Ono started playing rugby after converting from baseball at Nihon University where he was studying to become a firefighter.
He made his international debut for Japan in 2004 against of Korea.
Since Eddie Jones took over as Japan coach in 2012, he hasn"t missed an international match and has become the most capped player for Japan of all time. After the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, Ono"s family dairy farm suffered greatly, and alongside prop Kensuke Hatakeyama who lost his home, he was named honorary captain for the Asian 5 Nations match with the United Arab Emirates by coach John Kirwan to mark the team"s solidarity for the cause.
