Month: July 2026

 (Written by Azul: July 31, 2026)

On July 4, 2026, at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Minato Ward, Tokyo, an official match of the first Nations Championship was held between the Japanese national team, the Brave Blossoms, and the Italian national team, Gli Azzurri.

** What is the Nations Championship? **

Launched in 2026, this is a series of test matches featuring the top 12 teams in the world rankings. The format includes 6 teams from the Northern Hemisphere and six from the Southern Hemisphere.

Participating Teams from the Northern Hemisphere:

The 6 nations participating in the Six Nations Championship are eligible. Specifically,

the six participating nations are the 4 nations of the United Kingdom—England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales—along with France and Italy.

Participating teams from the Southern Hemisphere:

The 6 participating nations are the 4 countries in The Rugby Championship—South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Argentina—along with Fiji and Japan.

It appears that, going forward, countries ranked within the top 12 in the world rankings will be eligible to participate, and lower-ranked nations may be subject to rotation.

In this Test match series, each nation will play 3 matches in July and 3 in November. Matchups will be organized as Northern Hemisphere teams versus Southern Hemisphere teams. Finally, a playoff to determine the final standings will be held in late November.

The purpose of the tournament is to bring together the international test matches that each country has traditionally held individually into a single, consolidated format.

The crowd that gathered that day numbered 21,319, and chickets of this match was sold out.

Japan and Italy have faced each other 10 times in total, with Italy winning 8 matches and Japan winning 2.

Now, let’s introduce the two teams that faced off on this day.

First, an introduction to the visiting team, the Italian national rugby team, Gli Azzurri.

They have competed in international rugby since 1929 and have participated in every Rugby World Cup since the inaugural tournament. A major turning point in the Italian national team’s development was their participation in the 6 Nations Championship—the Northern Hemisphere’s premier rugby tournament—beginning in 2000. However, even after joining the 6 Nations Championship, the Italian national team was unable to secure a victory for quite some time and languished at the bottom of the standings for a long period. In recent years, however, they have improved their skills and are gradually climbing out of last place.

Since the Italian national team has yet to advance beyond the group stage at the Rugby World Cup, their next goal will likely be to achieve their long-cherished dream of reaching the knockout stage in the next tournament.

The starting lineup for this match was as follows.

Gli Azzurri
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Club	Italy Caps
1	Danilo FISCHETTI	181cm	120kg	28	Teramo	63
2	Tommaso Di Bartolomeo	179cm	107kg	24	Zebre Parma	10
3	Marco RICCIONI	183cm	125kg	28	Sarasens	36
4	Niccolo KANNONE	197cm	120kg	25	Benetton	63
5	Andrea ZAMBONIN	203cm	112kg	25	Exeter Chiefs	18
6	Alessandro ORTOMBINA	196cm	113kg	23	Zebre Parma	0
7	Michele LAMARO	188cm	103kg	28	Zebre Parma	54
8	Lorenzo KANNONE	190cm	102kg	25	Benetton	39
9	Stephen VARNEY	185cm	89kg	25	Exeter Chiefs	37
10	Paolo GALBISI	183cm	93kg	26	Venezia	54
11	Monty IOANE	180cm	91kg	31	Lyon	47
12	Tommaso MENONCELLO	187cm	90kg	23	Benetton	39
13	Juan Ignacio BREX	187cm	91kg	34	Toulon	52
14	Malik FAISSAL	180cm	92kg	20	Zebre Parma	0
15	Lorenzo PANI	193cm	96kg	24	Zebre Parma	12

In terms of their preference for open, attacking rugby, they share similarities with the Japanese national team. In their previous match, they secured a decisive victory over Japan thanks to their powerful forward pack.

** Player to Watch **

Paolo GALBISI. 183 cm, 93 kg, 26 years old. Positions: SO, CTB. Italy national team caps: 54. Born in Venice, Italy. He currently plays for RC Toulonnais in France’s TOP 14. After building a strong track record and excelling in Italy’s youth national teams, he was selected for the Italian senior national team in the fall of 2020. Since then, he has become the starting fly-half for the Italian national team, accumulating 54 caps by the age of 26. He will compete in the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Known for his solid play as a fly-half, he orchestrates the Italian national team’s fluid backline attacks.

One of Galbisi’s most memorable moments came during the 2022 Six Nations Championship match against Wales, when he kicked the game-winning conversion in the final moments, securing Italy’s first 6 Nations victory since 2015.

Next, we’ll introduce this day’s home team, the Japan national rugby team, the Brave Blossoms.

Currently ranked 10th in the world, the Japan Brave Blossoms are aiming to advance to the knockout stage of the upcoming 2027 Rugby World Cup—their second such appearance since the 2019 tournament. Since 2024, under new Head Coach Eddie Jones, they have been rebuilding the team and working to strengthen their performance.

The key to victory will be how consistently they can execute their team slogan, “Ultra-Fast Rugby.” Since it is impossible to maintain a continuous offensive attack throughout an entire match, their performance in this series will depend on their ability to vary the pace of the game, make quicker decisions than their opponents, and seamlessly transition between offense and defense.

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

Brave Blossoms
No.	Name	height	weight	age	Club	Japan Caps
1	Takato OKABE	180cm	105kg	31	Eagles	8
2	Mamoru HARADA	175cm	101kg	27	Moana Pacifica	12
3	Shuhei TAKEUTI	183cm	115kg	27	Sungoliath	24
4	Harry HOCKINGS	205cm	124kg	27	Sungoliath	2
5	Warner DEARNS	201m	117kg	24	Hurricanes	32
6	Ben GUNTER	195m	120kg	28	Wildknights	17
7	Kanji SHIMOKAWA	188cm	105kg	27	Sungoliath	23
8	Jack CORNELSEN	195cm	110kg	31	Wildknights	29
9	Naoto SAITO	165cm	73kg	28	Toulouse	28
10	Ryunosuke ITO	172cm	77kg	21	Meiji University	0
11	Kippei ISHIDA	167cm	75kg	28	Eagles	9
12	Yuya HIROSE	182cm	94kg	25	Spears	5
13	Dylan RILEY	187cm	102kg	29	Wildknights	38
14	Kazuma UEDA	177cm	87kg	23	Steelers	2
15	Takuro MATSUNAGA	172cm	82kg	27	Brave Lupas	5

With the 2027 Rugby World Cup (RWC) just about a year away, the Japanese national team has yet to fully develop its team cohesion. This season, the team has been able to schedule numerous test matches against powerhouse nations, starting with this Nations Championship. We hope that capitalizing on these opportunities to strengthen the team will lead to strong results at next year’s RWC.

** Player to Watch **

Ryunosuke ITO. 172 cm, 77 kg, 21 years old. Position: Fly-half. 4th-year student at Meiji University. This season, Ito was called up to the Japan national team training camp for the first time and was immediately named to the starting lineup as the team’s fly-half. This match will mark his international debut. While KOBELCO Steelers’ Lee is the first-choice fly-half for the national team, his participation in this year’s national team activities was canceled because he is scheduled to undergo foot surgery after the conclusion of this season’s League One. In his place, ITO—who is currently a student—has been selected, and while this brings some anxiety, it also raises expectations among Japan national team supporters. Prior to this match, in June, ITO was named to the starting lineup for his first international match against New Zealand’s Maori All Blacks. In that match as well, he delivered a performance worthy of the Japan national team. ITO is known for his quick decision-making; when he spots an opening in the opposing team’s defense, he takes the initiative to create opportunities. In particular, his running game is spectacular. I hope he gains more experience in the upcoming Test Match series and is ready for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Now, the first half began.

The match kicked off with a kick by Gli Azzurri.

5 minutes into the first half:

Although Italy boasts one of the strongest scrums in the Northern Hemisphere’s 6 Nations Championship, the Brave Blossoms managed to secure possession from their own ball in the first scrum.

However, once Gli Azzurri entered the opposition’s half, they made effective use of off-load passes to break through the line, and CTB BREX easily penetrated the opposition’s in-goal area to score a try.

The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 0–7.

11 minutes into the first half:

In the early stages of the match, the Brave Blossoms held a slight advantage in the scrums. Since they were able to reliably retain possession during set pieces and rucks, this led to gradual forward progress. As the Brave Blossoms approached the opponent’s try line, lock DEARNS carried the ball into the center-right of the opponent’s in-goal area and scored a try.

The conversion kick after the try was also successful, tying the score at 7–7.

The kicker for the day was fullback MATSUNAGA.

17 minutes into the first half:

What stood out in this match was the kicking of Brave Blossoms’ scrum-half, Saito. His kicks carried great distance and consistently sent the ball out of play, giving the Brave Blossoms a rhythm on offense.

25 minutes into the first half:

Even at this stage of the game, the Brave Blossoms’ forwards continued to dominate at the rucks, steadily advancing deep into the opponent’s territory. At this point, scrum-half Saito fed the ball to the backs with impeccable timing; CTB Hirose successfully broke through the line, and when the ball finally reached fullback Matsunaga, he circled around to the very base of the goalposts and scored a try.

The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 14–7.

24 minutes into the first half:

Gli Azzurri made a series of mistakes while attacking in the opponent’s half, which ultimately led to the Brave Blossoms regaining possession. They then penetrated deep into the opponent’s half and committed a foul. The Brave Blossoms opted for a penalty goal. The foul occurred diagonally to the left of the goalposts, a somewhat difficult position at a distance of 30 meters.

Fullback MATSUNAGA converted the penalty kick, bringing the score to 17–7.

44 minutes into the first half:

Just before the end of the first half, Gli Azzurri had a scoring opportunity. Deep in the opponent’s territory, Gli Azzurri retained possession and launched a series of attacks centered on their forwards, repeatedly threatening the try line. The Brave Blossoms repelled these attempts with a valiant defense. In the end, Gli Azzurri switched from aiming for a try to a penalty goal, which they converted to make the score 17–10 as the first half came to a close.

As this marked the opening of the test match series for both teams, there were some minor errors in their coordination. However, while Gli Azzurri displayed fluid, beautiful play when transitioning from forward breaks to the backs, they made a series of mistakes at the center and wing positions, which prevented them from scoring. Once they iron out these issues, a sudden comeback is certainly possible.

On the other hand, the Brave Blossoms maintained dominance in the forward pack during the first half, and whenever they penetrated deep into the opponent’s territory, they almost always converted it into points. As for the backs, with the fly-half making his international debut, their combination play was not quite there yet, but up to this point, they had been able to make gains even with simple, direct attacks.

This is a clash between two teams with similar world rankings,

And now, the second half began.

7 minutes into the second half:

The Brave Blossoms were the first to score in the second half. After crossing the opponent’s 22-meter line and closing in on the try line, the forwards and backs worked as one to advance toward the in-goal area. However, Gli Azzurri’s defense just short of the try line was formidable, and the Brave Blossoms were unable to score a try. Yet, if they cannot score tries through this kind of contact play, they will not be able to secure victories in the actual RWC. The Brave Blossoms continued to apply relentless pressure, and flanker GUNTER forced the ball into the left-center of the opponent’s in-goal area to score a try.

The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the Brave Blossoms’ lead to 24–10.

25 minutes into the second half:

With three-quarters of the match time elapsed, both teams made player substitutions.

Up to this point in the match, the Brave Blossoms had maintained dominance throughout, led primarily by their forwards. Then, having penetrated deep into the opponent’s territory, the Brave Blossoms earned a penalty goal opportunity from a scrum following an opponent’s foul. The kick was taken from a position slightly to the right of the goalposts, at a distance of approximately 25 meters. Fullback MATSUNAGA converted the penalty goal, bringing the score to 27–10.

Matsunaga had converted all of his penalty and conversion kicks so far in the match, making a significant contribution to the team’s success.

32 minutes into the second half:

As the match entered its final stages, the hot and humid conditions seemed to be taking a toll on the Italian players, as fouls and poor decision-making became more frequent.

The Brave Blossoms had already scored 3 tries, but since scoring 4 tries in a single match earns an extra winning point, they set their sights on achieving that. Given the time remaining, the Brave Blossoms’ victory was already assured, but they wanted another try to improve their final ranking.

However, the match ended with the score remaining as is, and Japan secured a historic first victory in their opening match of the inaugural Nations Championship.

The series will continue through November of this year, when the final standings will be determined. We look forward to seeing the Brave Blossoms continue their strong run.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: July 5, 2026)

On June 14, 2026, the Division 1 Playoff Final—the final match of this season’s Japan Rugby League

One—was held at the National Stadium in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.

The results of this season’s playoff matches so far were as follows.

* Quarterfinals:

1) May 23—RICOH Black Rams vs. SUNTORY Sungoliath: 40–35 (Winner: Sungoliath)

2) May 24—KUBOTA Spears vs. TOSHIBA Brave Lupas: 26–3 (Winner: Spears)

* Semifinals:

1) May 30 – KOBELCO Steelers vs. SUNTORY Sungoliath: 69-23 (Winner: Steelers)

2) May 31 – Panasonic Wildknights vs. KUBOTA Spears: 24-26 (Winner: Spears)

* Third-Place Match:

Panasonic Wildknights vs. SUNTORY Sungoliath: 19-26 ○ = Wildknights

Following these results, the League One playoff final—the decisive match to determine this season’s champion—pitted the Steelers, who finished first in the regular season, against the third-place Spears.

The photo above shows the escort kids, who were selected by lottery. We hope this becomes a wonderful memory for them.

As for the field conditions that day, the temperature was 21 degrees Celsius, and the weather was cloudy with occasional rain.

The total attendance for the day was 50,451. As expected of a championship game, it drew a large crowd.

As for the conditions on the day, the temperature was 22 degrees Celsius, and there was occasional light drizzle.

The head-to-head record between the 2 teams this season stood at one win and one loss each.

* 12/13: Steelers 28 – Spears 33

* 5/10: Spears 19 – Steelers 24

Now, let’s introduce the 2 teams that faced off that day.

First, here’s an introduction to the KOBELCO Steelers, who finished first in League One this season.

After finishing 3rd last season and marking the resurgence of this storied franchise, the Steelers finished first in League One this season with a 16 wins-2 defeats record and advanced to the final without a hitch in the playoffs. Since League One teams are concentrated in the Kanto region, the Steelers’ rise is a welcome development for boosting the popularity of rugby in Japan. Head Coach Dave RENNIE will step down at the end of this season and has been appointed Head Coach of the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. Will the Steelers be able to win the championship as a fitting send-off for Coach RENNIE?

The Steelers’ playoff results are as follows. Since the Steelers finished first in League One, they were seeded for the quarterfinals.

Semifinals: Steelers 69 – Sungoliath 23

(They won a landslide victory over Sungoliath.)

The starting lineup for that day was as follows.

KOBELCO Steelers
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Shigure TAKAO	178cm	110kg	28
2	Ash DIXON	179cm	103kg	37
3	Hiroshi YAMASHITA	183cm	120kg	39	Japan 51caps
4	Brodie RETALLICK	204cm	120kg	34	New Zealand 109caps
5	Gerard COWLEI-TUIOTI	197cm	115kg	33
6	Tiennan COSTLEY	192cm	106kg	25	Japan 1caps
7	Ardie SAVEA	184m	105kg	32	New Zealand 105caps
8	Waisake RARATUBUA	184m	105kg	32	Japan 5caps
9	Itsuki KAMIMURA	168cm	72kg	23
10	Seunsin LEE	176cm	85kg	25	Japan　28caps
11	Inoke BURUA	178cm	100kg	26
12	Tali IOASA	193cm	105kg	20
13	Anton L. BROWN	185cm	96kg	30	New Zealand 87caps
14	Kazuma UEDA	177cm	86kg	23	Japan　1caps
15	Shunsuke UENOBO	183cm	88kg	22

The Steelers feature 3 New Zealand national team players—No. 4 RETALLICK, No. 7 SAVEA, and No. 13 BROWN—who form the core of the team and play a decisive role on both offense and defense. They make few mistakes and demonstrate sound decision-making. Led by these key players, the younger players are developing, which has contributed to the Steelers’ remarkable progress this season. A key characteristic of the team is that their scoring rate once they enter the opponent’s 22-meter line ranks first in all of League One.

** Players to Watch **

Inoke BURUA. 178 cm, 100 kg, 26 years old. From Fiji. Graduate of Ryutsu Keizai University. Position: WTB. He is the linchpin of the Steelers’ offense this season. Although he plays WTB, he gets involved in the attack from anywhere on the field whenever a scoring opportunity arises. His ability to break through defenses and his driving power are so outstanding that opposing teams need to assign 2 or 3 players to him just to stop his forward momentum. Because the Steelers’ off-load passes are so precise, if BURUA isn’t stopped, the passes will connect one after another, leading to a score. Based on his performance this season, he has been selected as a candidate for the Japanese national team.

Next, we introduce the KUBOTA Spears, the other powerhouse that advanced to the final.

In the 2022–23 season, they won their first League One championship. Having finished as runners-up last season as well, the Spears have now established themselves as a powerhouse in League One. Although they languished near the bottom of the standings during the Top League era—the predecessor to League One—the team’s recent rise has been remarkable.

This season, they formed one of the “Big Three” alongside the Steelers and Wildknights, finishing in 3rd place with a 14 wins–4 defeats record and securing a spot in the playoffs. Their results up to the playoff semifinals were as follows:

Quarterfinals: Spears 26 – Brave Lupas 3

(They scored a decisive victory over last season’s champions, the Brave Lupas.)

Semifinals: Spears 26 – Wildknights 24

(After a close contest, they defeated the Wildknights, who finished second in League One.)

The starting lineup for this match was as follows:

KUBOTA SPEARS
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Yota KAMIMORI	172cm	105kg	25
2	Hayate ERA	172cm	106kg	30	Japan 6caps
3	Keijiro TAMEFUSA	180cm	108kg	24	Japan 19caps
4	Merwe OLIVIER	194cm	108kg	23
5	David BULBRING	199cm	113kg	36
6	Akira IEREMIA	194cm	116kg	24
7	Takeo SUENAGA	178cm	98kg	30
8	Faulua MAKISI	182cm	117kg	28	Japan　7caps
9	Ippei OKADA	165cm	75kg	31
10	Bernard　FOLEY	182cm	89kg	36	Australia 75caps
11	Haruto KIDA	176cm	90kg	26	Japan　2caps
12	Yuya HIROSE	182cm	94kg	35	Japan　5caps
13	Rikus PRETORIUS	193cm	104kg	24
14	Koga NAZUKA	173cm	82kg	25	Japan　3caps
15	Shaun STEVENSEN	190cm	92kg	29	New Zealand 1cap

While the Steelers have many players from New Zealand, the Spears have many players from South Africa. Although they were sidelined due to injury for this match, hooker MARX, the 2 locks OLIVIER and BULBRING, and CTB PRETORIUS are all from South Africa. Influenced by South African rugby, they boast a solid defense.

** Players to Watch **

Shaun STEVENSEN. 190 cm, 92 kg, 29 years old. Position: Fullback. From New Zealand. New Zealand national team caps: 1. He has played for New Zealand’s youth national teams since his teens. He was first selected for the All Blacks in 2023. Utilizing his powerful physique, he drives the Spears’ backline offense with his running game. He is also responsible for long-range penalty kicks.

When the Spears build their attack through the backs, he serves as the focal point. On defense, he is not only reliable but also demonstrates seamless integration between offense and defense, allowing the team to make rapid gains whenever there is space ahead. The opposing team has to be mindful of where STEVENSEN is when they kick, which makes them a tough opponent.

And now, the first half began.

The match kicked off with a kickoff by Spears. The kicker was FOLEY, a former Australian national team player who had announced he would retire from active play after this match.

From the very start, the match turned into a fierce physical battle. Neither team would give an inch.

The forwards battled fiercely for the ball at the rucks, causing the momentum to swing back and forth frequently.

Spears controlled the ball, crossed the 22-meter line, and drove forward repeatedly, but the Steelers’ defense beyond that point was solid, and they struggled to score a try.

16 minutes into the first half:

It wasn’t until this point that the game finally shifted. As the Spears crossed the 22-meter line and closed in on the Steelers’ try line, the Steelers committed a foul, and the Spears opted for a penalty goal. It was a prime opportunity—a 15-meter kick directly in front of the goalposts.

Spears’ fly-half, Foley, converted the kick, bringing the score to 0–3.

19 minutes into the first half:

Following the kickoff after the penalty goal, the Steelers drove into the opponent’s half, stringing together passes to steadily advance. A difference in the 2 teams’ attacking styles became apparent. While the Spears relied on individual players with the ball making contact with opponents to gain ground, the Steelers advanced by stringing together passes to open up the field.

Then, near the opponent’s 22-meter line, the Steelers earned a penalty goal opportunity following an opponent’s foul, which SO Lee converted, tying the score at 3-3.

22 minutes into the first half:

Both teams struggled to score tries, and whenever they penetrated deep into the opponent’s territory, they began aiming for penalty goals.

Spears drove into the opponent’s territory from the restart kickoff and advanced to near the 10-meter line, where the opposing team committed a foul. Once again, Spears opted to attempt a penalty goal. Although the ball was directly in front of the goalposts, the distance was over 40 meters; however, fly-half FOLEY converted the penalty goal, bringing the score to 3–6.

25 minutes into the first half:

Play resumed with a kickoff by the Steelers. Spears’ fullback, STEVENSEN, caught the ball in his own half and kicked it back; the ball bounced high, took one bounce, and went out of bounds just past the opponent’s 22-meter line. The 50-22 rule was applied, giving the Steelers a lineout in their own half in a position that brought them close to the opponent’s try line.

This was where the game really started to pick up. First, Spears shifted the momentum in his team’s favor.

Up to this point, Spears had been repelled by the Steelers’ impenetrable defense just in front of the opponent’s try line, but recognizing this as a pivotal moment, they showed focus, breaking out of the scrum to the backline. WTB NEZUKA advanced toward the opponent’s try line, and from there, the forwards displayed tenacity in the scrum. Finally, Spears’ prop TAMEFUSA scored a try in the left-center of the opponent’s in-goal area.

The conversion kick after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 3–13.

29 minutes into the first half:

Following the kickoff after the try, the Steelers launched a counterattack.

Once inside the opponent’s half, the Steelers racked up gains and gradually closed in on the try line. From the right corner of the opponent’s half, they spread the ball and mounted a series of attacks. As they approached the left touchline, fullback UENOBO punted the ball toward the try line. Steelers wing BURUA picked it up and scored a try in the left corner of the opponent’s in-goal area.

Although the conversion kick after the try was from a difficult, angled position, SO Lee made the kick, bringing the Steelers’ score to 10–13.

40 minutes into the first half:

Just before the end of the first half, the Steelers’ wide-open, consecutive attacks began to pay off, and they advanced deep into the opponent’s territory. At this point, Spears committed a foul, and the Steelers opted for a penalty goal.

Steelers’ SO Lee successfully converted the field goal, tying the score at 13–13.

The first half ended with this score. As predicted before the match, it was a great game with both teams evenly matched. Which team will ultimately win this match and claim the League One championship this season?

And now, the second half begins. The second half began with a kickoff by the Steelers.

3 minutes into the second half:

Right from the start, the Steelers launched a series of attacks, making full use of the field. However, the Spears’ defense held firm, preventing the Steelers from gaining any ground despite their efforts. Nevertheless, the Steelers earned a penalty goal opportunity just short of the opponent’s 10-meter line following a penalty by the opposition.

The Steelers’ SO, Lee, converted the kick, bringing the score to 16–13.

8 minutes into the second half:

The Spears advanced into enemy territory and earned a penalty goal opportunity just short of the opponent’s 10-meter line following a penalty. With the distance at nearly 50 meters, FB Stevensen took the shot. However, the penalty goal attempt was unsuccessful.

12 minutes into the second half:

The Steelers players seemed to be finding their rhythm, spreading the play wide to both sides and displaying fierce physicality in contact situations as they advanced deep into enemy territory. In the scrum that ensued at this position, they created a thrilling spectacle as both teams battled fiercely for possession.

Amid this intense scrum, Spears committed a foul, giving the Steelers a PG opportunity. With both teams’ defenses holding strong and tries proving elusive, there were increasing opportunities to go for PGs.

At this point, Steelers’ SO Lee successfully kicked the PG, bringing the score to 19–13.

Spears came close to the try line several times, but crucial mistakes in the maul and lineout at key moments prevented them from scoring.

In this match, with the forward packs evenly matched, whenever the play became scrappy, turnovers occurred on both sides, resulting in a prolonged period where neither team could consistently secure possession at the ruck.

20 minutes into the second half:

During this stretch, the non-stop back-and-forth action continued for so long that players on both teams began suffering from leg cramps one after another.

34 minutes into the second half:

Spears chose not to go for a penalty goal even after a foul, instead focusing entirely on scoring a try. Spears’ forwards and backs worked as one, visibly racking up gains and closing in on the try line. However, the Steelers showed their grit and managed to prevent the try.

40 minutes into the second half:

The Steelers weathered a battle in front of their own in-goal area and kicked the ball into the opponent’s half. From there, the Steelers took their time on offense to effectively run down the clock.

Although the match turned into a grueling battle of attrition, late in the game—while the Steelers were sustaining a prolonged attack in the opponent’s half—Spears committed a penalty in the scrum. The Steelers opted for a penalty goal, and the fly-half Lee converted it, bringing the score to 22–13 and effectively sealing the outcome of the match.

The score remained unchanged, and the match ended. The KOBELCO Steelers claimed their first League One championship.

Both teams gave it their all, pushing their physical limits to the very end. Let’s give them a round of applause to celebrate their valiant efforts. Well done, everyone.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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