(Written by Azul: April 5, 2026)
Round 12 of Japan Rugby League One was held under clear skies at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Minato Ward, Tokyo. Tokyo has been experiencing alternating warm and cool days recently, and on March 21, the temperature reached 14 degrees Celsius, making for fairly decent weather for watching the game.
As of March 21, the League One standings are as follows.
| 2025-26 | League One Order(Division 1) 3/20 | |||||
| ranking | team | Win | Lose | Even | WP | SD |
| 1 | KOBELCO Kobe Steelers | 10 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 207 |
| 2 | Saitama Panasonic Wildnights | 10 | 1 | 0 | 45 | 185 |
| 3 | Kubota Spears | 9 | 2 | 0 | 45 | 224 |
| 4 | Tokyo SUNTORY Sungoliath | 7 | 4 | 0 | 36 | 92 |
| 5 | Black Rams Tokyo | 7 | 4 | 0 | 31 | -1 |
| 6 | TOSHIBA Brave Lupas TOKYO | 5 | 6 | 0 | 25 | -76 |
| 7 | Toyota Verblitz | 4 | 7 | 0 | 20 | -27 |
| 8 | Shizuoka Blue Revs | 3 | 8 | 0 | 17 | -65 |
| 9 | Mie Honda Heat | 3 | 8 | 0 | 16 | -101 |
| 10 | Yokohama CANON Eagles | 3 | 9 | 0 | 15 | -134 |
| 11 | Sagamihara Dynaboars | 3 | 8 | 0 | 14 | -111 |
| 12 | Urayasu D-Rocks | 3 | 8 | 0 | 12 | -193 |
| WP=Winning Point | ||||||
| SD=Score Difference | ||||||
The League season is entering its second half, but this season has seen many upsets. The Brave Lupas, two-time defending champions, are currently on a five-game losing streak and sit in 6th place, putting their playoff berth in jeopardy. Additionally, in the match on March 20, there was an upset as the top-ranked KOBELCO Steelers lost to the bottom-ranked CANON Eagles. With the season set to conclude in May, no team can afford to let their guard down.
This match was held as a home game for the DYNABOARS. The attendance for the day was 6,444.
League One is gradually increasing its attendance figures. This is likely due to the marketing efforts of each team and the overall improvement in the quality of League One matches.
Now, here is the latest information on the 2 teams facing off this day.
First, here is the latest information on the visiting team, SUNTORY Sungoliath.
With a record of 7 wins and 4 losses this season, they currently sit in 4th place in League One Division 1 as of March 20th and remain in contention for the playoffs. While they no longer appear as overwhelmingly dominant as they once did, this is likely due to the overall rise in the level of play across League One. Their playing style is characterized by “Aggressive Attacking Rugby” that makes full use of the field, and they boast the strongest offense in League One. They are currently on a two-game losing streak against the Dynaboars, their opponent today, and are approaching this match hoping to bounce back. Will they be able to prevent a third consecutive loss to the same team?
The starting lineup for today’s match was as follows.
| Suntory Sungoliath | |||||
| No. | Name | height | weight | age | |
| 1 | Atsuki YAMAMOTO | 177cm | 106kg | 23 | |
| 2 | Shodai HIRAO | 174cm | 105kg | 23 | |
| 3 | Kan NAKANO | 177cm | 108kg | 28 | |
| 4 | Ryuga HASHIMOTO | 188cm | 112kg | 27 | |
| 5 | George HAMMOND | 199cm | 115kg | 25 | |
| 6 | Kanji Shimokawa | 188cm | 105kg | 28 | Japan 22caps |
| 7 | Sean McMAHON | 186cm | 99kg | 31 | Australia 27caps |
| 8 | Tevita TATAFU | 183m | 119kg | 30 | Japan 20caps |
| 9 | Yutaka NAGARE | 166cm | 75kg | 33 | Japan 36caps |
| 10 | Mikiya Takamoto | 171cm | 80kg | 25 | Japan |
| 11 | Seiya Ozaki | 175cm | 85kg | 30 | Japan 4caps |
| 12 | Gideon WRAMPLING | 188cm | 102kg | 24 | |
| 13 | Taiga OZAKI | 184cm | 93kg | 27 | Japan |
| 14 | Kohei YASUDA | 181cm | 88kg | 23 | |
| 15 | Cheslin KOLBE | 172cm | 80kg | 32 | South Africa 48caps |
＊＊ Player to Watch ＊＊
Yutaka NAGARE. 166 cm, 75 kg, 33 years old. Position: SH. Graduated from Teikyo University. Japan national team caps: 36. Participated in the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cups. Having announced his retirement at the end of this season, this will be the last chance to see NAGARE in action. There is absolutely no sign of a decline in his abilities as a player; if anything, he is currently at the peak of his career. He is a key player who embodies Sungoliath’s team slogan, “Aggressive Attacking Rugby.” It is none other than NAGARE who creates the fluid rhythm of Sungoliath’s continuous, flowing attacks. For Sungoliath, we hope they advance to the playoffs and win their way through so that fans can see NAGARE in action for as many games as possible this season.
Next, here is the latest information on the home team for this match, the Sagamihara Dynaboars.
Their record this season stands at 3 wins and 8 losses, and as of March 20, they are in 11th place in League One Division 1. At the end of the season, the bottom 2 teams in Division 1 must face the top 2 teams from Division 2 in promotion/relegation playoffs. The Dynaboars, aiming to improve on last season’s finish (9th place), are determined to secure as many wins as possible in their remaining 7 matches. Although this day’s opponent, Sungoliath, is a higher-ranked team, they have been a good matchup for us in recent years, so we’re looking forward to a great game.
The starting lineup for today’s match is as follows.
| Dynaboars | |||||
| No. | Name | height | weight | age | |
| 1 | Jun MORIMOTO | 175cm | 115kg | 29 | |
| 2 | Yuki MIYAZATO | 178cm | 105kg | 28 | |
| 3 | Shunsuke ASAOKA | 187cm | 125kg | 29 | Japan 1cap |
| 4 | Kohki MATSUMOTO | 190cm | 107kg | 24 | |
| 5 | Jose SERU | 197cm | 117kg | 34 | Japan 7th |
| 6 | Kyo YOSHIDA | 188cm | 108kg | 30 | |
| 7 | Masataka TSURUYA | 186cm | 104kg | 28 | |
| 8 | Marino MIKAERE-TUU | 193cm | 111kg | 28 | |
| 9 | Brad WEBER | 172cm | 75kg | 35 | NZ 18caps |
| 10 | Charlie TITCOMBE | 179cm | 86kg | 23 | |
| 11 | Joape NACO | 181cm | 102kg | 23 | |
| 12 | Charlie LAWRENCE | 171cm | 90kg | 27 | Japan 8caps |
| 13 | Lukhanyo AM | 186cm | 97kg | 32 | South Africa 42caps |
| 14 | Matt VAEGA | 179cm | 94kg | 31 | |
| 15 | Satoshi KOIZUMI | 178cm | 89kg | 25 | |
＊＊ Player to Watch ＊＊
(Player No. 13: Lukhanyo AM)
Lukhanyo AM. 186 cm, 97 kg, 32 years old. Position: CTB. South African national team caps: 42. The world’s best CTB, who joined the Dynaboars this season. With his excellent tactical vision, he creates opportunities and builds the game alongside the SO. He is also a key defensive player in the backline, anticipating his teammates’ trouble before it happens and making hard tackles when necessary. We’ll be watching closely to see how much he can contribute in decisive moments during this day’s match.
And now, the first half begins.
6 minutes into the first half:
At this point, Dynaboars’ scrum-half Weber was penalized for a deliberate knock-on and received a 10-minute suspension.
Sungoliath capitalized on this numerical advantage, advancing toward the opponent’s try line. They quickly shifted the play from the left corner to the right, and WTB Yasuda, positioned along the right touchline, easily scored a try in the right corner of the opponent’s in-goal area.
The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 0-7.
18 minutes into the first half:
Sungoliath drew a penalty from the opposition as they entered the opponent’s half. Since the position was relatively close to the goalposts, FB Kolbe attempted a penalty kick. Although the kick was taken almost directly in front of the goalposts from a distance of 30 meters, Kolbe missed it. The score remained 0-7.
23 minutes into the first half:
The DYNABOARS entered the opponent’s territory, dominated the scrum, and drew a “not releasing the ball” penalty from the opposition. From there, the DYNABOARS advanced their position with a penalty kick, secured the ball from a lineout, formed a maul, and advanced toward the try line. From there, the DYNABOARS launched a series of flanking attacks by their FWs, and substitute prop CHAE grounded the ball in the middle-right of the opponent’s in-goal area to score a try.
The conversion kick after the try was also successful, tying the score at 7-7.
30 minutes into the first half:
As Sungoliath advanced deep into the opponent’s territory, DYNABOARS No. 8 MIKAERE-TUU committed a malicious foul by kicking the ball—which was to be handed over to the opponent when play was stopped—hard back, striking Sungoliath SO TAKAMOTO in the face, resulting in a 10-minute suspension.
Sungoliath secured the ball from the ensuing lineout, formed a maul, and advanced to score a try in the left center of the in-goal area.
The DYNABOARS conceded the try due to a careless foul.
Although the conversion kick after the try was missed, the score became 7-12.
34 minutes into the first half:
From the restart kickoff, the DYNABOARS entered the opposition’s half and moved the ball from the left flank to the right. Here, SO TITCOMBE looped around, broke through the line, and scored a try.
The conversion kick following the try was also successful, bringing the score to 14-12 and giving the DYNABOARS the lead.
38 minutes into the first half:
The match had turned into a back-and-forth affair. Sungoliath penetrated deep into the opponent’s territory, moved the ball wide left and right to launch their attack, and finally, WTB OZAKI scored a try in the left corner of the in-goal area.
Although the conversion kick after the try was missed, the score stood at 14-17.
41 minutes into the first half:
Just before the end of the first half, the DYNABOARS entered the opponent’s territory, secured the ball from a lineout, and immediately formed a maul to advance. CTB AM made a sharp break through the side of the maul, breaking through the defensive line in one swift move. Sungoliath’s defense gave chase, but DYNABOARS’ scrum-half WEBER, who had followed up, received a pass and sprinted straight to the goal line to score a try.
The conversion kick after the try was successful, bringing the score to 21-17.
That marked the end of the first half.
Since last season, matches between Sungoliath and the DYNABOARS have consistently been close contests, and this day’s game was no exception—a fiercely contested, high-quality match. It wouldn’t have been surprising if either team had won.
Given what a great game this was, I hope we can draw a crowd large enough to fill the stadium for the next match.
And now, the second half begins.
4 minutes into the second half:
After the kickoff, both teams sized each other up, leading to a series of kicks back and forth. As they did so, Sungoliath entered the opponent’s half, spread the play to the left to create a numerical advantage, and FL McMAHON, who received the ball near the touchline, shook off the defenders clinging to him and dived into the left corner of the opponent’s in-goal area to score the first try of the second half.
The conversion kick after the try was missed, but the score became 21-22, with Sungoliath regaining the lead.
9 minutes into the second half:
The DYNABOARS were notably prone to penalties in this match. As Sungoliath entered the opponent’s territory, the DYNABOARS lost the scrum and were penalized for collapsing.
Sungoliath opted for a penalty goal, which FB Kolbe converted, bringing the score to 21-25.
Since Sungoliath’s FB, Kolbe, had a low conversion rate in this match, this kept the score close.
18 minutes into the second half:
Sungoliath moved the ball from their own half, and FL McMahon used his speed to break through the line again, penetrating deep into the opponent’s territory.
From there, Sungoliath continued to move the ball forward, and finally, SO TAKAMOTO, who had followed up, carried the ball right under the opponent’s goalposts to score a try.
The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 21-32 and giving Sungoliath a 10-point lead.
21 minutes into the second half:
Up to this point in the second half, Sungoliath had dominated possession, but the DYNABOARS finally got their chance to attack. From a scrum in their own half near the center of the field, they moved the ball to the right, where WTB VAEGA broke through the line and advanced toward the opponent’s try line.
From there, the DYNABOARS launched a series of attacks, closing in on the opponent’s try line, and finally, CTB AM broke through the opposing defense to score a try just to the left of the goalposts.
The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 28–32 and narrowing the gap to 4 points for the DYNABOARS.
33 minutes into the second half:
As the match entered its final stages and the score was only 4 points apart, both teams gave it their all, putting everything they had into both defense and offense. The supporters on both sides were just as passionate; with such a close and exciting game, the cheers grew louder and louder.
In particular, the DYNABOARS, playing catch-up, repeatedly pressed the opponent’s try line in search of a try, but Sungoliath displayed a tenacious defense in front of their goal, refusing to concede any points.
The fierce back-and-forth continued, but despite being tackled on the left side of the opponent’s half, the DYNABOARS kept gaining ground. Finally, No. 8 MIKAERE-TUU dragged 3 defenders along with him and, with sheer determination, grounded the ball in the opponent’s in-goal area to score a try.
The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 35-32.
Ultimately, this proved to be the decisive score, and the Sagamihara Dynaboars secured their 4th win of the season against the powerhouse Sungoliath. This marks their third consecutive victory against Sungoliath since last season.
Dynaboars’ fly-half TITCOMBE was named Player of the Match. He appears to be gradually showcasing his true potential with each appearance. We look forward to his next outing.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
Stop the war.
Peace to Ukraine
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊