Japan's Yamaha Jubilo rugby club is releasing all its players as part of cost-cutting measures by the team's owners Yamaha Motors.

The team said on Monday that all 17 professionals, including nine foreigners, would be let go. The team will still compete in the pro league but will be made up solely of company employees.

Yamaha is the latest Japanese auto company to cut back its involvement in sports-related business amid the global financial crises.

Two weeks ago Toyota, the world's largest automaker, withdrew its team from Formula One.

Honda pulled out of F1 a year ago, while Subaru and Suzuki withdrew from the World Rally Championship ahead of the 2009 season.

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