ＲＵＧＢＹ　ＪＥＲＳＥＹ

 (Written by Azul: August 14, 2025)

The Japan Women’s National Rugby Team’s test match was held on July 26, 2025, at Chichibu Memorial Rugby Stadium in Minato Ward, Tokyo, so I went to watch it.

This year, the 10th Women’s RWC will be held in England from August.

The Japan Women’s National Team, SAKURA 15, is currently ranked 11th in the world. In the preliminary pool, they are grouped with New Zealand (ranked 3rd in the world), Ireland (6th), and Spain (13th). Finishing in the top two of the preliminary pool will secure a spot in the knockout stage.

This match provided a valuable opportunity to face Spain’s Las Lonas, who are in the same preliminary pool as Japan in the RWC. There were 2 matches scheduled against the Spanish national team, and in the first test match held a week ago, the Japanese national team won with a score of 32-19. As both teams are ranked almost equally in the world rankings, a close match was expected in this second game as well. 

Now, let’s introduce the 2 teams competing in this match. 

First, let’s introduce the visiting team, the Spanish women’s national team, Las Leonas.

Currently ranked 13th in the world, the Spanish women’s national team has participated in the RWC 6 times in the past, with their highest ranking being 6th (in 1991). The Spanish women’s national team’s schedule for the RWC 2025 is as follows:

August 24: vs. New Zealand (ranked 3rd in the world) 

August 31: vs. Ireland (ranked 5th in the world)

September 7: vs. Japan National Team (World Ranking 11th)

Outlook for the Spanish National Team at the 2025 RWC:

In Pool C of the qualifiers, the New Zealand National Team stands out as the strongest, but the other 3 teams are closely matched in strength, so a fierce battle for the second spot to advance to the knockout stage is expected. The Spanish national team’s weakness lies in set plays, so how much they can improve in this area by the time RWC 2025 begins will be the key to advancing to the knockout stage. If they can secure the ball on equal terms, their backline’s finishing ability is on par with that of the powerhouses. 

The starting lineup for this day was as follows. 

SPAIN
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Spain Caps
1	Laura DELGADO	172cm	93kg	35	50
2	Marieta ROMAN	171cm	93kg	26	19
3	Sidorella BRACIC	164cm	83kg	32	24
4	Elena MARTINEZ	180cm	102kg	23	1
5	Louredes ARAMEDA	175cm	86kg	33	37
6	Ana PERARUTA	172cm	74kg	23	5
7	Nerea GARCIA	170cm	75kg	28	4
8	Alba CAPEL	164cm	80kg	21	26
9	Anne FERNANDEZ de Corres	157cm	61kg	27	31
10	Amalia ARGUDO	169cm	70kg	24	22
11	Claudia CANO	169cm	67kg	19	12
12	Zahia PEREZ	172cm	72kg	21	25
13	Claudia PENA	163cm	68kg	20	22
14	Tecla MASOKO	165cm	74kg	25	6
15	Lea DUCHER	168cm	68kg	23	6

A notable feature of the Spanish national team is the high number of under-25 backline players with caps. These players have a high level of experience in big games, so if the match comes down to a tactical battle, they are likely to showcase their strengths. 

＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊ 

Amalia ARGUDO. 169 cm, 70 kg, 24 years old. Position: SO. Spanish national team caps: 22. ARGUDO joined the world-renowned French rugby club Stade Toulousain at the age of 16. Despite facing intense competition in France and suffering from repeated shoulder injuries, she accumulated over 50 appearances for a top-tier club. She is also expected to be one of the most watched players in her position at the Rugby World Cup 2025. She possesses a wide range of line-breaking techniques, so she doesn’t simply pass the ball around. She breaks down the opposition through running plays and then builds attacks, so when the ball is supplied properly, she delivers stunning attacks. Keep an eye on this playmaker’s performance.

Next, an introduction to the Home Team, the Japanese Women’s Rugby National Team, SAKURA 15.

Currently, SAKURA 15 is ranked 11th in the world. This season, they defeated the USA National Team (ranked 10th in the world) in a test match on April 26 with a score of 39-33.

The schedule for the 2025 Rugby World Cup is as follows.

August 24: Ireland National Team (world ranking 5th) 

August 31: New Zealand National Team (world ranking 3rd) 

September 7: Spain National Team (world ranking 13th)

While the Spain National Team, which they will face on this day, aims to break through with individual skills, SAKURA 15 will build the game with organized teamwork. Since these 2 teams are scheduled to face each other directly in the 2025 World Cup, they will likely keep their offensive plays under wraps, but it is certain that both teams are aiming for victory. 

The starting lineup for this day was as follows. 

JAPAN
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Manami MINE	163cm	76kg	21	1
2	Asuka KUGE	163cm	75kg	30	1
3	Kazuko KITANO	166cm	65kg	25	7
4	Yuna SATO	170cm	75kg	26	10
5	Otoka YOSHIMURA	173m	75kg	24	8
6	Masami KAWAMURA	172m	66kg	26	4
7	Iroha NAGATA	167cm	62kg	26	20
8	Seina SAITO	164m	68kg	33	35
9	Moe TSUKUI	152cm	53kg	25	22
10	Minori YAMAMOTO	168cm	63kg	28	24
11	Mele Yua Habiri KAGAWA	169cm	64kg	23	2
12	Haruka HIROTSU	169cm	50kg	24	7
13	Mana FURUTA	167cm	68kg	27	18
14	Misaki MATSUMURA	165cm	58kg	20	0
15	Rinka MATSUDA	170cm	74kg	23	9

Looking at the Japanese national team’s starting lineup, the lack of national team caps compared to the Spanish national team is noticeable. While the average age is the same, it will be interesting to see if this lack of national team experience will affect the match on this day.

** Player to watch **

Mele Yua Habiri Kagawa. 169 cm, 64 kg, 23 years old. Position: WTB, CTB, back row. Japan caps: 2. Half-Japanese, half-Tongan player. He emerged as a rising star before the tournament and was selected as a starter at WTB in the final test match. Originally a forward player, she stands out for her physical strength and has the ability to secure gains and tries when she gets the ball. It will be interesting to see if she can continue to score tries in this test match.

The attendance for this match was 5,244, setting a new record for a Japanese women’s national team match.

Now, let’s begin the first half. 

In the first match, the Spanish national team, Las Leonas, conceded several tries to Japan’s maul attacks near their own in-goal area. Las Leonas reflected on this and made adjustments to their maul defense near their own in-goal area for this match. 

Even when SAKURA 15 formed a good maul near the try line, they struggled to make progress.

7 minutes into the first half:

However, SAKURA 15 continued to dominate the ball in the opponent’s territory and kept up their attack. Here, SAKURA 15 attempted to advance again with a maul from a lineout on the left side near the opponent’s in-goal area, but Las Leonas stopped them. However, SAKURA 15 then moved the ball to the right and finally scored a try with WTB MATSUMURA.

However, this try was disallowed because the ball had left his hands just before grounding.

13 minutes into the first half: 

SAKURA 15 continued to attack deep in the opponent’s territory but remained unable to score, a frustrating situation that persisted. However, Las Leonas also committed seven fouls in this short period, resulting in two players being temporarily sent off. SAKURA 15 took advantage of this numerical superiority, moving the ball from the right to the left corner, and finally WTB KAGAWA scored a try in the left corner of the opponent’s in-goal area.

The conversion kick after the try was unsuccessful, leaving the score at 5-0, with SAKURA 15 taking the lead.

28 minutes into the first half:

In this match, SAKURA 15 was stable in set plays, but the problem was the dense formation When SAKURA 15 was in the dense formation , the supporting players were noticeably slow, which slowed down the tempo of the continuous attacks.

However, in the battle for the center of the field, SAKURA 15 took the lead with its speed of play and few mistakes. SAKURA 15’s FL NAGATA functioned well as a link player, passing the ball to the backs, and when the ball reached WTB KAGAWA at the 10-meter line of the opponent’s territory, KAGAWA ran nearly 20 meters and scored her second try of the day in the left corner of the opponent’s in-goal area.

The conversion kick after the try was missed, leaving the score at 10-0.

The first half ended with this score. Las Leonas had the advantage in contact situations, but handling errors prevented them from scoring. In the second half, Las Leonas could try to make a comeback and turn the game around?

Then, the second half began.

8 minutes into the second half:

Even in the second half, Las Leonas’ handling errors were noticeable. In the scrum, they were slow to release the ball and couldn’t establish a rhythm. Las Leonas secured the ball in a scrum deep in their own territory, and the scrum half attempted a box kick, but SAKURA 15’s flanker NAGATA charged in, stole the ball, and scored a try in the middle of the opponent’s in-goal area.

The conversion kick after the try was successful, bringing the score to 17-0.

11 minutes into the second half:

At this point, Las Leonas’ passing improved, and their continuous attacks began to function. Las Leonas advanced deep into the left side of the opponent’s territory, where SAKURA 15 committed a foul. Las Leonas advanced their territory with a penalty kick, approached the opponent’s try line, and gained a chance for a lineout.

Las Leonas secured the ball, formed a maul, and advanced rapidly. Even when the maul collapsed, FL Garcia scored a try in the left center of the opponent’s in-goal area with a vertical attack by the forwards.

The conversion kick after the try was unsuccessful, but the score became 17-5. Las Leonas scored their first points of the match.

17 minutes into the second half:

After the try, SAKURA 15 entered the opponent’s territory and gradually advanced, approaching the try line. As in the first half, Las Leonas’ defense in front of the in-goal area was solid, but they committed a foul in front of the goalposts. SAKURA 15 opted for a penalty goal, which SO YAMAMOTO converted, bringing the score to 20-5.

20 minutes into the second half:

At this point, both teams changed 4-5 substitution players. SAKURA 15 entered the opponent’s territory from the restart kickoff, and the substitute players were dynamic, breaking through the line one after another and approaching the opponent’s in-goal area. SAKURA 15 moved the ball to the right, and WTB MATSUMURA scored a try in the right corner of the opponent’s in-goal area.

The conversion kick after the try was unsuccessful, but the score became 25-5.

25 minutes into the second half:

Las Leonas entered the opponent’s territory and, from around the halfway line, the backs  players used long passes and running plays to break through the line and gain ground to just before the opponent’s try line. They then formed a scrum in front of the try line, and finally, substitute hooker JOU scored a try in the right center of the opponent’s in-goal area.

The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 25-12. 

As demonstrated in this attack, Las Leonas have fast-moving backs players and powerful forwards who can score tries without wasting time when they get close to the try line. This attack showed that they will be formidable opponents in the RWC.

30 minutes into the second half:

From the restart kickoff, SAKURA 15 entered the opponent’s territory, and the substitute players took the lead in breaking down the opponent’s defense and advancing.

Then, after the opponent committed a foul, they chose a penalty kick, secured the ball from the lineout, formed a maul, and advanced quickly, with substitute hooker KOKAJI scoring a try in the right center of the opponent’s in-goal area.

The conversion kick after the try was unsuccessful, but the score became 30-12.

35 minutes into the second half:

Towards the end of the match, Las Leonas increased the speed of their back line attack. They were able to connect fast, long passes from the scrum half to the fly half, center, and wing, captivating the audience with their skill. Las Leonas broke through the line and advanced toward the try line in the opposition’s end zone. In the scrum in front of the in-goal area, SAKURA 15 showed more resilience in defense than before, but in the end, lock ARAMEDA scored a try with brute force.

The conversion kick after the try was successful, bringing the score to 30-19.

The match ended with this score.

While SAKURA 15 secured a convincing victory, Las Leonas demonstrated their sharpness when their attacking strategies were executed effectively. The upcoming match on September 7 at the RWC 2025 is highly anticipated, and we look forward to another thrilling contest. 

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul:August 3, 2025)

The third match of the Japan national rugby team’s test match series was held at NOEVIR Stadium in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, on July 12, 2025. The kickoff time on the day of the match was 2:30 PM, during the hottest part of the summer day. The temperature inside the stadium felt like over 33 degrees Celsius. 

On this day, the stadium’s retractable roof was closed, so direct sunlight was avoided, but it was still quite hot. In this heat, not only the players but also the spectators were tested for their endurance against the heat. Although the NOEVIR Stadium reportedly uses air conditioning, it was not at all cool. 

Let us now review the Japan national team’s test matches so far this season. 

	Date	Opponent	match venue	Result
1	6/28	Maori All Blacks	Tokyo	２０－５３●
2	7/5	Wales	Kitakyushu	２４－１９〇
3	7/12	Wales	Kobe
4	8/30	Canada	Sendai
5	10/25	Australia	Tokyo
6	11/8	Ireland	Dublin
7	11/15	Wales	Cardiff
8	11/22	Georgia

In last week’s match, the Japan national rugby team defeated Wales, finally securing a victory against a top-ranked team. As a result, the Japan national team’s world ranking rose from 14th to 12th. The test match against Wales was the second consecutive match following last week’s game. Can they maintain last week’s momentum and secure another victory against Wales this week?

The attendance for the day was 25,074.

Now, let’s introduce the two teams competing on this day.

First, the Visitor Team, Wales.

The Wales national rugby team, nicknamed the Red Dragons, is one of the 4 traditional nations of the British Home Unions and a world-class powerhouse. Their first Test Match was in 1881 against England. As of this day, they are ranked 12th in the world. Their highest ranking in the RWC was 3rd. From the match against Argentina on October 14, 2023, to the match against Japan on July 5, 2025, they suffered an unprecedented 18 consecutive Test Match losses, resulting in their worst-ever world ranking. Will they be able to put an end to this disgraceful losing streak in the test match against Japan on this day?

The starting lineup for this match was as follows.

WALES
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Wales Caps
1	Nicky SMITH	180cm	116kg	31	55
2	Dewi LAKE	185cm	114kg	26	19
3	Archie GRIFFIN	189cm	117kg	22	6
4	Freddie THOMAS	195cm	117kg	23	1
5	Teddy THOMAS	198cm	118kg	24	6
6	Alex MANN	191cm	98kg	23	5
7	Josh MACLEOD	188cm	103kg	28	2
8	Aaron WAINWRIGHT	188cm	106kg	27	55
9	Kieran HARDY	185cm	89kg	29	25
10	Dan EDWARDS	178cm	83kg	22	2
11	Joshua ADAMS	185cm	94kg	30	61
12	Ben THOMAS	183cm	91kg	26	12
13	Johnny WILLIAMS	191cm	100kg	28	8
14	Thomas RODGERS	180cm	91kg	26	10
15	Blair MURRAY	173cm	75kg	23	8

As can be seen from the number of caps, the Welsh touring team for this match features many young players who are expected to lead the future of Wales. This situation is similar across all nations as they prepare for the next RWC.

** Player to watch **

Joshua Adams. 185 cm, 94 kg, 30 years old. Wales caps = 61. Position = WTB. He recorded the most tries in the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Wales’ playing style emphasizes open play more than Japan’s. Therefore, the wings are filled with players who have outstanding decision-making abilities. Adams is a world-class player who has made a name for himself globally. He makes accurate judgments in games, always gets involved in scoring opportunities, and when he gets the ball, he does the decisive work to score. He is truly a professional point scorer. In this game as well, every move Adams makes will be worth watching.

Next, the latest information on the home team, the Japanese national team, nicknamed the Brave Blossoms.

Last season, the team suffered a complete defeat against the top-ranked teams, and if they were to achieve similar results this season, it would affect the future of Head Coach Eddy Jones, according to some media reports, causing tension within the team. However, the Brave Blossoms broke the bad streak with their victory in the first match against Wales. The upcoming match will be a historic test match against a powerhouse nation, with the team aiming for consecutive victories. 

The starting lineup for the day was as follows. 

Brave Blossoms
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Yota KAMIMORI	172cm	105kg	26	1
2	Mamoru HARADA	175cm	101kg	26	11
3	Keijiro TAMEFUSA	180cm	108kg	23	10
4	Epineri　ULUIVITI	198cm	118kg	29	7
5	Warner DEARNS	201m	123kg	23	22
6	Michael LEITCH	189m	105kg	36	88
7	Jack CORNELSEN	195cm	110kg	30	21
8	Faulua MAKISI	187m	112kg	28	15
9	Naoto SAITO	165cm	75kg	27	24
10	Seungsin LEE	176cm	88kg	24	19
11	Halatoa VAILEA	187cm	105kg	26	1
12	Shogo NAKANO	186cm	100kg	28	8
13	Dylan RILEY	187cm	102kg	27	29
14	Kippei ISHIDA	167cm	75kg	25	1
15	Ichigo NAKAKUSU	174cm	84kg	25	1

Like Wales, the Brave Blossoms are also fielding many young players in preparation for the next RWC. Will any players step up and deliver a standout performance in this match? 

** Player to Watch **

Halatoa VAILEA. 187 cm, 105 kg, 26 years old. Position: WTB, CTB, FB, SO, No. 8. Born in Tonga. Graduated from Nippon Sport Science University. Club affiliation: Kubota SPARKS. A talented player who has been in the spotlight since his college days, he was finally selected for the Japanese national team this season. In addition to his natural physical strength, he has a proven track record as a place kicker and is a versatile player who can play both forward and back positions. In his debut for the Japanese national team in the recent match against Wales, he scored his first try, demonstrating his competitiveness and decisiveness. It will be exciting to see how he continues to grow in the future.

Now, let’s begin the first half. 

The match kicked off with the Brave Blossoms’ kickoff. 

9 minutes into the first half: 

Since last week’s match, the Brave Blossoms have begun to use short punts behind the opponent’s defense as one of their offensive tactics.

Both teams fought fiercely for possession of the ball. Here, Wales turned over the ball near the halfway line, moved to the left, broke through the enemy’s defense, passed to FB MURRAY, and finally passed to WTB ADAMS, who ran into the enemy’s in-goal area and scored a try in the left center of the in-goal area.

The conversion kick after the try was successful, bringing the score to 0-7, with Wales taking the lead.

19 minutes into the first half: 

In the first half, Wales had more time on the attack, while the Brave Blossoms had few opportunities to attack. However, during this period, the Brave Blossoms skillfully connected passes from near the halfway line, with FL LEITCH approaching the try line and exciting the crowd.

24 minutes into the first half:

Wales moved the ball from their own half, and WTB ADAMS carried it into the in-goal area, but he dropped the ball in front of him and was unable to score.

However, after a video review, it was determined that there had been a dangerous tackle during Wales’ attack, and the Brave Blossoms were awarded a penalty goal opportunity in front of the goalposts near the 10-meter line in the opponent’s half. Brave Blossoms’ SO LEE converted the kick, bringing the score to 3-7.

28 minutes into the first half:

Wales had been dominating with their passing game up to this point, but during this period, they shifted to a forward-based attack and made gains.

First, Wales advanced nearly 10 meters in a maul after a lineout with their own ball, then dominated the scrum and approached the enemy’s try line. 

Here, the Brave Blossoms committed a foul in the scrum, and Wales gained a lineout opportunity on the right side near the enemy’s try line. Wales then attempted to advance again with a maul attack and scored a try in the right center of the opponent’s in-goal area.

Wales had corrected the issues they had struggled with in set pieces the previous week. 

The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 3-14.

Brave Blossoms’ No. 8 MAKISI was temporarily sent off for 10 minutes due to a series of fouls during this attack and defense.

36 minutes into the first half:

Brave Blossoms was attacked by Wales, who took advantage of the fact that they were one man down due to the sending off.

First, Brave Blossoms was pushed back into their own territory after committing a foul in a scrum.

From there, Wales launched an attack, and WTB ADAMS, who received a pass on the left wing, showed off his high running skills, dodging 2 Brave Blossoms defenders with a swipe and breaking through the line. He then passed to SH HARDY, who had followed up, and HARDY scored a try right under the goalposts.

The conversion kick was successful, bringing the score to 3-21.

40 minutes into the first half: 

Here, the Brave Blossoms made an unusual move. Just before the end of the first half, they substituted all 3 players in the first row of the forward pack at once. Up to this point, Wales had dominated the game, so this substitution seemed to be a strong message from Head Coach Jones that he wanted to change the momentum of the game.

In the first scrum after the substitutions, the Brave Blossoms pushed through and drew a collapsing penalty from the opposition. The Brave Blossoms opted for a penalty kick, secured the ball from the lineout, and immediately launched an attack. The ball was passed from the No. 8 and CTB to the substitute prop TAKEUTI, who charged toward the opposition’s try line.

TAKEUTI was stopped by the Welsh defense just before the in-goal area, but he picked up the ball and charged again, scoring a try in the left center of the opponent’s in-goal area.

This spirited play by the Brave Blossoms in the final moments of the first half drew the loudest cheers of the day from the stadium.

The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 10-21.

The first half ended here. Will the Brave Blossoms be able to carry the momentum they gained at the end of the first half into the second half? The crowd at NOEBIA Stadium waited with bated breath as the teams headed into halftime.

Now, the second half begins.

The second half kicked off with Wales’ kickoff.

9 minutes into the second half: 

The Brave Blossoms changed their attacking strategy in the second half. Once they entered the opposition’s territory, they attempted to break through using passes instead of kicks.

The Brave Blossoms penetrated deep into the opposition’s territory but failed to score.

Wales then won a scrum in the opposition’s territory, forcing the opposition to commit a “Not Release the Ball” foul. Wales opted for a penalty goal, which was successfully converted by SO Edwards, bringing the score to 10-24.

The first score of the second half was scored by Wales.

19 minutes into the second half:

The game became evenly matched at this point. Both teams broke through the line during attacks, but the ball was turned over in a dizzying series of plays.

However, when Wales launched an attack from the left side, Brave Blossoms’ lock DEARNS charged the opposing kick, and the ball rolled deep into the enemy territory. Brave Blossoms secured the ball and advanced toward the enemy try line, leading to a scrum.

From there, Brave Blossoms lock DEARNS charged forward with the ball and secured it in the middle of the right side of the opponent’s in-goal area.

After video review, the try was awarded to Brave Blossoms. The conversion kick after the try was missed, but the score became 15-24.

22 minutes into the second half:

After the try, Wales restarted with a kickoff and continued their attacks in the enemy’s territory. However, due to the heat and humidity in the stadium, Wales’ SO EDWARDS dropped the ball, which was picked up by Brave Blossoms’ CTB RILEY, who ran more than 50 meters and scored a try right under the enemy’s goalposts. The conversion kick after the try was successful, narrowing the score to 22-24, a mere 2-point difference.

35 minutes into the second half:

As the match entered its final stages, both teams began to show signs of fatigue. Players began to cramp up, making it difficult to run, and both teams resorted to kicking the ball back and forth.

Amidst this, Wales crossed the 22-meter line in the opponent’s territory and launched a series of attacks with all their might.

The Brave Blossoms defended fiercely, but Wales’ determination prevailed, forming a numerical advantage on the left side of the field, and finally, SO EDWARDS scored a try in the left center of the opponent’s in-goal area. 

The conversion kick after the try was successful, bringing the score to 22-31. 

The match ended with this score, and Wales managed to stop their losing streak in test matches at 18. In the sweltering heat exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, this Wales vs. Japan test match ended with a 1-1 record. This fall, a match in Wales’ home stadium is scheduled, where the outcome will be decided. Which team will emerge victorious in the third match? We look forward to an exciting contest.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: July 17, 2025)

The Japanese domestic league period has come to an end, and from now on through the fall, Japan’s national teams will be competing against foreign teams in national test matches.

The schedule for this season’s matches is as follows. As of now, eight matches have been arranged.

	Date	Opponent	match venue	Result
1	6/28	Maori All Blacks	Tokyo
2	7/5	Wales	Kitakyushu
3	7/12	Wales	Kobe
4	8/30	Canada	Sendai
5	10/25	Australia	Tokyo
6	11/8	Ireland	Dublin
7	11/15	Wales	Cardiff
8	11/22	Georgia

This season will be the second season of the Eddie JONES regime of the Japanese national rugby team. Looking back on last season, the Brave Blossoms, Japan’s national rugby team, lost all of their matches against teams ranked higher than them in the world. If this trend continues this season, there is a possibility that HC JONES, who is regarded as one of the world’s best general managers, will be ousted from his post.

On Saturday, June 28, I went to Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Minato-ku, Tokyo, to watch the first game of the season for the Japanese national team. The number of spectators on that day was about 19,000, showing the high expectations for the Japanese national team.

Today’s opponent was Maori All Blacks. Since this team is not the NZ national team, this match was not recognized as a test match.

However, the Japanese national team will also be playing as Japan XV, which means a selected Japanese team consisting mainly of young players.

Let me introduce the two teams that will play on this day.

First, let me introduce Maori All Blacks, the Visitor Team.

The Maori All Blacks are made up of players of Maori descent, the indigenous people of New Zealand. The Maori All Blacks have played most recently in the southern hemisphere winter, when the temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius, so they will be playing in the northern hemisphere in the middle of summer. The temperature in Tokyo on that day was over 30 degrees Celsius, and the players had to deal with a harsh temperature difference of over 20 degrees Celsius.

With only 1 match this season, how will Japan XV fare against this formidable opponent?

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

Maori All Blacks
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Club Team
1	Jared PROFIT	182cm	116kg	32	Chiefs
2	Kurt EKLUND	180cm	103kg	33	Blues
3	Kershawl SYKES-MARTIN	187cm	122kg	26	Crusaders
4	Isaia WALKER-LEAWERE	197cm	122kg	28	Hurricans
5	Laghlan MCWHANNELL	198cm	114kg	26	Blues
6	Tekamaka HOWDEN	193cm	109kg	23	Highlanders
7	Jahrome BROWN	189cm	105kg	25	Chiefs
8	Cullen GRACE	193cm	105kg	28	Crusaders
9	Sam NOCK	178cm	85kg	29	Blues
10	Rivez REIHANA	189cm	94kg	25	Crusaders
11	Jonah LOWE	182cm	100kg	25	Highlanders
12	Gideon WRAMPLING	188cm	102kg	23	Chiefs
13	Bailin SALIVAN	186cm	103kg	26	Hurricans
14	Cole FORBES	180cm	91kg	25	Blues
15	Zarn SALLIVAN	193cm	97kg	24	Blues

＊＊　Players to watch　＊＊

Rivez REIHANA. 189cm, 94kg, 25 years old. Position=SO, FB. he was selected as man of the match in the finals as he was in command of the Crusaders, the winning team of this season’s Super Rugby. He was also a member of the Maori All Blacks Japan Tour last season. He is an all-around SO player and led the Crusaders back to the championship after they had fallen to the bottom of the standings with the loss of NZ national team SO MOUNGA. A large and physical player, he will try to break through defenses with his run play when he sees a hole in them.

Next, I would like to introduce the home team, Japan XV.

The Brave Blossoms of Japan, who were eliminated from the preliminary pool at the RWC2023, have brought in Eddie JONES, a world-class coach, as their head coach since last season. However, the Brave Blossoms’ performance so far has not been good. Will the “super-fast rugby” advocated by Head Coach JONES really work in this match? Fans all over Japan will be watching the first game of the season.

The starting lineup for this day was as follows.

Japan XV
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Japan Caps
1	Kenta KOBAYASHI	181cm	115kg	26
2	Hayate ERA	170cm	106kg	24
3	Shuhei TAKEUCHI	183cm	115kg	27	7
4	Epineri　ULUIVITI	198cm	118kg	29	4
5	Waisake RARATUBUA	193m	118kg	27
6	Vueti TUPOU	190m	115kg	25
7	Kanji SHIMOKAWA	188cm	105kg	26	12
8	Keito AOKI	187cm	110kg	23
9	Kenta FUKUDA	173cm	80kg	28	1
10	Sam GREENE	178cm	85kg	30
11	Kazuma UEDA	177cm	87kg	23
12	Charlie LAWRENCE	171cm	92kg	27	NZ 7th
13	Siosaia FIFITA	187cm	105kg	27	16
14	Main TAIRA	180cm	91kg	25	1
15	Jingo TAKENOSHITA	180cm	86kg	21

** Players to watch **

Sam GREENE. 178 cm, 85 kg, 30 years old. Position = SO. Club = Shizuoka Blue Revs. Born in Australia. He has been active in the Blue Revs, but has often played in the middle of the game due to foreign player quotas. With the revision of the League One rules this season, his playing opportunities increased dramatically, leading to his selection as a candidate for the Japan national team this season. One of the characteristics of his play was that he can keep longer time with the ball after receiving a pass, and opponents often found it difficult to read what he was going to do next, making it difficult for him to respond. I hope that he will adapt to the Japan national team at an early stage and become a pillar of SO, which is said to have a thin player pool.

Now, let’s start the first half.

The match of the day was played under the blazing sun in mid-summer, extremely harsh conditions for the players. In these matches, kicks tend to be used more often as the players get tired.

The use of the right kick, the accuracy of the kick, and the proper handling of the ball after it has been kicked are all important.

9 minutes into the first half:

Japan XV basically built their attack based on the current team’s principle of “super speed” (quick decision making, quick development). The ball was then quickly deployed in the left direction.

Japan XV quickly moved to the left. The ball was connected with the FW and BK, and the attack unfolded as Japan XV approached the enemy 22m line. Here, Japan XV’s WTB UEDA cut in, overcame the opposing defense, and scored a try to the left of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal was also successful, making the score 7-0, and Japan XV scored first.

20 minutes into the first half:

Japan XV was still in good physical shape, so they distributed the ball quickly and aggressively, and then attacked wide into the Maori All Blacks territory. They came close to the enemy try line, and Maori All Blacks did their best to defend and deny them a try. However, Japan XV took advantage of both the set play and the tight pack in this area, and a penalty kick was scored right in front of the goal posts. Japan XV’s SO GREENE made steady progress on this PG to make the score 10-0.

23 minutes into the first half:

From the restart kickoff, Maori All Blacks attacked into the enemy territory and continued strong contact play, gradually making progress.

Maori All Blacks came close to the enemy try line, but when they were unable to make a breakthrough in a tight battle, they quickly moved to the right, freed WTB Forbes on the right flank, and passed the ball to Forbes who scored a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was disallowed because the kicker REIHANA was over time. The score was 10-5.

28 minutes into the first half:

Maori All Blacks’ attack gradually began to connect, moving forward with strong contact play, and even after being tackled, they continued to attack with offload passes.

Finally, Maori All Blacks made a move from the center of the field to the left side, and CTB Rampling, running to the outside, scored a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed, and the score was 10-10 to Maori All Blacks.

32 minutes into the first half:

Japan XV took the restart kickoff and attacked into enemy territory, made a series of good tackles, won the ball, and approached the enemy try line.

Japan XV was now in a position to score, and they did just that, as the Maori All Blacks were able to hold off a relentless flank attack on the right side in front of the in-goal.

From there, Japan XV moved to the left and the ball was passed to WTB UEDA, who went into the in-goal, cut in, and grounded the ball near the goal posts for his second try of the day.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 17-10.

38 minutes into the first half:

Japan XV caught the restart kickoff and launched a daring counter attack from deep in their own 22m line. However, WTB TAIRA made a grievous knock-on in front of the goal post. Maori All Blacks then repeated the side attack from deep in front of the enemy try line, and hooker EKLUND scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, and the score was 17-15.

The first half ended with this score, and Japan XV went into the second half with a 2 point lead.

The match, which drew a crowd of nearly 20,000, showed the high expectations of the fans for the Japanese national rugby team. The first half was a high scoring affair, with both sides scoring in the first half, but could the Japan XV keep the momentum going? Or will the Maori All Blacks show their NZ rugby pride and pull off an upset victory?

Let’s start the second half.

3 minutes into the second half:

The Maori All Blacks were strong at the start of the second half. They pushed and won in every contact situation, and also succeeded in connecting a series of offload passes. Maori All Blacks lock MCWHANNELL powered the ball into the in-goal for a try.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 17-22.

To make matters worse for Japan XV, hooker ERA was fouled in the high tackle and sent off for 10 minutes.

10 minutes into the second half:

After a somewhat poor start, Japan XV moved into enemy territory, and about 30 meters directly in front of the goal posts, they drew a foul on their opponents, earning the right to a PG. Japan XV’s SO GREENE scored to make the score 20-22.

19 minutes into the second half:

At this time, Maori All Blacks began to use a lot of off-load passes when breaking the line, and Maori All Blacks’ tackling was getting outpaced by Japan XV, Maori All Blacks FB SALLIBAN scored a try right in the middle of the enemy in-goal. 

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 20-29.

26 minutes into the second half:

Japan XV, seeing this as the turning point between victory and defeat, showed a tenacious day defense, but the momentum of the attack tilted to Maori All Blacks’ side, Maori All Blacks kept up the passing and made steady progress.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 20-36.

25 minutes into the second half:

Maori All Blacks made it a rule in the second half that the player following the ball carrier would gain momentum and receive a pass. This allowed Maori All Blacks to continue to attack even when Japan XV made a tackle, and Japan XV began to spend more time defending. Maori All Blacks’ FL BROWN scored a try right in the middle of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 20-43.

32 minutes into the second half:

The score was already 23 points in favor of Maori All Blacks against Japan XV with less than 10 minutes left in the second half, and the game was almost decided. Maori All Blacks won the ball in a tight battle, and then came out of their own half, and were unstoppable. The try was scored by WTB HAUITI-PARAPARA, who ran solo from the 10-meter line and scored a try in the middle of the in-goal area.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but the score was 20-48.

41 minutes into the second half:

Toward the end of the game, both teams made a lot of handling errors due to the heat, but the Japan XV players’ errors were especially noticeable and their attack did not continue. Japan XV was unable to score, despite coming very close to the enemy try line.

Conversely, Japan XV was cut back by Maori All Blacks and was pinned down at once. Here, Maori All Blacks, after a series of FW side attacks on the right flank, took a big step to the left flank, and substitute FB TRUSK scored a try in the middle on the left.

The conversion goal after the try was unsuccessful, but Maori All Blacks held on to win by a score of 20-53. In the second half, Maori All Blacks scored 6 tries.

In contrast, Japan XV fought hard in the first half, but in the second half they were on the defensive, scoring only 1 PG.

This was the first game of the season for Japan XV, and with the poor results of the Eddie Jones regime from last season, the future of the national team is looking bleak.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: June 22, 2025)

On June 1, 2025, the Japan Rugby League One playoff final for the 2024-2025 season was held at the National Stadium in Shibuya, Tokyo.

This was the 4th season for League One, and the previous winners were as follows.

2022: SAITAMA Panasonic Wild Knights

2022-2023: KUBOTA Spears

2023-2024: TOSHIBA Brave Lupas

In the third-place match that preceded the final, KOBELCO Steelers (5th in the regular season) beat Panasonic Wild Knights (2nd in the regular season) by a score of 22-17.

And the combination for this final match is

TOSHIBA Brave Lupas (regular season 1st place) vs KUBOTA Spears (regular season 3rd place) .

The kickoff time was 15:05, the weather was cloudy, and the temperature was 24 degrees Celsius, making the conditions a bit humid. The final was played in front of 51,009 spectators, 80% of the National Stadium.

Here are the two teams that made it to the final.

First, an update on TOSHIBA Brave Lupas, last season’s champion and this season’s regular season’s 1st place finisher in League One.

Brave Lupas’ regular season record this season was 15 wins, 2 losses, and 1 draw. Their losses were 2 to the SHIZUOKA Blue Revs and 1 draw against the Panasonic Wild Knights. Looking at the losses, in the 2nd match against Blue Revs on April 12, the team lost by a double score of 26-56. In this match, they had already lost one game to Blue Revs, so even though it was a revenge chance for Brave Lupas, they were outplayed by Blue Revs. They were pushed at set pieces and were unable to stop the strong individual skills and breakthroughs of the Revs’ individual players. I personally was hoping for a 3rd matchup between the Blue Revs and Brave Lupas, but alas, the Revs lost in the 1st round of the playoffs, so we never got to see them face off in person. In this season’s League One, the teams are so close that the outcome would not be known until they actually played each other. It has been an exciting season for fans watching the games. Then, we were looking forward to seeing what would happen in this day’s match.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

TOSHIBA Brave Lupas
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Sena KIMURA	175cm	105kg	24
2	Mamoru　HARADA	175cm	101kg	25	Japan 10caps
3	Taufa LATU	183cm	120kg	26
4	Jacob　PIERCE	201cm	106kg	27
5	Warner　DEARNS	202cm	124kg	23	Japan 20caps
6	Shannon FRIZELL	195cm	114kg	30	New Zealand 33caps
7	Takeshi SASAKI	180cm	101kg	26
8	Michael LEITCH	189cm	113kg	35	Japan 87caps
9	Yuhei Sugiyama	169cm	76kg	27
10	Richie MO’UNGA	176cm	83kg	30	New Zealand  56caps
11	Yuto MORI	174cm	82kg	24
12	Taichi MANO	172cm	88kg	28
13	Rob THOMPSON	184cm	103kg	33
14	Michael COLINS	187cm	94kg	31
15	Takuro MATSUNAGA	172cm	82kg	26	Japan 4caps

Brave Lupas had almost the best lineup. Unfortunately, Japan’s national WTB, NAIKABULA, was unable to play in this final due to injury.

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Richie MO’UNGA is 175 cm, 80 kg, 30 years old. 56 caps for New Zealand. I have already introduced MOUNGA some times in this section, but he is a key player in Brave Lupas, and it is hard to imagine a victory for Spears without stopping him.

After winning 3 consecutive championships with the SUPER RUGBY Crusaders, he moved to Japan’s League One Brave Lupas and immediately became the MVP of last season’s championship, and if they win again this season, he will win his 5th consecutive championship. He is a player who can instantly spot an opening in the opposing team and move his own team freely, and even if he cannot find an opening, he can move on his own to make a precise breakthrough. In League One, MOUNGA has yet to reach its full potential.

The next team to advance to the finals was KUBOTA Spears.

In League One this regular season, they finished in 3rd place with 14 wins, 2 losses, and 2 draws. Their losing records were as follows

12/28: Wild Knights 26 – Spears 24

3/1: Brave Lupas 31 – Spears 27

All of the losses were close, but the Spears team is slowly improving towards the end of the season. The Spears have a consistent set play from their front row, which has kept them from falling too far behind in the standings.

When they play against teams with strong FWs, the margin will be very close, but when they dominate the FW game, we have seen many victories by large margins this season. It will be interesting to see if they can become the League One champions for the 2nd time on this day, following their victory the year before last.

The starting lineup for this day’s match was as follows.

KUBOTA SPEARS
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Yota KAMIMORI	172cm	105kg	25
2	Malcolm MARX	189cm	117kg	30	South Africa 74caps
3	Opeti HELU	190cm	127kg	26	Japan 1cap
4	Ruan　BOTHA	205cm	120kg	32
5	David BULBRING	199cm	113kg	35
6	Tyler PAUL	195cm	111kg	29
7	Takeo SUENAGA	178cm	98kg	30
8	Faulua MAKISI	182cm	117kg	28	Japan　7caps
9	Shinobu FUJIWARA	171cm	76kg	25	Japan　6caps
10	Bernard　FOLEY	182cm	89kg	35	Australia 75caps
11	Koga NAZUKA	173cm	82kg	25	Japan　3caps
12	Harumichi TATEKAWA	180cm	93kg	35	Japan　62caps
13	Rikus PRETORIUS	193cm	104kg	24
14	Halatoa VAILEA	187cm	105kg	25
15	Atsushi OSHIKAWA	175cm	87kg	25

Spears has also assembled almost their best lineup for this match. One of the concerns was the accumulated fatigue from playing 5 rounds of matches in a row since the Regular Season, but how the team fights in their signature FW game will be the highlight of this match.

＊＊　Player to watch 　＊＊

Malcolm MARX is 30 years old, 189 cm, 117 kg. He has 72 caps for the South African national team. Position = Hooker. World No. 1 hooker. This player has also been featured in this section some times, but since he is the central player in Spears, it would be unthinkable to exclude him from the final to determine the winner. The strongest scrums, mauls, and lineouts in League One are only as good as MARX. With the best big men in League One at the core of their team, the Spears would be able to show their strength on the defensive side of the ball. Their iron-clad defense would disrupt the rhythm of their opponents’ attacks, and when their opponents are exhausted, they would put their powerful frontline forward to score points by force. This is the rugby of Spears. Would it be Brave Lupas’ rugby or Spears’ rugby that wins the final?

Let’s start the first half.

The game started with a kick by Spears.

The spiritedness of each Speras player was remarkable. In a densely packed battle, they turned up their opponents, turned over, and made progress toward the enemy’s try line.

8 minutes into the first half:

The race to win the ball in set pieces and dense battles was almost a 50-50 battle.

However, Brave Lupas continued to attack and gradually pushed deeper and deeper into enemy territory.

Brave Lupas came close to the try line, and after a left-right move, SO MOUNGA broke the line with his individual skill and scored a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal, dragging a couple of opposing defenders with him.

The conversion goal after the try was unsuccessful, but Brave Lupas succeeded in scoring the first points of the game. The score was 5-0.

Both teams played well in the final. The teams pushed each other individually and when they got into a development game, they were turned over and the play did not break down.

At this point, the game had already turned into a war of attrition. Both teams played with such intensity that it looked as if they might not last until the end of the game.

17 minutes into the first half:

The next scoring opportunity came for Speras. Brave Lupas’ CTB MANO committed a high tackle on Speras’ WTB VAILEA as the Spears moved into their own territory. Spears chose to go for the PG because they were in front of the goal post and about 30 meters away. Spears’ SO FOLEY scored to make the score 5-3.

22 minutes into the first half:

Brave Lupas had another scoring opportunity, this time in a tight battle as Brave Lupas entered enemy territory, and Spears committed a foul.

Brave Lupas chose to go for the PG and SO MOUNGA scored to make the score 8-3.

32 minutes into the first half:

At this time, Brave Lupas was spreading the ball around so much that the big Spears players were getting pushed around and having a hard time getting into the enemy territory.

The Spears broke the deadlock with a scrum deep in their own territory.

The Spears pushed in at this scrum and earned a collapsing foul from their opponents. From here, Spears pushed into enemy territory, deployed the ball, and attacked deep into enemy territory, where Brave Lupas was fouled in a tight battle. With the goalposts in front of them, Speras opted for the PG. SO FOLEY scored it to make the score 8-6.

The first half ended with this score. In the first half, Brave Lupas spent a lot of time on the attack, and the Spears were often forced to defend. Spears, who finished 3rd in the league, had been playing in the playoffs since the quarterfinals, so there were concerns about fatigue due to the consecutive games. However, with a 2-points difference on the score, Spears had plenty of room for an upset victory. The timing of the player changes in the second half could make or break this match.

So let’s get the second half underway.

From the kickoff to start the second half, Brave Lupas advanced forward as they entered enemy territory, advancing their position to near the 22-meter line. Here, Speras committed an infringement near the front of the goal post. This was a great PG opportunity, but Brave Lupas chose to go for a penalty kick instead of a PG, and from a lineout on their own ball, they made the strong choice to go for the try.

However, Spears played tenacious defense and did not allow them to score. Conversely, from this point on, the Spears pushed deep into enemy territory.

7 minutes into the second half:

Here, Brave Lupas deployed from deep in their own territory to make up ground.

Brave Lupas’ SO MOUNGA broke the line despite being tangled up with the opposing defense, and quickly attacked deep into the enemy territory.

He passed to Brave Lupas’ WTB MORI, who ran alongside him, and MORI scored a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the left side.

Brave Lupas scored the first points of the second half to put the game in their favor. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 15-6.

16 minutes into the second half:

Brave Lupas continued to hold the ball and attack in enemy territory. Brave Lupas was able to break down the Spears’ defense, which had been rock solid in league play, allowing few line breaks to the other team. Brave Lupas broke down the Spears’ defense several times, and the crowd at the National Stadium cheered loudly each time.

Brave Lupas made full use of off-load passes, and their BK players made a big move from the left side to the right side, and finally SO MOUNGA scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

However, this try was cancelled out by video judgment due to a throw forward infringement in the middle of the field.

21 minutes into the second half:

Brave Lupas took control of the match in the second half and continued to attack almost exclusively in enemy territory. However, the gap between the teams remained tight as Speras did not break down defensively. However, Brave Lupas had a couple of PG chances in this period. In the second half, Brave Lupas had been trying to score a try instead of going for the PG when they had PG chances, but finally, the Speras defense gave in and they went for the PG.

SO MOUNGA of Brave Lupas scored it, and the score was 18-6.

32 minutes into the second half:

With 30 minutes to go in the second half, it was finally time for Speras to attack.

The Speras team was able to get into the enemy territory, and from a lineout set play, they were able to push forward in a maul and score a try with their powerful FW.

However, Brave Lupas’ defense held strong, and the two teams battled hard around the try line, with Brave Lupas pushing the ball back and kicking it out to regain possession just short of the try line.

However, the Spears again made a series of forward advances to the try line. After 3 or 4 more of these attacks, the Spears challenged the FWs to a tight battle in front of the in-goal on the left flank.

From there, the Spears made a turnaround, and after a big move to the right, WTB NEZUKA went for a try, which was blocked by the opposing defense, but the Spears were able to expand again, and CTB TATEKAWA scored a try at the right side of the goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 18-13.

With 8 minutes remaining, Speras had enough time to make a comeback, but the substitutes were unable to apply pressure at the set piece, and Brave Lupas pushed them back at the scrum. Brave Lupas, the match-winners, used their time skillfully here, and the game came to an end. In the end, SO MOUNGA kicked the ball out and the game was over.

With this result, Brave Lupas won the League One playoff final and became the champion for the second year in a row.

Spears kept Brave Lupas at bay until the end of the match, entertaining the crowd but falling short of their first championship in two years.

The final, which closed out the season, was just as heated as last season, with an unpredictable outcome until the very end. We look forward to another great match next season as the league as a whole raises its level.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: June 8, 2025)

(TOSHIBA Brave Lupas head coach Todd Blackadder is aiming for another League One championship.)

The League One playoffs began on May 17 with the semifinals.

The results of the semifinals held the previous week were as follows

Quarterfinals Game 1 (5/17 at Hanazono Rugby Stadium, Higashiosaka):

SHIZUOKA Blue Revs vs KOBELCO Steelers

Steelers won 20-35.

Quarterfinal Match 2 (5/18 at Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground, Tokyo):

KUBOTA Spears vs SUNTORY Sungoliath

Spears won 20-15.

As a result, the pairings for the semifinals were decided as follows.

Semifinal Game 1 (5/24 at Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground, Tokyo):

TOSHIBA Brave Lupas vs KOBELCO Steelers

Semifinal Match 2 (5/25 at Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground, Tokyo):

Panasonic Wild Knights vs KUBOTA Spears

I went to watch the first semifinal match, which started at 14:05 on Saturday, May 24.

The weather was cloudy and there was a chance of rain, so I arrived at the stadium one hour before the game started. However, I went to the game in the standing room behind the goal. The number of spectators on that day was 16,253, which was quite a large crowd.

Let me introduce the two teams playing on that day.

First, let me introduce the KOBELCO Steelers.

This season in League One, they finished in 5th place with a record of 10 wins and 8 losses, making the playoffs for the first time since becoming a League One team.

During the season, the team’s form has fluctuated, with big wins followed by big losses, much to the worry of their supporters. With a strong group of players and a number of world-class players, the Steelers are a strong contender for the championship if they play to their full potential.

In the quarterfinals, the Steelers beat the upper-ranked SHIZUOKA Blue Revs in a close match, creating an upset. We expect the Steelers to play well in the semifinals as well.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows

KOBELCO Steelers
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Shigure TAKAO	178cm	110kg	28
2	Takuya KITADE	180cm	100kg	32
3	Hiroshi YAMASHITA	183cm	120kg	39	Japan 51caps
4	Gerard COWLEI-TUIOTI	197cm	115kg	32
5	Brodie RETALLICK	204cm	120kg	33	New Zealand 109caps
6	Waisake RARATUBUA	193cm	118kg	27
7	Willie POTGIETTER	190cm	105kg	23
8	Amanaki SAUMAKI	189m	110kg	28	Japan　5caps
9	Atsushi HIWASA	166cm	70kg	37	Japan　51caps
10	Bryn GATLAND	180cm	88kg	29
11	Kanta MATSUNAGA	167cm	79kg	25
12	Lafaere TIMOSY	186cm	98kg	33
13	Michael LITTLE	180cm	98kg	32
14	Kazuma UEDA	177cm	87kg	22
15	Seunsin LEE	176cm	85kg	24	Japan　18caps

** Player to watch **

Willie POTGIETTER. 190cm, 105kg, 23 years old. Position = FL, NO.8. He is from South Africa and is a promising young player who joined the Steelers in 2023. This season, he has been playing regularly among the strong Steelers FW members, and his presence is increasing with each game. He has been particularly strong in tight games, contributing to the team’s turn overs and securing the ball for his team.

Next, we would like to introduce the Defending Champion, TOSHIBA Brave Lupas.

Brave Lupas, last season’s Champion team in League One, came into the playoffs in first place in the league standings. The main injured player for this match is NAIKABULA, the WTB for Japan, who is sidelined. All other players were reported to be in good condition after about 2 weeks of rest. In the semifinal matchup, the Blue Revs were initially expected to advance, but the Steelers came out on top. The Steelers’ contact strength improved in the quarterfinals as if they were a different team. We expect a good match.

The starting lineup for this day’s match was as follows

TOSHIBA Brave Lupas
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Sena KIMURA	175cm	105kg	24
2	Mamoru　HARADA	175cm	101kg	25	Japan 10caps
3	Taufa LATU	183cm	120kg	26
4	Jacob　PIERCE	201cm	106kg	27
5	Warner　DEARNS	202cm	124kg	23	Japan 20caps
6	Shannon FRIZELL	195cm	114kg	30	New Zealand 33caps
7	Takeshi SASAKI	180cm	101kg	26
8	Michael LEITCH	189cm	113kg	35	Japan 87caps
9	Yuhei Sugiyama	169cm	76kg	27
10	Richie MO’UNGA	176cm	83kg	30	New Zealand  56caps
11	Syohei TOYOSHIMA	175cm	87kg	35
12	Rob THOMPSON	184cm	103kg	33
13	Seta TAMANIVAL	189cm	104kg	33	New Zealand  3caps, Fiji 3 caps
14	Toshiki KUWAYAMA	184cm	95kg	28
15	Takuro MATSUNAGA	172cm	82kg	26	Japan 4caps

** Player to watch **

Yuhei SUGIYAMA. 169 cm, 76 kg, 27 years old. He is a graduate of Tsukuba University. The veteran half of the Steelers’ team is likely to put SUGIYAMA under a lot of pressure in this match. It will be interesting to see if SUGIYAMA will be able to show their ability on the big stage of the playoffs under intense pressure.

Let’s start the first half.

Steelers kickoff to start the game.

3 minutes into the first half:

Both sides’ determination to win this one clashed, and intense contact play was seen. In the league matches this season, Steelers had suffered a heavy defeat against Brave Lupas, but in the tournament matches, the atmosphere was different from that in the league matches, because the season ends after a loss.

After a kicking battle for possession, the Steelers got into enemy territory and drew a foul from Brave Lupas, giving them the right of a PG almost directly in front of the goal posts.

The Steelers’ SO GATTLAND scored the first goal. The score was 0-3.

The Steelers, as in the quarterfinals, got off to a good start by scoring first.

11 minutes into the first half:

What was particularly noticeable since the start of the playoffs was the increased intensity of the Steelers’ contact. This was due to the fact that key players such as LO RETALLICK and CTB LITTLE have recovered from their injuries and have adjusted for this playoffs, and that there were no more holes in the defensive network as a result of the pre-game meetings.

However, Brave Lupas was not to be outdone in terms of defensive intensity in front of the try line, as the Steelers’ FL POTGIETTER broke the line and ran over 30 meters to close in on the try line, only to be stopped by a series of attacks. Brave Lupas was able to hold off a series of attacks to score a try.

The Steelers then broke the line with CTB Little, and from there they attacked again, this time deep into the opposition territory.

However, Brave Lupas won the ball back and SO MOUNGA kicked the ball from deep in their own territory, which sailed just short of the enemy in-goal and off the touchline.

This led to an up-and-down position recovery kick by Brave Lupas’ SO MOUNGA. The 50-22 rule was applied, and Brave Lupas quickly closed in on the enemy in-goal and had a great scoring opportunity, a lineout on their own ball.

The crowd cheered Brave Lupas’ SO MOUNGA’s super play.

From the lineout, Brave Lupas secured the ball and formed a maul to push forward. However, the Steelers were able to hold off this advance, and the Brave Lupas maul almost collapsed. Brave Lupas’ FL SASAKI made a breakthrough and dove into the in-goal for the try.

The Brave Lupas supporters, who probably made up 80% of the stands that day, cheered loudly.

However, a video review after the try confirmed an infringement in the play before the try, so the try was disallowed.

16 minutes of the first half:

The restart after the try was cancelled resulted in a scrum 5 meters in front of the in-goal by Steelers’ own ball.

The Steelers tried to push forward from this point with a side attack by the FWs, but Brave Lupas succeeded in turning it over and launching a series of attacks. Brave Lupas’ CTB THOMPSON dragged the defense behind him and scored a try right under the goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 7-3 in favor of Brave Lupas.

After this, the first half was a stalemate in terms of score. However, a spectacular densely contested battle ensued, with the FWs playing a central role. In the contact phase, the Steelers players were no match for Brave Lupas.

The Steelers came close to the try line several times and created several scoring chances, but failed to score.

In the end, the first half ended with the score 7-3. Both teams played an athletic match, and it would be interesting to see which team will be the first to take control of the game in the second half.

3 minutes into the second half:

Brave Lupas was the first team to get into the game in the second half.

After Brave Lupas kicked off to start the second half, the Steelers tried to push forward, but a mistake during a deployed attack resulted in a foul and the ball went to Brave Lupas. Brave Lupas started their attack in the enemy territory and steadily approached the enemy try line while continuing their attack. From a scrum in front of the goalposts, Brave Lupas moved to the right, and on their second successive attack, the ball was passed to right wing WTB KUWAYAMA, who scored a try right in the middle of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 14-3.

9 minutes into the second half:

The game continued to go back and forth with neither team scoring during this period. However, Brave Lupas had the ball in their own territory and a Steelers foul gave Brave Lupas a PG opportunity. The distance was over 40 meters, but it was right in front of the goal post, so SO MOUNGA of Brave Lupas scored it to make the score 17-3.

12 minutes into the second half:

From the restart after the PG, Brave Lupas entered the enemy territory, and in a series of attacks, SO MOUNGA broke the line at key points, approached the enemy try line, and finally scored a try just below the goal post by FL FRIZELL who followed up on it.

However, the try was cancelled out by a video review, which showed that Brave Lupas had been fouled for a Forwarad Pass in the process.

35 minutes into the second half:

The intensity of the contact from the start of the match was so strong that as the second half drew to a close, both teams were so worn out that both teams’ players were breathing on their shoulders during the scrums. Brave Lupas’ substitutes showed their performance during this period, with Brave Lupas’ CTB MANO showing strong tackling and struggling in dense battles, winning the ball for his opponents on several occasions.

(CTB MANO of Brave Lupas is the player on the far right)

Brave Lupas’s Hooker HASHIMOTO, who also came on as a substitute, made a series of line breaks from a dense battle in the enemy camp, and finally scored a try right under the goal post in the enemy camp.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 24-3.

40 minutes into the second half:

With the score then tied, the Brave Lupas were looking to win the match, but the Steelers were determined to get their revenge and continued their attack from the restart kickoff. However, from the restart, the Steelers continued to attack from the kickoff. From a tight battle, CTB TOMPSON intercepted the ball and ran over 30 meters to score a try right under the goalposts. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 31-3.

The game was over, and Brave Lupas advanced to the League One playoff final for the second year in a row.

The defeated Steelers will play the third-place game the following Saturday for the season finale.

In the end, Brave Lupas won outright, but the game was close until the middle of the second half, much to the delight of the fans who came to the game.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: May 25, 2025)

The Japan Rugby League One standings are as follows after 18 matches of the regular season.

2024-25	League One Order(Division 1) 5/11
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP	SD
1	TOSHIBA Brave Lupas TOKYO	15	2	1	71	261
2	Saitama Panasonic Wildnights	14	2	2	71	290
3	Kubota Spears	14	2	2	69	245
4	Shizuoka Blue Revs	14	4	0	63	112
5	KOBELCO Kobe Steelers	10	8	0	51	133
6	Tokyo SUNTORY Sungoliath	8	8	2	40	-26
7	Black Rams Tokyo	6	12	0	33	-17
8	Yokohama CANON Eagles	6	12	0	30	-48
9	Sagamihara Dynaboars	6	12	0	26	-217
10	Toyota Verblitz	4	13	1	24	-172
11	Mie Honda Heat	4	14	0	18	-294
12	Urayasu　D-Rocks	3	15	0	14	-267
	WP=Winning Point
	SD=Score Difference

The top 3 teams were pretty much as predicted before the season started, with the 3 teams that have won the championship in the last 3 seasons of the Japan Rugby League One having won it all.

The 4th-place team, Blue Revs, is a team that has won the championship in the Top League, so it is a revival of an old favorite.

However, since they are the only team with a win over the top 2 teams, they are likely to be the center of a storm in the playoffs and win the championship.

Steelers (5th) and Sungoliath (6th) seem to have a big gap between themselves and the top teams as far as the league is concerned. However, in a tournament where a loss is the end of the road, anything can happen. That is what the fans are expecting.

The playoff pairings for this season are as follows

1) Quarterfinal A: 4th vs. 5th

2) Quarterfinal B: 3rd vs. 6th

3) Semifinal A: Winner of 1) vs. 1st place

4) Semifinal B: winner of 2) vs. 2nd place

5) 3rd place match: Loser of 3) vs Loser of 4)

6) Winner of 3) vs. winner of 4)

This time, I went to watch the game:

1) Quarterfinal A: 4th place (SHIZUOKA Blue Revs) vs. 5th place (KOBELCO Kobe Steelers) The venue was Hanazono Rugby Stadium in Higashiosaka City.

The temperature was 23.6 degrees Celsius. The weather was cloudy and sometimes rainy. Perhaps due to the bad weather, the number of spectators on the day was 7,006, a small number for the playoffs.

First, let me introduce the 2 teams that will play in the quarterfinals of the playoffs.

First, let me introduce the 4th-place team, SHIZUOKA Blue Revs.

The Blue Revs have earned the right to participate in the playoffs by leaping up from 8th place last season to 4th place this season. The Blue Revs are the only team to have won from the top 2 teams this season. The Blue Revs are a team that has excellent players in each position, with excellent running ability and breakthrough ability, making them a very rewarding team for supporters to cheer for. Although they are ranked 4th in the standings, they are a dark horse in the playoffs this season, with a chance of winning the championship.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

Shizuoka Blue Revs
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kazuhiro KAWATA	172cm	103kg	28
2	Takeshi HINO	172cm	100kg	35	Japan 5caps
3	Sean VETE	190cm	146kg	24
4	Murray DOUGLAS	198cm	113kg	35
5	Justin SANGUSTER	198cm	115kg	28
6	Vueti TUPOU	190cm	121kg	25
7	Yuya Odo	187cm	100kg	35	Japan 5caps
8	Malgene ILAUA	187cm	108kg	31	Japan 7cap
9	Shuntaro KITAMURA	168cm	77kg	22
10	Sam GREENE	178cm	85kg	30
11	Malo TUITAMA	182cm	91kg	27
12	Viliami TAHITUA	183cm	111kg	33	Tonga 9caps
13	Charles PIUTAU	186cm	95kg	32	NZ17caps, Tonga 9caps
14	Valynce TEWHARE	182cm	112kg	24
15	Fuuto YAMAGUCHI	167cm	74kg	26

** Player to watch **

Valynce TEWHARE. 182 cm, 112 kg, 24 years old. Position = WTB. from NZ. He joined the Blue Revs this season from the Australian 13-man rugby team Dolphins. He scored a try in his debut match in Japan. In another match this season, he scored a try when the ball was kicked back deep into enemy territory and he ran back to retrieve it. He ran more than 200 meters, a feat that stunned Japanese rugby officials and fans alike. He is a formidable opponent, as he is impossible to stop on a one-on-one basis, and the opposing team would need 4 or 5 players to attack him all at once. Despite his ability, he was unable to make a living on his salary as a player alone when he was in Australia, so he had to work as a part-time groundskeeper. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for this 24-year old who has unlimited potential, using his hunger as a springboard.

And now, let us introduce our opponent for the day, the KOBELCO Steelers, who finished 5th this season.

The Steelers, who boast of having won a championship in the Top League, made it to the playoffs for the first time since becoming a League One team. Despite their depth of players, they managed to make it to the playoffs, although their game play was erratic, with one week after a dominant win, they suffered a disastrous loss. The team has always had high potential, so if they work together as a team, they can be expected to have a good match against a top-ranked team. Hanazono, the venue for the match, is a quasi-home ground for the Kansai-based Steelers, so their supporters will be looking forward to an exciting match.

The starting lineup for the day’s match was as follows

KOBE Steelers
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Shigure TAKAO	178cm	110kg	28
2	Takuya KITADE	180cm	100kg	32
3	Hiroshi YAMASHITA	183cm	120kg	39	Japan 51caps
4	Gerard COWLEI-TUIOTI	197cm	115kg	32
5	Brodie RETALLICK	204cm	120kg	33	New Zealand 109caps
6	Waisake RARATUBUA	193cm	118kg	27
7	Willie POTGIETTER	190cm	105kg	23
8	Amanaki SAUMAKI	189m	110kg	28	Japan　5caps
9	Atsushi HIWASA	166cm	70kg	37	Japan　51caps
10	Bryn GATLAND	180cm	88kg	29
11	Kanta MATSUNAGA	167cm	79kg	25
12	Lafaere TIMOSY	186cm	98kg	33
13	Michael LITTLE	180cm	98kg	32
14	Ataata MOEAKIOLA	185cm	107kg	29	Japan　4caps
15	Seunsin LEE	176cm	85kg	24	Japan　18caps

** Player to watch **

Atsushi HIWASA. 166 cm, 70 kg, 37 years old. He played in the RWC 2011 and 2015, and in 2011, he was selected as one of the 15 best overseas players by a local newspaper in NZ. When it comes to continuous attacks, he shows his true potential as a quick ball-starter. At the age of 37, he still shows no signs of slowing down in terms of his athleticism during the game, and we look forward to seeing him play a key role in the Steelers’ offense and defense in the playoffs.

Let’s get the first half underway.

The Steelers kicked off the game.

5 minutes into the 1^st half:

The Steelers took the advantage with the first scrum right after the start of the game, pushing the Blue Revs’ ironclad scrum and getting the Steelers going first.

The Steelers advanced deep into enemy territory and launched a series of attacks, where the Blue Revs were fouled. The penalty kick was almost in front of the goal post, about 20 meters away, so the Steelers opted to go for the PG, which SO GATLAND of the Steelers converted to give the Steelers the lead. The score was 0-3.

9 minutes into the first half:

From the restart kickoff, the Blue Revs entered the enemy territory and made an aggressive tackle to turn over. The Blue Revs then had a scrum on their own ball near the enemy 22m line.

However, the Blue Revs again lost the scrum.

However, in the lineout that followed, the Steelers committed an infringement, resulting in the 3rd scrum of the day near the halfway line. Again, the Steelers were the better team, but the Blue Revs managed to get the ball rolling and WTB TUITAMA broke the line, which was followed up by WTB TEWHARE who scored a try right under the opponents’ goal posts.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 7-3.

18 minutes into the first half:

Another scrum near the halfway mark on the left side of the field, this time with the Blue Revs in possession, was again won by Steelers prop YAMASHITA, and the Blue Revs were fouled. Up to this point, the Blue Revs, who are absolutely confident in their set plays, especially in the scrums, had not been able to gain the upper hand.

From this point, the Steelers took a penalty kick to close in on the enemy try line, and from there they secured the ball in their own lineout and launched a series of attacks.

Steelers WTB MATSUNAGA was pushed out by Blue Revs WTB TEWHARE just before the try on the left side. However, TEWHARE’s tackle was ruled as an infringement and the Steelers were awarded a try.

The score was 7-10.

Blue Revs WTB TEWHARE was temporarily sent off for 10 minutes for this foul tackle.

27 minutes into the first half:

Midway through the game, the rain began to fall harder, and both sides began to make handling errors. The Steelers switched to forward contact and pushed deep into enemy territory, where they mauled their way over 10 meters for a near try.

The Blue Revs were able to hold off the Steelers with a strong defensive effort, but soon after, the Steelers broke the line through a series of attacks by WTB UEDA and went close to the try line, where FL RARATUBUA finally scored a try in the left corner at the enemy goal post.

The Steelers also scored a conversion goal after the try to make the score 7-17.

38 minutes into the first half:

The Blue Revs pushed deep into enemy territory towards the end of the first half and went for a try with a maul and sign play, but they just couldn’t break through the Steelers’ defensive net.

The Blue Revs then chose to go for a PG in front of the goal post after a foul by their opponents with time remaining, and SO GREENE scored it.

The score was 10-17. The first half ended here.

The Blue Revs were unable to gain an advantage in the set plays they relied on, and it will be interesting to see what measures they will take in the second half.

Now, let’s start the second half.

The second half started with a kickoff by Blue Revs.

5 minutes into the second half:

Both teams are competitive in contact play, but the Blue Revs’ set pieces were unsteady in this match. The Steelers, on the other hand, had the advantage in the set piece and gradually advanced deeper into the enemy territory.

The ball rolled to the left side near the try line, and WTB MATSUNAGA of the Steelers appeared to hold it up, but the try was canceled after a VTR decision.

5 minutes into the second half:

After the game resumed, the Steelers broke out of their own half and FL RARATUBUA broke the line and went close to the enemy try line. And  finally FB Lee scored a try at the right side of the goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 10-24.

11 minutes into the second half:

So far in this match, the Steelers had been steadily winning the battle for the ball, both in set pieces and in dense battles.

However, the Blue Revs were determined to break through on the run. The Blue Revs connected the ball from WTB TUITAMA to CTB PIUTAU with an offload pass, and finally to SH KITAMURA who followed up and scored a try just below the goal post in enemy territory.

Blue Revs supporters in a frenzy.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 17-24.

17 minutes into the second half:

This was when the Blue Revs began to regain momentum, replacing the first row of FW players and scrumming to win by force.

With a series of attacks, the Blue Revs showed the strength of their individual contact and gradually advanced deeper and deeper into the enemy territory.

About 30 meters from the goalposts, the Steelers committed an infringement. The Blue Revs elected to go for the PG, which SO GREENE converted to make the score 20-24.

From this point on, both teams were on a roll, and the match entered a stalemate, with the Blue Revs even in the scrums, where they had been held back in the first half.

They also formed an ironclad defense that did not allow any forward movement in contact play after deployment. However, the Steelers were just as hard on defense and did not allow any points to be scored even with their backs to the goal line.

The atmosphere was such that the next team to score a try would take control of the match.

33 minutes into the second half:

The game was finally broken as the Steelers brought the ball deep into enemy territory and came close to the try line several times, only to have their attempts rebound off the Blue Revs’ iron-clad in-goal defense.

Just after the Steelers had made 5 or 6 flank attacks on the right side of the field just before the try line, Steelers SO GATTLAND turned around and kicked a pass to the opposite corner. Steelers’ substitute WTB BURUA caught the kick, dodged a tackle, and scored a valuable try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but the score was 20-29.

36 minutes into the second half:

With time running out, the Steelers kicked the ball from their own territory, and Blue Revs WTB TEWHARE ran hard to pick up the ball and counter-attack from there. but were caught by the opposing defense. The Blue Revs were then pushed back and were penalized for collapsing the ball. The Blue Revs were suffering from the mental damage of being pushed down in the scrum at the end of the match. Since the position of the foul was close and in front of the goalposts, the Steelers opted for a PG, which SO GATTLAND converted. The score was 20-32. Considering the time remaining, the score was a no-brainer.

39 minutes into the second half:

After the restart of the PG, the Blue Revs kicked off deep into enemy territory, but the Steelers got the ball back and kicked the ball deep into enemy territory. Blue Revs WTB TEWHARE ran back, picked up the ball, and tried to counterattack from that position. However, as before, he was caught by the Steelers defense and was penalized for Not Release the Ball. The Steelers’ SO GATTLAND scored on this PG to make the score 20-35.

The game then ended with this score.

KOBELCO Steelers, ranked 5th in Division 1, beat Blue Revs, ranked 4th in Division 1, and will play last season’s champion Brave Lupas in the semifinals of the playoffs.

And with the loss, the Blue Revs were now finished for the season.

This match was a playoff match, where a loss would end the season, so the persistence of the Professional teams in betting on a win was evident in this match.

The semi-finals and finals will follow, but which team will come out on top in this season’s League One?

The fun for rugby fans continues.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: May ６, 2025)

Division 1 of Japan Rugby League One reached its 15th round on Saturday, April 26, 2025. Including this day, each team has only ３ games left to play. The standings for Division One so far were as follows.

2024-25	League One Order(Division 1) 4/26
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP	SD
1	TOSHIBA Brave Lupas TOKYO	13	2	1	61	223
2	Saitama Panasonic Wildnights	12	2	1	60	241
3	Kubota Spears	12	2	1	57	203
4	Shizuoka Blue Revs	11	4	0	50	86
5	KOBELCO Kobe Steelers	8	7	0	41	95
6	Tokyo SUNTORY Sungoliath	6	7	2	31	-9
7	Yokohama CANON Eagles	6	9	0	30	1
8	Black Rams Tokyo	5	10	0	27	-47
9	Sagamihara Dynaboars	6	9	0	26	-161
10	Toyota Verblitz	3	11	1	20	-140
11	Mie Honda Heat	4	11	0	18	-222
12	Urayasu　D-Rocks	2	14	0	10	-270
	WP=Winning Point
	SD=Score Difference

The top 3 teams must give their all in their remaining 3 games to accumulate enough points to finish in the top 2 to gain an advantage in the playoff tournament.

The teams ranked 6th through 10th do not want to drop a single game as they have a chance to make the playoffs.

Teams in 8th through 12th place will be looking to avoid the possibility of playing in the Division 2 round, where they will be eliminated from the playoffs.

This season’s League One has been a close battle since the beginning of the season, and it has become a very rewarding season for the fans of each team, as they cannot take their eyes off the competition until the final game.

On this day (April 26), I went to Kumagaya Rugby Stadium in Saitama Prefecture to watch the match between the No. 1 Wild Knights and the No. 8 Black Rams. The game started at 14:30, and the temperature in Kumagaya that day rose to nearly 30 degrees Celsius, making the weather conditions tough for the players playing in the game.

The number of fans who came to watch the game that day was 8,003, according to the organizer.

This is the home stadium of the Wild Knights, but the Black Rams seemed to have more fans cheering during the game.

The Wild Knights had already decided to advance to the playoffs, but the Black Rams had not yet decided, so the cheers and attendance may have been a reflection of the fans’ feelings.

Here is the latest information on the two teams that will be playing on this day.

First, let me introduce the home team, the SAITAMA Wild Knights.

This season, however, the Wild Knights have seen a succession of retirements and transfers of key players, as well as injuries to key players, and have not been as strong as they have been in the past 3 seasons. However, the overall strength of the team competing for the top position in League One is still very impressive. From another point of view, the loss of the main players has led to the development of young players, so there are high expectations for the team to win the championship next season and beyond.

The starting lineup for the day was as follows.

Panasonic Wild Nights
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Keita INAGAKI	186cm	116kg	34	Japan 53cap
2	Atsushi Sakade	180cm	104kg	31	Japan 47cap
3	Lisala FINAU	189cm	125kg	22
4	Liam MITCHELL	197cm	117kg	29
5	Esei HAANGANA	198cm	120kg	26
6	Ben GUNTER	195cm	120kg	27	Japan 9cap
7	Lachlan BOSHIER	191cm	104kg	30
8	Jack CORNELSEN	195cm	110kg	30	Japan 20cap
9	Daiki Koyama	171cm	74kg	30	Japan 7cap
10	Kyohei YAMASAWA	176cm	84kg	24
11	Tomoki OSADA	179cm	90kg	25	Japan 17cap
12	Vince ASO	185cm	90kg	30
13	Dylan RILEY	187cm	102kg	27	Japan 28cap
14	Kohki TAKEYAMA	175cm	87kg	28	Japan 1cap
15	Tom PARTON	178cm	90kg	27

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Tom PARTON. 178cm, 90kg, 27 years old. After playing for London Irish RFC and Saracens, he signed a contract with Wild Knights this season. At just 19 years of age, he is a talented player making his professional debut. He has the potential to become a very decisive back-three player as he adapts to Wild Knights.

Next, an update on the Visitor Team of the day, the Ricoh Black Rams.

Last season, the team was in the bottom half of the standings and had to play in the replacement round. This season, however, the team has made significant reinforcements, beating top teams such as Sungoliath and Eagles, and coming close to beating last season’s champion Brave Lupas in the final round. As the season progresses, they are showing more and more their ability, and at this point, they are in a good position to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, their set pieces, especially lineouts, are a little unstable, and they make too many mistakes on scoring chances, which will be an issue for the future. The good news is that the Black Rams’ fan base is growing as they steadily improve their abilities.

The starting lineup for the day is as follows.

Black Rams
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Taishi TSUMURA	174cm	108kg	23
2	Shin OUCHI	183cm	107kg	27
3	Paddy RYAN	190cm	116kg	36	Australia 3 caps
4	Michael  STOLBERG	204cm	116kg	33
5	Harrison FOX	199cm	117kg	24
6	Brodi MCCURRAN	193cm	108kg	30
7	Shuhei MATSUHASHI	180cm	99kg	31	Japan 9 caps
8	Fakatava AMATO	195cm	118kg	30	Japan 13 caps
9	TJ PERENARA	184cm	94kg	33	New Zealand 81caps
10	Kotaro ITO	177cm	86kg	23	Japan
11	Semisi　TUPOU	190cm	98kg	25
12	Yuki IKEDA	187cm	100kg	29	Japan
13	PJ　LATU	189cm	105kg	24
14	Main TAIRA	180cm	91kg	24	Japan 1cap
15	Isaac LUCAS	180cm	85kg	26

** Player to watch **

Kotaro ITO. 177 cm, 86 kg, 23 years old. Position=SO,

FB. graduate of Meiji University. He is a candidate for the Japan national team. Although he is a rookie this season, he has been able to get an opportunity to play in games at an early stage, and has been steadily making appearances. Since his days at Meiji University, he has shown an extraordinary sense of attack, and his run play, especially from beyond the 22-meter line, can be a wonder for opposing teams. Physically, he is still slender, but his strong torso and ability to break through in tight packs will be enough for him to make it as a professional player. I can’t wait to see how he develops as he gets more opportunities to play in the future.

Now, let’s start the first half.

From the kickoff, both teams came close to the enemy try line, creating the decisive moment for scoring, but failed to score.

This was not because the Wild Knights have become weaker, but because the rules regarding the registration of foreign players had been relaxed, which has led to an increase in the intensity of contact play in Division 1. Wild Knights and Black Rams played in the third round on January 4, when Wild Knights defeated Black Rams 39-16. The games so far suggest that the Black Rams were building on their overall team strength in the second half of the season.

16 minutes into the first half:

In a closely contested match, it was Wild Knights who scored first.

As the Wild Knights pushed forward to the 22-meter line, the Black Rams committed an infringement, and although the Wild Knights could have gone for the PG, they opted for a penalty kick and were awarded a lineout on the left side near the try line. The Wild Knights secured the ball, and a maul was set up and they quickly moved forward to cross the enemy try line, where hooker Sakate scored a try in the middle left of the enemy’s in-goal.

The Wild Knights took the lead with a brilliant maul attack on a scoring opportunity.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 7-0.

21 minutes into the first half:

Wild Knights again seized the opportunity and approached the enemy try line. After a video review of the attack and defense in front of the try line, the try was disallowed.

However, a foul by the Black Rams near the goal posts was found, and the Wild Knights opted to go for the PG.

Wild Knights’ SO Yamasawa made steady progress on this PG, and the Wild Knights scored 3 more points. The score was 10-0.

22 minutes into the first half:

ITOH of the Black Rams, selected for the first time as the starting SO on this day, put in a surprising performance.

From the restart kick-off after the try, the Black Rams attacked into the enemy territory, and gradually made progress with a series of attacks by the FW and BK in unison.

Then, Black Rams’ SO ITOH received the ball near the enemy 22m line, and with a run play, he drove forward, shook off the enemy defenders one after another, and shook off nearly 7 opponents to score a try on the right side of the enemy goal post.

ITOH’s amazing play brought a huge cheer from the stadium crowd, both friend and foe.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 10-7.

32 minutes into the first half:

The Black Rams got into a good flow of the game and attacked deep into enemy territory.

However, in a tight pack, Black Rams CTB LATU made a dangerous play and was shown a yellow card and temporarily sent off for 10 minutes.

The Wild Knights then attacked the enemy line, and after a series of flowing attacks, WTB TAKEYAMA scored a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 17-7.

36 minutes into the first half:

From the restart kick-off after the try, the Black Rams attacked into the enemy territory and gradually made progress through a series of attacks. Then, in a tight pack, the Wild Knights committed an infringement and the Black Rams opted to go for the PG. The Black Rams kicker was WTB TAIRA.

However, he missed the important PG.

41 minutes into the first half:

The Black Rams had another decisive chance late in the game.

FB LUCAS passed to WTB TUPOU, who scored a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

However, a video judgment was made, and the try was canceled.

The first half ended here.

On this day, the temperature rose to nearly 30 degrees Celsius, and the fans watching the game were sweating.

Both teams had to win this game in order to advance to the playoffs, but Wild Nights had to finish in the top 2 to make it to the playoffs, so they could not afford to lose.

As for Black Rams, they could not afford to lose any of their remaining games in order to make the playoffs.

It will be interesting to see how the Black Rams will fare against the Wild Knights in this match.

Let’s start the second half.

The Wild Knights kicked off the second half.

10 minutes into the second half:

First in the second half, Black Rams approached the enemy try line and had a chance to score, but Wild Knights got the ball back and missed the scoring opportunity.

After a change of possession, the Wild Knights attacked into the enemy territory.

After the Wild Knights had crossed the 22-meter line, CTB TANIYAMA, who came on as a substitute, broke away and scored,

A successful conversion goal after the try also put the Wild Knights ahead in the second half. The score was 24-7.

18 minutes into the second half:

From the kickoff of the restart after the try, the Black Rams entered enemy territory and gradually moved forward, closing in on the enemy try line.

With the Wild Knights’ backs to the try line, the defense became more focused, and up to this point, the Black Rams had difficulty scoring.

However, on this occasion, SH PERENARA was able to pry open the strong defense and score a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 24-14.

25 minutes into the second half:

From the restart kickoff after the try, the Wild Knights pushed deep into enemy territory and almost scored a try, but the Black Rams defense managed to hold them off.

The Black Rams regained the ball and counter-attacked, moving into the enemy territory at once.

The Black Rams pushed forward with a maul attack from a lineout in front of the enemy try line, and although the Wild Knights pushed back, SH PERENARA broke through the dense side and scored his second try of the day in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the right.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 24-21, and the Black Rams were finally within 3 points.

41 minutes into the second half:

It was a physically demanding game as the offense and defense switched rapidly, and both sides had players repeatedly moving up and down on the field. Whenever the game was interrupted, some players were on their feet and others were breathing on their shoulders, and the remaining time was a battle of strength.

Until the horn sounded to end the game, the Wild Knights continued to attack in front of the enemy in-goal, and the Black Rams did not allow any points to be scored.

In the end, however, the Black Rams were fouled in a scrum just in front of the try line, and the Wild Knights opted to go for the PG.

SO Yamasawa of Wild Knights scored the PG to make the score 27-21 and end the game.

Wild Knights maintained their lead in League One with 4 winning points. The Black Rams, on the other hand, lost by 7 points or less, so they have 1 winning point and hope to advance to the playoffs in the next round and onward.

Kudos to the players of both teams for a hard-fought battle.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: April 27, 2025)

Japan Rugby League One enters its 15th round this week, with only 4 more rounds to go. The League One Division 1 standings as of 4/11 are as follows

2024-25	League One Order(Division 1) 4/11
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP	SD
1	Saitama Panasonic Wildnights	12	2	1	60	241
2	TOSHIBA Brave Lupas TOKYO	12	1	1	56	211
3	Kubota Spears	11	2	1	53	183
4	Shizuoka Blue Revs	10	4	0	45	56
5	KOBELCO Kobe Steelers	7	7	0	37	82
6	Tokyo SUNTORY Sungoliath	6	6	2	31	11
7	Yokohama CANON Eagles	6	8	0	30	11
8	Sagamihara Dynaboars	5	9	0	22	-171
9	Black Rams Tokyo	4	10	0	22	-77
10	Toyota Verblitz	3	10	1	20	-110
11	Mie Honda Heat	4	11	0	18	-222
12	Urayasu　D-Rocks	2	12	0	10	-215
	WP=Winning Point
	SD=Score Difference

The top 3 teams are already confirmed to advance to the playoffs. The fierce competition for the remaining 3 slots in the playoffs continues every week.

The match I visited Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Minato-ku, Tokyo on this day (April 11) to watch was between the 2nd-place Brave Lupas and the 4th-place Blue Revs.

As for the conditions on the day of the match, the temperature was 21 degrees Celsius and the weather was clear, making it a pleasant day to watch the game.

A large number of fans visited the stadium, with a total of 10,097 in attendance that day.

Let me introduce the two teams playing on the day.

First, an update on the home team, TOSHIBA Brave Lupas.

Brave Lupas, winners of last season’s League One, are currently in second place with 12 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw. The only team with a loss is the SHIZUOKA Blue Revs, who will be playing on this day. Considering the playoffs to be held next month, the team would like to avoid back-to-back losses to the same opponent. The team’s slogan is “Contact Point Warriors,” so Brave Lupas will need to have a strong mindset of not taking a step back when it comes to contact. I hope that the team will be able to show a performance that will satisfy the fans in attendance at the game.

The starting lineup for this day’s match was as follows

TOSHIBA Brave Lupas
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Sena KIMURA	175cm	105kg	24
2	Mamoru　HARADA	175cm	101kg	25	Japan 10caps
3	Taufa LATU	183cm	120kg	26
4	Jacob　PIERCE	201cm	106kg	27
5	Warner　DEARNS	202cm	124kg	23	Japan 20caps
6	Shannon FRIZELL	195cm	114kg	30	New Zealand 33caps
7	Takeshi SASAKI	180cm	101kg	26
8	Michael LEITCH	189cm	113kg	35	Japan 87caps
9	Yuhei Sugiyama	169cm	76kg	27
10	Richie MO’UNGA	176cm	83kg	30	New Zealand  56caps
11	Yuto MORI	174cm	82kg	26
12	Rob THOMPSON	184cm	103kg	33
13	Seta TAMANIVAL	189cm	104kg	33	New Zealand  3caps, Fiji 3 caps
14	Jone NAIKABULA	177cm	95kg	31	Japan 17caps
15	Takuro MATSUNAGA	172cm	82kg	26	Japan 4caps

** Player to watch  **.

Jone NAIKABULA. 177 cm, 95 kg, 31 years old, from Fiji. Until he was selected for Japan’s national team, he was just a fast player if you let him run free and straight. However, after participating in the RWC 2023, he has acquired various skills as a WTB, and can make steady gains even when he receives the ball close to a tight group. Furthermore, he has developed into a decisive player who can almost always score a try when he receives the ball near the enemy 22-meter line. On the other hand, young players aiming for the national team will have to overcome NAIKABULA in order to win a regular spot in the national team, so they face a very high hurdle.

Next, I would like to introduce the Visitor Team of the day, the SHIZUOKA Blue Revs.

Blue Revs, as an impression, is a competent mid-tier team, and until last season, they have always delighted their supporters by playing close matches with the top teams. Starting this season, they are one of the teams most affected by the relaxed application of Category A players due to rule changes. The team has many talented foreign players with excellent contact skills, and their increased opportunities to play have ensured the team’s first appearance in the playoffs this season. As of now, the team is in 4th place with a record of 10 wins and 4 losses. As for the top 3 teams, the Blue Revs are the team they do not want to match up from the first round.

The starting lineup for this day’s match was as follows.

Shizuoka Blue Revs
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kazuhiro KAWATA	172cm	103kg	28
2	Takeshi HINO	172cm	100kg	35	Japan 5caps
3	Sean VETE	190cm	146kg	24
4	Justin SANGUSTER	198cm	115kg	28
5	Murray DOUGLAS	198cm	113kg	35
6	Vueti TUPOU	190cm	121kg	25
7	Yuya Odo	187cm	100kg	35	Japan 5caps
8	Malgene ILAUA	187cm	108kg	31	Japan 7cap
9	Shuntaro KITAMUA	168cm	77kg	22
10	Sam GREENE	178cm	85kg	30
11	Malo TUITAMA	182cm	91kg	27
12	Viliami TAHITUA	183cm	111kg	33	Tonga 9caps
13	Charles PIUTAU	186cm	95kg	32	NZ17caps, Tonga 9cap
14	Valynce TEWHARE	182cm	112kg	24
15	Kakeru OKUMURA	180cm	85kg	26

** Player to watch **

Sam GREENE. 178 cm, 85 kg, 30 years old. He is from Australia. He has been playing almost as a starter this season as an official Category A player. GREENE’s play is a good example of what a good SO is like. He is true to the basics, make almost no mistakes, and hold the ball until the very last second before passing when pressed by the opposing defense, causing the opposing defense, as a whole, to shift their marks. As a result, the Blue Revs BK players, who have the ability to break through, are able to move easily, and the Blue Revs players are able to make line breaks in the early phases of successive attacks. We look forward to a breakthrough season for the Blue Revs this season with all the talents they have.

Let’s get the first half underway, with the Blue Revs kicking off to start the match. The kicker is SO GREENE of the Revs.

9 minutes into the first half:

As this was a matchup of top-ranked teams, both teams displayed a high level of play from the beginning of the match. Both teams were aggressive from their own positions and used the ground widely.

The Blue Revs entered the enemy camp, and from the left side of the field, the Revs’ CTB TAHITUA kicked a precise pass from the center of the field near the 10-meter line, which was caught by WTB TUITAMA. TUITAMA then ran across the touchline on the right side of the field and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 0-7 in favor of the Blue Revs.

12 minutes into the first half:

The Blue Revs attacked deep into the enemy territory, with the BK players and the FW third row working well together and showing excellent body balance.

From a lineout near the 22m line on the right side of the enemy line, the Blue Revs secured the ball and moved to the left.

Blue Revs’ No.8 ILAUA received the ball and broke the enemy defenders with a single shot, scoring a try right under the goal posts.

The Blue Revs then scored another successful conversion goal after the try to make the score 0-14.

14 minutes into the first half:

Brave Lupas, who had taken the lead, counter-attacked aggressively from their own territory and broke into the enemy territory. From this point on, Brave Lupas was aggressive for a while.

As the goalposts approached, Brave Lupas’ CTB TAMANIVAL scored a try in the left corner of the goalposts in the enemy in-goal.

However, just before the try was scored, a Brave Lupas player was penalized for a knock-forward foul, which led to a TMO video decision.

After the decision, Brave Lupas was found to have committed an infringement and the try was disallowed.

19 minutes into the first half:

After Brave Lupas’ try was disallowed, the game resumed with a Blue Revs scrum. The Blue Revs, in a series of attacks, made their advance and deployed to the left.

Here, the Blue Revs BKs made a brilliant attack: SO GREENE passed the ball to CTB TAMANIVAL, but the Breve Lupas defenders were closing in on them at once, so TAMANIVAAL quickly switched to a tap pass, and FB OKUMURA received the ball. OKUMURA succeeded in breaking the line and scored a try in the left center of the enemy’s in-goal.

A conversion goal after the try was unsuccessful, but the Blue Revs scored 3 tries in a row in the first half to pull the score to 0-19 in favor of the previous year’s champion, Brave Lupas.

32 minutes into the first half:

Brave Lupas pushed deep into enemy territory and had several chances to score tries.

Each time, however, the Blue Revs showed their ability to compete in a tight battle and make a turnover. The Blue Revs then took the ball deep in their own territory and played it right to Blue Revs CTB PIUTAU, who kicked it wide and forward. The ball bounced over the enemy 22-meter line and then came off the line, so the 50-22 rule was applied, and the Blue Revs advanced nearly 50 meters at a stretch, with a chance for a lineout in front of the enemy in-goal.

The Blue Revs secured the ball from the lineout and attacked on the flanks, and finally, lock SANGUSTER scored a try in the middle left of the enemy in-goal.

The Blue Revs took control of the match with the score 0-26.

The first half ended with this score, and last season’s champion Brave Lupas had a humiliating first half with no points.

At halftime of the second half, Lupas-kun, the mascot of the home team of the day, Btave Lupas Tokyo, appeared at the stadium and made a round of the stadium.

Looking back on the first half of the day, the Blue Revs’ strengths were evident throughout. The strength of their set pieces, the power of their individual players when they made contact, and their fluid coordinated play as a team. In contrast, Brave Lupas, the previous year’s champions, occasionally showed some coordination that thrilled the crowd, but were completely cut off by the Revs on this day. Later on, could Brave Lupas really stop the Revs’ momentum?

Brave Lupas kicked off the second half.

4 minutes into the second half;

In the first half, Brave Lupas had been conspicuous by the number of minor infringements, but in the dense second half, it was the Blue Revs who committed the Not Release the ball infringement. This infringement by the opponents allowed Brave Lupas to opt for a penalty kick, giving the Blue Revs the chance to take the ball out of the lineout deep on the enemy’s right flank. Brave Lupas won the ball, and after a maul, they advanced to the enemy goal line.

The maul collapsed just before the enemy try line, resulting in a tight battle that Brave Lupas won and scored for the first time in the match.

The try was scored by the lock, Dearns. The conversion goal after the try was missed, making the score 5-26.

11 minutes into the second half;

Brave Lupas scored the first try of the second half and were looking to get themselves back in the game. However, a series of minor mistakes by Brave Lupas once again allowed the Blue Revs to take control of the match. From around the halfway mark, the Blue Revs got a breakaway from WTB TUITAMA and quickly approached the enemy try line.

At this point, TUITAMA broke his leg, but the Blue Revs were able to hold on.

Here, TUITAMA injured his leg, but Blue Revs kept their own ball and Brave Lupas committed a foul at this point. Here, since it was an inexpensive position to aim for, directly in front of the goal post, the Blue Revs opted for a PG, which SO GREENE scored to make the score 5-29.

14 minutes into the second half;

From the restart kickoff after the try, Brave Lupas attacked in succession in enemy territory, but Blue Revs lock SANGUSTER intercepted the ball and the Blue Revs took the opportunity to push into the enemy 22 meters.

In this position, Brave Lupas again committed an infringement, and the Blue Revs again opted for the PG, which SO GREENE converted to make the score 5-32 and extend the Blue Revs’ lead to 27 points.

17 minutes into the second half;

From the kickoff after the PG restart, Brave Lupas launched and deployed a series of attacks in enemy territory, but could not quite get over the gain line. The Blue Revs recovered the ball and passed it to WTB TEWHARE, who drove deep into the enemy territory, beating the defenders one after the other.

Brave Lupas finally stopped TEWHARE, but the ball was passed to SH KITAMURA of the Blue Revs who followed up and KITAMURA scored a try in the left center of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 5-39.

20 minutes into the second half;

Brave Lupas made 4 substitutions at once in the second half, probably because of the heat. With the substitutions, Brave Lupas attack was revitalized, and the ball was spread from the left side to the right side, and finally WTB NAIKABURA scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 12-39.

26 minutes into the second half;

With the score now so wide open, Brave Lupas had no choice but to attack from their own territory, but the Blue Revs’ defensive wall was thick this day, and they showed their strength when it came to a tight battle.

The Blue Revs kept the game in their own half and kept pushing forward toward the try line. The Blue Revs lock DOUGLAS scored the final try right in the middle of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 12-46.

29 minutes into the second half;

With time running out, the Brave Lupas players were beginning to show signs of fatigue. The Blue Revs FB OKUMURA intercepted the ball in his own territory and ran more than 70 meters to score a try at the left corner of the goal post in the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but the score was finally 12-51.

32 minutes into the second half;

The Blue Revs attack became bolder and bolder, and the Brave Lupas defenders began to slow down.

Again, the Blue Revs were deep in enemy territory, and when they ventured out, the Brave Lupas were unable to follow up, and finally Blue Revs SO GREENE scored a try in the right corner of the enemy in-goal.

After the try, the conversion goal failed and the score was 12-56.

34 minutes into the second half;

Despite such a large margin in the match, Brave Lupas did not want to make things difficult for themselves, as both teams will have the opportunity to play each other in the playoffs after this match. With only a few minutes remaining, Brave Lupas’ captain, FL LEITCH, stretched out and ran around to connect with the ball. When the ball was passed to the right side of the field, he turned and scored a try in the right corner of the in-goal.

This match was LEITCH’s 150th memorial official match.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 19-56.

40 minutes into the second half;

Brave Lupas had once attacked into the enemy territory, but the ball was lost in a tight group, and was kicked deep into their own territory. Brave Lupas was able to get the ball deep into their own half, but the players who had been running on their backs from that point on, put their last bit of energy into it and worked hard to connect with the ball.

Brave Lupas, with almost their entire team participating in this attack, quickly approached the enemy try line, and finally, lock DEARNS passed to CTB THOMPSON, who scored a try right under the enemy goal post.

The stadium erupted in cheers for this great all-around attack, the biggest cheer of the day. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 26-56.

Both teams fought hard on this day, but with the playoffs starting on May 17 and ending on June 1, they will be looking to move up as high as possible in the standings, so the remaining 3 rounds of matches will continue to be a tight affair. Rugby fans will be looking forward to these exciting matches, and will be cheering for the teams with great enthusiasm.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: April 5, 2025)

The Japan Rugby League One, Section 12 match: SUNTORY Sungoliath vs KOBE Steelers was held at Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato-ku, Tokyo on March 23 (Sun.) The League One standings as of March 22 are as follows.

2024-25	League One Order(Division 1) 3/22
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP	SD
1	TOSHIBA Brave Lupas TOKYO	10	1	1	46	128
2	Saitama Panasonic Wildnights	9	2	1	45	155
3	Kubota Spears	9	2	1	43	127
4	Shizuoka Blue Revs	9	3	0	39	31
5	KOBELCO Kobe Steelers	5	6	0	29	122
6	Yokohama CANON Eagles	5	7	0	26	12
7	Sagamihara Dynaboars	5	7	0	22	-113
8	Black Rams Tokyo	4	8	0	21	-46
9	Tokyo SUNTORY Sungoliath	4	5	2	21	-21
10	Mie Honda Heat	4	8	0	18	-135
11	Toyota Verblitz	2	9	1	15	-84
12	Urayasu　D-Rocks	2	10	0	10	-176
	WP=Winning Point
	SD=Score Difference

Sungoliath’s ranking prior to the day’s match was 9th, compared to Steelers’ ranking of 5th.

The temperature was 23 degrees Celsius, and the weather was clear, making the conditions as warm as mid-May, which was expected to be tough and physically demanding on the players in the second half of the match.

The attendance on the day was 9,663.

In the Top League era, this match would have been a golden card, and I remember the Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground being filled to capacity. I feel that Sungoliath’s poor performance this season has affected this crowd.

Let me introduce the two teams that will play on this day.

First, here is the latest information on the home team, SUNTORY Sungoliath.

As of March 22, their record in League One is 4 wins, 5 losses, 2 draws, and 21 winning points, placing them 9th in the overall standings. Although Sungoliath has been a strong team that is always a favorite to win the championship every season, we believe that the reason for their low ranking this season is not that Sungoliath has become weaker, but rather that other teams have become stronger.

As a contributing factor, please see the list of today’s starting members.

Suntory Sungoliath
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kenta KOBAYASHI	181cm	115kg	25
2	Kosuke Horikoshi	175cm	100kg	28	Japan　7caps
3	Kan NAKANO	177cm	108kg	27
4	Trevor HOSEA	203cm	114kg	25
5	Sam JEFFRIES	198cm	114kg	31
6	Ryuga HASHIMOTO	188cm	112kg	26
7	Kanji Shimokawa	188cm	105kg	25	Japan　14caps
8	Sione LAVEMAI	189m	120kg	30	Japan　1cap
9	Yutaka NAGARE	166cm	75kg	32	Japan　36caps
10	Mikiya Takamoto	171cm	80kg	24	Japan
11	Chelin KOLBE	172cm	80kg	31	South Africa 40caps
12	Shogo NAKANO	186cm	98kg	27	Japan　7caps
13	Isaiah PUNIVAI	189cm	100kg	24
14	Seiya Ozaki	175cm	85kg	29	Japan　4caps
15	Kotaro MATSUSHIMA	179cm	88kg	32	Japan　55caps

One of the rules for competing in League One is that the percentage of Category A players in the field must be 80%. Category A players are those who have represented Japan or are eligible to represent Japan. Starting this season, the restrictions on Category A players, including restrictions on foreign players, have been greatly eased. As a result of this change, the percentage of foreign players in each team’s roster has increased significantly. This is one of the reasons why teams have become more competitive and the intensity of the League One game, especially the physical aspect, has increased. Sungoliath has been the No. 1 team in the league in terms of the depth of its roster, having recruited many Japanese stars. In the match of the day, the percentage of foreign players among the starters is 5 (33%). In contrast, Steelers had 10 (66%) foreign players in their starting lineup, twice as many as Sungoliath. This makes it tough for Sungoliath when physicality, especially contact play, is pushed to the forefront as a tactic. It will be interesting to see how Sungoliath will organize and strengthen their team from next season onward.

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Mikiya TAKAMOTO. 171 cm, 80 kg, 24 years old. He is a graduate of Teikyo University. He is a member of Japan’s high school national team, Junior Japan, and a candidate for Japan’s national team. He has represented Japan in different generations and is expected to play a key role in the future of Japan’s national team. In his second year, he secured a regular position in Sungoliath, where there are many players. He has all the abilities required of a SO, including passing, kicking, and running, and in addition, his condition is always stable, so his performance is consistent. He is outstanding in bringing out the potential of the team. If I were to look for a drawback, it would be the lack of physical size, so the ability to break through on the physical side as an individual would be an issue for the future.

Next, let me introduce today’s Visitor Team, KOBELCO KOBE Steelers.

In League One, the strongest clubs are concentrated in the Kanto area, but the Steelers have made their presence felt in the Kansai area. This season, however, they are still in the playoffs, in 5th place out of 12 teams in League One. The Steelers fans, who know their history of winning 7 consecutive Japanese championships, will be hoping that this season they will not only make the playoffs, but also win the championship, which is their long-cherished wish.

The starting lineup for this day’s match is as follows.

KOBE Steelers
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Shigure TAKAO	178cm	110kg	28
2	George TURNER	183cm	101kg	32	Scotland 45caps
3	Hiroshi YAMASHITA	183cm	120kg	39	Japan 51caps
4	Gerard COWLEI-TUIOTI	197cm	115kg	32
5	Brodie RETALLICK	204cm	120kg	33	New Zealand 109caps
6	Tiennan COSTLEY	192cm	104kg	24	Japan　6caps
7	Solomone FUNAKI	185cm	110kg	22
8	Waisake RARATUBUA	186m	99kg	30
9	Atsushi HIWASA	166cm	70kg	37	Japan　51caps
10	Bryn GATLAND	180cm	88kg	29
11	Kanta MATSUNAGA	167cm	79kg	25
12	Seunsin LEE	176cm	85kg	24	Japan　18caps
13	Michael LITTLE	180cm	98kg	32
14	Ataata MOEAKIOLA	185cm	107kg	29	Japan　4caps
15	Rakuhei YAMASHITA	175cm	85kg	33

The Steelers are a force to be reckoned with. Why have they not performed well with such a huge squad? It may be an interesting thing about rugby that you can’t win just because you have a strong team.

＊＊　Player to watch 　　＊＊

Brodie RETALLICK. 204 cm, 120 kg, 33 years old. He was a mainstay regular for All Blacks in three consecutive RWCs in 2015, 2019, and 2023.He was named World Rugby Player of the Year in 2014. Fans in Japan are lucky to be able to watch RETALLICK, the world’s greatest lock, in his prime. This season, he is leading the Steelers as captain of the team. How far will the Steelers, led by RETALLICK, go in League One?

Let’s get the first half underway, with the kickoff going to the Steelers.

3 minutes into the first half:

Both teams are confident in their attacking ability, but it was Steelers who took the lead. From the opening kickoff of the game, Steelers entered the enemy territory and gradually made progress while expanding left and right.

The Steelers were on the front foot at the enemy 22m line when outside CTB Little made a line break and was caught by the Sungoliath defense, but offloaded to WTB MOEAKIOLA who followed up from the right side. MOEAKIOLA was tangled up with the Sungoliath defense, but he played it off and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but the Steelers scored the first try of the game to make the score 0-5.

6 minutes into the first half:

Despite the Steelers’ loss of the first goal, Sungoliath also showed their Slogan of Aggressive Attacking Rugby on the field.

Sungoliath’s CTB NAKANO made a line break deep in enemy territory and was caught by the Steelers defense as he approached the try line on the left side of the enemy line.

Sungoliath then won a tight battle in this position, and the ball was passed to WTB OZAKI, who used his individual skills to get past the Steelers defense and score a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

Sungoliath missed the conversion goal after the try, but the score was 5-5 to tie the game.

10 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath pushed deep into enemy territory, and Steelers’ FL COSTLEY was fouled for offsides. COSTLEY was shown a yellow card and temporarily sent off for 10 minutes for this foul that prevented Sungoliath from scoring a try.

Sungoliath elected to go for the PG, which SO TAKAMOTO converted to make the score 8-5.

19 minutes into the first half:

The Steelers had a scrum a short distance into enemy territory, but Sungoliath committed an infringement and the Steelers elected to take a penalty kick. CTB LEE scored to make the score 8-8 even.

19 minutes into the first half:

On the restart kickoff after the Steelers’ score, Sungoliath entered the enemy territory, the Steelers dropped the ball in front of them, which was picked up by a Sungoliath player. Sungoliath’s CTB NAKANO scored a try in the right corner of the in-goal.

Sungoliath missed the conversion goal after the try, but the score was 13-8 to take a 5 point lead.

23 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath’s attack found its rhythm, and the Steelers were on the defensive as Sungoliath attacked in succession into the enemy territory. The Steelers’ defense caught them.

Sungoliath won a tight battle here, however, and the ball was passed from SH NAGARE to FB MATSUSHIMA, who ran to the left side and threw a long pass to CTB PUNIVAI, who caught it and scored a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the left side.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 20-8 in Sungoliath’s favor.

34 minutes into the first half:

The Steelers had been evenly matched with Sungoliath in each phase of the game up to this point, but when opportunities arose, they repeatedly committed infringements and were unable to get a grip on the game.

The Steelers were able to break that bad trend with a big play here.

The Steelers connected the ball with a pass from their own line and managed to get deep into the enemy territory. shaking off three day defenders,

34 minutes into the first half:

Up to this point, the Steelers had been evenly matched with Sungoliath in each phase of the game, but when opportunities arose, they repeatedly committed penalties and were unable to get the game going.

The Steelers were able to break that bad trend with a big play here.

The Steelers passed the ball from their own line and managed to get deep into enemy territory, where captain Rock RETALLICK received the ball and took a pass just before the enemy 10-meter line. The 204 cm, 120 kg giant took a step and from there, he shook off three Sungoliath defenders and scored a try on the left side of the goal post in the enemy’s in-goal.

The fans in the stadium cheered loudly for this try.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 20-15.

40 minutes into the first half:

The Steelers’ team’s fighting spirit was given a boost by the earlier play of captain RETALLICK, who, after a foul by Sungoliath, was given the chance to take his own lineout in front of the enemy in-goal from a penalty kick, secured the ball, and then moved forward at once in a maul.

The Steelers kept up the momentum and scored a try with a maul to the left of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was unsuccessful, but the score was tied 20-20, and the first half ended there.

Looking at the first half of the match, both teams were able to score points when they were able to play to their strengths, with Sungoliath winning the tight contests and scoring from the quick turnaround created by SH NAGARE. On the other hand, Steelers’ winning pattern is for their powerful FWs to break through the dense pack and use that as a starting point to score points. Which team will score the first point in the second half?

Let’s begin the second half.

4 minutes into the second half:

Sungoliath took the second half kickoff and went on the attack in enemy territory, crossing the 22-meter line where the Steelers committed a high tackle infraction. Sungoliath chose to take a penalty kick instead of a PG, creating an opportunity for their own lineout just short of the enemy try line. Sungoliath secured the ball and, using sign play, CTB NAKANO ran in diagonally and cut in for a try right in the middle of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 27-20.

9 minutes into the second half:

Sungoliath scored the first try of the half and continued to attack in the enemy territory, forcing the Steelers back into a defensive dilemma. In the process, the Steelers committed an infringement in front of their own 22m line, giving Sungoliath a PG opportunity. Sungoliath’s SO Takamoto scored to make the score 30-20.

21 minutes into the second half:

Steelers changed their offensive approach, putting their strong FW forward,They secured the ball in a lineout on the right side of the field near the 22-meter line, then formed a maul to push forward and score a try, but Sungoliath managed to hold them off.

From there, however, the Steelers continued their FW side attack, culminating in a try by lock RETALLICK to the left side of the goal post in the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 30-27.

31 minutes into the second half:

The game continued to go back and forth during this period, with neither team able to score a point. Sungoliath committed an infringement just before their own 22m line. Here, the Steelers opted for a penalty kick instead of a PG in order to score a try and turn the tables. On the left side, in front of the enemy try line, Steelers secured the ball in their own lineout and expanded to the right side. Here, Steelers’ SO GATLAND released a brilliant kick pass from the right side to the edge of the left sideline. WTB MOEAKIOLA caught the pass and scored a try in the left corner of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 30-34, and the Steelers were back in front.

35 minutes into the second half:

With time running out, Sungoliath went on the offensive, winning the ball and pushing deep into the enemy territory as the Steelers struggled to handle kicks. With the try line closing in, Sungoliath made a series of vertical charges with their flanks to the goalposts. Here, Sungoliath substitute SH FUKUDA took advantage of a momentary lapse and dove just under the goal posts to score a crucial try.

Sungoliath also succeeded in scoring the conversion goal after the try, and the score was 37-34.

40 minutes into the second half:

With one last hope for a comeback, the Steelers had a chance to take the ball out of their own half on the left side of the field near the enemy 22m line. The Steelers then had a chance to take the ball out of their own half.

Sungoliath was now in a position to secure the ball in their own ball lineout and win the game if they could survive the remaining less than a minute. However, the ball from the lineout rolled into the Steelers’ side, and the Steelers went right and WTB MATSUNAGA scored the final try.

Steelers missed the conversion goal after the try, but the score was 37-39. The game was now over.

With this result, Steelers defended their 5th place position in the playoff standings. Sungoliath, on the other hand, lost the game but by seven points or less, so they gained one winning point and are now in seventh place.

With only 6 rounds remaining in League One, the gap between the teams has narrowed and no team can afford to be complacent. We are looking forward to watching the games from the next round onward.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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 (Written by Azul: March 20, 2025)

Japan Rugby’s League One, Division 1 reached its 10th round on March 1. Here is the standings of Division 1 so far.

2024-25	League One Order(Division 1) 2/28
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP	SD
1	Saitama Panasonic Wildnights	8	0	1	39	157
2	TOSHIBA Brave Lupas TOKYO	7	1	1	34	102
3	Kubota Spears	7	1	1	33	103
4	Shizuoka Blue Revs	6	3	0	26	-10
5	KOBELCO Kobe Steelers	4	5	0	24	94
6	Yokohama CANON Eagles	4	5	0	21	25
7	Tokyo SUNTORY Sungoliath	4	3	2	21	2
8	Mie Honda Heat	4	5	0	18	-55
9	Sagamihara Dynaboars	3	6	0	14	-119
10	Black Rams Tokyo	2	7	0	11	-62
11	Toyota Verblitz	1	7	1	11	-69
12	Urayasu　D-Rocks	1	8	0	5	-168
	WP=Winning Point
	SD=Score Difference

On this day, I went to Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato-ku, Tokyo, to watch the match between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars and RICOH Black Rams.

The temperature was a warm 20 degrees Celsius, making it a perfect day to watch the game. The attendance at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium was 6,031, which was a good turnout.

The match of the day was expected to be a close match between the 9th-ranked Dynaboars and the 10th-ranked Black Rams in Division 1.

Last season, the two teams met twice, winning once and losing once. Who will come out on top on this day?

Let us introduce the two teams playing on this day.

First, an update on the home team, the Dynaboars.

The MHI Sagamihara Dynaboars are in 9th place with a record of 3 wins and 6 losses so far this season. They beat KOBELCO Steelers in the 4th round and TOYOTA Verblitz in the 7th round to the delight of their fans, but suffered a late-game upset by lowly HONDA Heat in the 8th round. As a result, they have not been able to advance to the top of the standings. Their opponent on this day is rival Black Rams, who have been battling for the same ranking in recent years, so they will be looking to halt their losing streak.

Dynaboars
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Changho AHN	178cm	110kg	27
2	Seunghyuk LEE	179cm	103kg	25	Japan 1cap
3	Kanzo SCHINCKEL	187cm	125kg	25
4	Walt STEENKAMP	203cm	121kg	29
5	Lindi Makoto DANIEL	195cm	109kg	37
6	Epineri URUIVITI	196cm	122kg	28	Japan 4caps
7	Masataka TSURUYA	185cm	105kg	34
8	Kyo YOSHIDA	188cm	108kg	29
9	Kohta IWAMURA	182cm	87kg	31
10	James GRAYSON	182cm	90kg	26
11	Honeti TAUMOHAAPAI	180cm	94kg	32	Japan 7s
12	Curtis RONA	193cm	102kg	32	Australia 3 caps
13	Matt VAEGA	179cm	94kg	30
14	Joape NACO	181cm	98kg	22
15	Kurt-Lee ARENDSE	176cm	80kg	28	South Africa 22caps

** Player to watch **

Honeti TAUMOHAAPAI. 180 cm, 94 kg, 32 years old. Position = WTB. country of birth = Tonga. He is a graduate of Hanazono University and a member of Japan’s 7-man national team. He is a veteran in terms of age, but last season he was the No. 1 scorer of tries in the team. The key for the Dynaboars on this day would be how well they can get the ball to their trump card, TAUMOHAAPAI.

By the way, here is an update on the Visitor Team of the day, RICOH Black Rams.

They are in 10th place with 2 wins and 7 losses so far this season, but they won against D-ROCKS in the 8th round and lost to last season’s champion Brave Lupas in the 9th round, albeit by just a single point. The Black Rams had been struggling without England’s No.8 Nathan HUGHES and FB Izac LUCAS, who were the mainstays until last season, due to injury, but this season’s new players are gradually fitting into the team, and the team’s strength is improving.

The starting lineup for this day’s match was as follows.

Black Rams
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Taishi TSUMURA	174cm	108kg	23
2	Shin OUCHI	183cm	107kg	27
3	Shohei　OYAMA	186cm	116kg	26
4	Pohiva Yamato LOTOAHEA	192cm	118kg	36	Japan 7th
5	Harrison FOX	199cm	117kg	24
6	Michael  STOLBERG	204cm	116kg	32
7	Liam GILL	184cm	95kg	32	Australia 15 caps
8	Fakatava AMATO	195cm	118kg	30	Japan 12 caps
9	TJ PERENARA	184cm	94kg	32	New Zealand 81caps
10	Ichigo NAKAKUSU	174cm	84kg	24	Japan
11	Netani VAKAYALIA	181cm	90kg	27	Fiji 7th,Japan 7th
12	Yuki IKEDA	187cm	100kg	29	Japan
13	PJ　LATU	189cm	105kg	24
14	Semisi　TUPOU	190cm	98kg	25
15	Main TAIRA	180cm	91kg	24	Japan 1cap

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

(The player in the center of the photo is STOLBERG)

Michael STOLBERG. 204 cm, 116 kg, 32 years old. He is from Australia. Position = Flanker. Until last season, his position was lock, but due to a string of injuries in the team, he has been assigned to flanker this season. Flanker is a position that requires athleticism, and STOLBERG has played a role that has exceeded expectations in the game. A big man over 2 meters tall, he runs around the field in all directions, and the opposing team always has a strong defensive wall standing in his way. In attack, he is also the Black Rams’ leading scorer, as he faithfully follows up on scoring chances. He has been a key player in the team’s rise in the middle of the league.

Let’s start the first half.

3 minutes into the first half:

The Black Rams kicked off to start the game.

First, it was the Black Rams who made the decisive move. The ball was passed from left WTB VAKAYARIA to right WTB TUPOU, and TUPOU put the ball in the in-goal, but the video judgment showed that he stepped on the touch line before the try, and the try was canceled.

17 minutes into the first half:

The Black Rams pushed forward slightly after a scrum near the center of the field, where the ball was passed to WTB VAKAYALIA, who cut in for a 10-meter gain. Black Rams’ No.8 FAKATAVA followed VAKAYALIA and received the pass, and from there FAKATAVA, with his fast feet as fast as a WTB, scored a try in the left center of the enemy in-goal. The crowd went wild for FAKATAVA’s play here.

The Black Rams went ahead 0-5 despite a missed conversion goal after the try.

19 minutes into the first half:

After the try, WTB TUPOU of Black Rams caught the ball from the restart kickoff and made a great kickoff return.

TUPOU was caught by the Dynaboars defense, but the Black Rams won the ensuing tight battle, and from there the ball went to the left where WTB VAKAYALIA scored a try on the left side of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was missed, but the score was 0-10.

After that, both teams were close to the enemy’s in-goal, but in a lineout on their own ball, they were unable to secure the ball and missed their chances. The key to advancing to the top of the standings will be to secure the ball at these scoring opportunities.

36 minutes into the first half:

Neither team was consistent in catching the lineout ball, but the Black Rams dominated the Dynaboars in the scrum. This inevitably created more scoring opportunities for the Black Rams. The Black Rams’ flanker GILL showed his strength in the tight match.

In this period, the Dynaboars pushed right to the enemy’s in-goal and almost scored a try after a wave of attacks by the BK players.

However, just before the enemy in-goal, the Dynaboars released a pass that was intercepted by SO NAKAKUSU of the Black Rams, who ran more than 80 meters to score a try right under the enemy goalposts.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 0-17.

40 minutes into the first half:

The Black Rams quickly moved the ball to the left side of the field line, and quickly advanced to the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal. SO NAKAKUSU kicked a pass from the left side, which was caught by WTB TUPOU, who was stationed on the right side of the line, and TUPOU scored a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but the score was 0-22. The first half ended here.

After a scoreless first half, the Dynaboars formed a circle at the end of the first half to prepare for the second half.

After being down by a large margin in the first half, could the Dynaboars come back in the second half?

It was now 15-minute halftime, and Dynastars, the official cheerleaders of Dynaboars, gave a dance performance as the halftime show.

Let the second half begin.

The Dynaboars attacked the enemy territory early in the second half and launched a series of attacks, but the Black Rams defense held strong in front of the try line and they were unable to score any points.

17 minutes into the second half:

The second half was a stalemate with neither team scoring so far. If anything, the Dynaboars had more time to dominate the ball and attack, but the Black Rams’ FWs stood in the way of line breaks. The two flankers who stood out the most were GILL and STOLBERG, who showed their strength in the tight matchups and produced several turnovers.

The Dynaboars also could not score while attacking, so fatigue built up among the players and the team’s overall athleticism began to decline. The Black Rams turned the ball over and took the ball back, and CTB IKEDA showed a good touch kick to push the ball back deep into enemy territory to break the deadlock.

The Black Rams then secured the ball deep in the enemy territory, and from the right side, the ball was passed from CTB LATU to SH PERENARA, who scored a try on the left side of the goal post.

However, a video review revealed that the Black Rams were fouled in the lineout, and the try was cancelled.

23 minutes into the second half:

The Dynaboars switched SH from IWAMURA to STRATTON, and STRATTON increased the tempo of their attack, pushing deep into the enemy territory.

Then, in front of the goal post, CTB VAEGA received a pass from STRATTON and scored a try on the right side of the enemy goal post. This was the first score for the Dynaboars in this match.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 7-22.

The score remained 7-22 at the end of the match. With this result, the Dynaboars have now lost 3 straight games, dropping them to 11th place in the standings and into the relegation zone of Division 2.

Conversely, Black Rams moved up to 9th place with the win in this match. This season, the gap in strength between the teams in Division 1 has narrowed, and there are no more easy games for the top teams. However, for fans, the number of games that are worth watching has been increasing, and it will be worth cheering for.

I am looking forward to the next game.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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