(Written by Azul: December 14, 2025)
On November 30, 2025, I went to watch a Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group match at Kumagaya Rugby Stadium in Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture. It took me 3 and a half hours to get from my hometown of Hachioji City in Tokyo to Kumagaya City in Saitama Prefecture, transferring between different modes of public transportation. Recently, I’ve started using the Green Car more often when traveling to watch games. Standing for long periods on the train makes me tired before I even arrive at the venue. However, riding in the comfortable Green Car, where I can sit back and relax, makes the long journey feel much shorter.
Today’s match was between Teikyo University, currently ranked 4th in the Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group, and Keio University, ranked 5th. Both teams have already secured their places in the National University Rugby Championship. However, as you can see from the photo above, there were hardly any spectators. According to the organizers, the attendance for the day was 1,027. This was probably because, although Teikyo University had won this matchup 5 times in a row over the past 5 years, Teikyo University has been so strong that Keio University has been completely unable to compete, so the audience has lost interest in watching. However, I was hoping that this season’s match would be more enjoyable than usual because the two teams are more evenly matched.
The current standings for the Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group this season were as follows.
| Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group Order 2025/11/30 | ||||
| order | team | Win | Lose | Winning Point |
| 1 | Waseda | 5 | 1 | 32 |
| 2 | Meiji | 5 | 1 | 30 |
| 3 | Tsukuba | 5 | 1 | 28 |
| 4 | Teikyo | 4 | 2 | 27 |
| 5 | Keio | 3 | 3 | 21 |
| 6 | Aoyama Gakuin | 1 | 5 | 11 |
| 7 | Nippon Sport Science | 1 | 5 | 10 |
| 8 | Rikkyo | 0 | 6 | 6 |
Each team has 1 match remaining this season, but only the top five teams qualify for the National University Rugby Championship. With a significant point gap separating them from 6th place and below, qualification is already secured for Waseda University (1st) through Keio University (5th). However, the points are tightly clustered among the top 4 teams, so the exact order is likely to change.
Now, an introduction to the 2 teams facing off today.
First, Keio University Rugby Club.
Celebrating its 126th anniversary this season, it is the oldest team in Japanese rugby history. Regarding their playing style, they previously employed a style similar to the England team, kicking high punts and having forwards run in to gain ground. However, they have now shifted to a style that actively involves the backs and utilizes the entire field. Since last season, Keio has seen many players from the Japan U-18 national team join their ranks. Given the quality of these recruits, they could be contenders for the University Championship title within the next 2 to 3 years. This season, as the campaign progresses, the team has strengthened, putting up competitive performances against top-tier opponents and delighting their fans.
The starting lineup for this match was as follows.
| Keio University | |||||
| No. | Name | height | weight | age | |
| 1 | Yugo IBUKI | 175cm | 100kg | 20 | |
| 2 | Takahiro FUJIMORI | 173cm | 102kg | 21 | |
| 3 | Taisei NAKAYA | 180cm | 115kg | 22 | |
| 4 | Seiichiro NISHINO | 184cm | 92kg | 18 | U-18,U-20 Japan |
| 5 | Keyver Bladley KYO | 182cm | 90kg | 20 | U18Japan |
| 6 | Yuichiro ONDA | 175cm | 100kg | 20 | |
| 7 | Kise SIN | 175cm | 93kg | 19 | U18Japan |
| 8 | Masanori NAKANO | 176m | 107kg | 19 | U-20 Japan |
| 9 | Dansuke HASHIMOTO | 169m | 76kg | 22 | |
| 10 | Yuki KOBAYASHI | 168cm | 75kg | 18 | U18Japan |
| 11 | Takumi KUSANAGI | 177cm | 87kg | 19 | |
| 12 | Ryohei IMANO | 183cm | 90kg | 22 | U-18,U-20 Japan,JJ |
| 13 | Ryotaro ANZAI | 180cm | 84kg | 19 | U18Japan |
| 14 | O IBUKI | 176cm | 81kg | 22 | |
| 15 | Yutaro TAMURA | 174cm | 80kg | 19 | |
| JJ=Junior Japan | |||||
| JXV=Japan XV | |||||
Next, an introduction to the Teikyo University Rugby Club.
Currently the reigning national university champions with 4 consecutive titles, this season’s team has struggled. After close matches, they lost to Tsukuba University and Meiji University, eliminating their chances of winning this season’s Kanto University Rugby Championship group. However, they did secure a victory against Waseda University Rugby Club, a team they battled for the title last season, demonstrating their underlying strength. If the team’s cohesion deepens, they possess the capability to aim for consecutive national championships. However, this season’s championship features exceptionally competitive teams, meaning even defending champions Teikyo University cannot afford complacency. Rugby fans can look forward to many exciting matches.
The starting lineup for the day was as follows:
| Teikyo University | |||||
| No. | Name | height | weight | age | |
| 1 | Ryota UENO | 181cm | 114kg | 20 | |
| 2 | Naoyoshi KAJIKAWA | 172cm | 100kg | 20 | |
| 3 | Tsubasa MORIYAMA | 180cm | 109kg | 21 | JXV,U18Japan,Japan |
| 4 | Akihiro TSUBONE | 185cm | 105kg | 19 | U18Japan |
| 5 | Antonio FISIPUNA | 192cm | 115kg | 19 | U18Japan |
| 6 | Shido KUREYAMA | 190cm | 90kg | 21 | |
| 7 | Noeru KAWAMURA | 175cm | 90kg | 22 | |
| 8 | Kaisa DAUNAKAMAKAMA | 182cm | 120kg | 21 | U-18 Japan |
| 9 | Yoshito MITAMURA | 169cm | 75kg | 20 | U-20 Japan |
| 10 | Takaya MOTOHASHI | 181cm | 88kg | 21 | U-20 Japan,JXV,Japan |
| 11 | Genki IKUTA | 170cm | 82kg | 22 | U-20 Japan,JJ |
| 12 | Yoshiki OMACHI | 173cm | 80kg | 21 | U-18,U-20 Japan,JJ |
| 13 | Futo SATO | 180cm | 87kg | 20 | U-18,U-20 Japan |
| 14 | Yusuke YOSHIDA | 185cm | 89kg | 21 | |
| 15 | Rui YOSHIDA | 176cm | 85kg | 19 | |
| JJ=Junior Japan | |||||
| JXV=Japan XV | |||||
Now, the first half begins.
Teikyo University, currently defending their university championship title this season, is struggling. One reason may be the absence of a forward who can break through the defense. While CTB OOMACHI is Teikyo’s captain this season, their tactic of relying on the backs to break through hasn’t fully materialized yet. Furthermore, since Teikyo’s forward pack isn’t driving the attack forward, the intimidating presence Teikyo displayed in previous seasons is noticeably lacking. This might give opponents the impression that they are easier to play against.
However, the potential within Teikyo’s forwards is evident.
As the season progresses, if the forwards’ awareness awakens, they still have the potential to dominate matches.
That said, Teikyo’s backs this season show improved penetration and finishing ability when attacking. They draw deep lines, allowing each back to accelerate, receive the ball, and shift the defense before developing plays. This creates overloads on the wings during sustained attacks. Combined with the high finishing ability of both wingers, this forms the strength of Teikyo’s backs this season.
This match progressed at Teikyo University’s pace in the first half. While Keio University’s defense showed resilience in scrums and rucks, Teikyo’s backs repeatedly broke through the gain line and piled up tries as they built phases.
They scored four tries in the first half at 9′, 18′, 29′, and 34′. Furthermore, they did not concede any points to Keio University in the first half.
Although Teikyo and Keio are only one spot apart in the standings this season, Teikyo’s attacking power clearly overwhelmed Keio in the first half.
At halftime, Teikyo University had, just like last season, overpowered Keio University with sheer strength. This was somewhat unexpected, as a close contest had been predicted before kickoff. Keio University managed to advance their line several times to around the opponent’s 22-meter line, but they couldn’t break through to the try line from there.
Now, the second half begins.
Teikyo University scored the opening try of the second half once again. Keio’s defense tackled tenaciously, but Teikyo’s backs steadily connected passes, allowing their attack to continue and lead to points.
However, in the 11th minute of the second half, Keio University finally crossed the opposition’s 22-meter line, advanced, and scored their first try of the match in the left corner of the goalposts. The scorer was Keio University’s FL SHIN.
What caught the eye during Keio University’s second-half counterattack were their first-year players. Six players who had won the national high school championship with Toin Gakuen were selected for the starting lineup that day. They performed well at crucial moments, particularly standing out defensively.
In the 20th minute of the second half, Keio University scored their second try of the day. WTB IBUKI crossed over in the right center of the opposition’s in-goal area. Keio seemed to have identified gaps in Teikyo’s defense at this point, creating more opportunities to break through the line.
Although Keio mounted a counterattack in the second half, Teikyo demonstrated their superior ball-handling skills when transitioning to offense. They scored 4 more tries in the second half, pulling away from Keio to secure a final score of 50-19.
Both teams competing today could potentially meet again if they advance in the University Championship. Though Keio University lost this time, we hope they unleash their potential in the University Championship and deliver a great match.
＊＊ Jersey Collection 75 ＊＊
AVIREX 50th Anniversary Commemorative Jacket
The other day, when I went to Tachikawa City to meet a friend, this jacket caught my eye at the AVIREX shop in front of the station, and I ended up buying it on impulse. The price was 39,800 yen. AVIREX products bought in Japan are generally about twice the price of ALPHA products. Because it was so expensive, I hesitated for about 10 minutes, but I bought it anyway.
What really captured my heart was definitely this orange color.
This was my first time buying an AVIREX jacket, but since I didn’t think ALPHA’s shop carried the same model, I went ahead and bought it.
The lining color is like a MA-1, so it really stands out when worn in town. I’ve seen people wearing the same jacket in black or gray around town, but I haven’t seen anyone wearing this orange one yet.
The inside of the jacket has a camouflage pattern. It’s perfect for meeting someone in the city and getting spotted.
＊＊ My Watch Collection 3 ＊＊
INVICTA BOLT 43760
Since I bought the orange AVIREX jacket, I was looking for an orange watch to coordinate with it. That’s when I found the INVICTA BOLT pictured above. It’s a watch that stands out just as much as the AVIREX jacket.
However, I got it for a pretty good price: 19,000 yen. The INVICTA brand was founded in Switzerland in 1831 but moved its headquarters to the United States in 1991.
I think this INVICTA brand isn’t widely recognized in Japan, which is why it’s sold at this price. If the brand’s popularity rises in the near future, the selling price could go up.
This watch has a very rugged design and weighs about 240g, which is twice as much as a CASIO G-Shock. It’s too heavy for women to wear comfortably, but it’s definitely a masculine watch.
It doesn’t have as many functions as a G-Shock, but its unique design is truly one-of-a-kind. The standout feature of this BOLT is the thick wire forming the watch’s grill.
For a while, I’ll likely be wearing it more often, paired with my AVIREX jacket.
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Stop the war.
Peace to Ukraine
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