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Round 16 of the JRLO Division 1 gets underway on Saturday, 26th April and there are only three rounds left for the teams to secure safety in the top-flight and secure a place in the playoffs, although some teams have already secured their spots; Shizuoka BlueRevs, Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, and defending champions Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo.
Round 16 of the JRLO Division 1 gets underway on Saturday, 26th April and there are only three rounds left for the teams to secure safety in the top-flight and secure a place in the playoffs, although some teams have already secured their spots; Shizuoka BlueRevs, Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, and defending champions Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo.
Urayasu D-Rocks play Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo in Tokyo on Friday night and the defending champions could not have asked for a better round to redeem the shock second defeat by Shizuoka BlueRevs before the Easter break. D-Rocks are rooted at the bottom of the Division, and a loss to Todd Blackadder’s side will almost certainly see them head to the relegation series.
Former England backrower Nathan Hughes will make his debut from the bench for Greig Laidlaw’s struggling side, while former NZ u20 international Hunter Morrison will start for his debut. Hughes moved across from the Ricoh Black Rams the past week, while Wallaby midfielder Samu Kerevi would hope to extend on his 8 tries this season for the struggling D-Rocks side.
Saturday kicks off with Mie Honda Heat heading to face a high-flying 2nd placed Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay side that hasn’t lost since the first day of March. Meanwhile the Honda Heat are trying to avoid a 8th straight loss this weekend. To avoid relinquishing their place on the log, Kubota Spears would expect to beat the Heat but also need to overcome the Wild Knights next week.
Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx, has seven tries this season and the chances are good he will add more at Spears Edoriku Field where they have won their last 23 consecutive matches, while Kiwi Bryn Hall is on the bench (not bad for a six-time Super Rugby champion).
Suntory Sungoliath
Kubota Spears
Dynaboars
Canon Eagles
Kubota SpearsThe Panasonic Wild Knights look to retain their three-point advantage at the top of the Division 1 standings facing eighth-placed Black Rams who are trying to keep semi-final hopes alive. Just one of the many stars in the Wild Knight side, Marika Koroibete scored his third try in two matches when they won two weekends ago but was not selected. At centre, Brave Blossom star Dylan Riley is back in the squad for the first time since May of 2024!
The Black Rams have picked up seven bonus points alongside their five wins this season allowing them to still have a chance of reaching the playoffs and they are four points off Tokyo Sungoliath who occupy 6th currently (the lowest position to reach the playoffs). All Black TJ Perenara's appointment as captain has been key to their campaign since he arrived in December 2024.
Saturday’s final game pits Kobelco Kobe Steelers hosting Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars and the latter are still without star Kurt Lee Arendse who was taken off injured in Round 14. Last time they met, the Dynaboars beat Kobelco Kobe Steelers 34-26 but the Kobe side are now sitting in fifth, knowing a win will see Dave Rennie’s side probably secure a playoff this season.
Motivation is not needed for Kobe as the side has not reached the postseason since 2018 when they won the Top League title and personal accolades could see All Black Brodie Retallick reach double figures for tries this season if he scores on the weekend, while
Yokohama Canon Eagles head to Shizuoka on Sunday where the BlueRevs have lost just once all season and are trying to maintain the pressure on the sides above them on the table in the hopes of securing a home playoff. Malo Tuitama’ scored his 11th of the season in the win over Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo last time out. For the Eagles, they come into the round with only one win in the last 6!
Sunday’s final fixture could see sixth-placed Kosei Ono’s side Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath seize the opportunity to extend their advantage over the chasing pack when they travel to Osaka to play a struggling Toyota Verblitz.
For Steve Hansen’s 10th-placed Verblitz, they are trying to avoid (alongside Kieran Crowley’s Mie Honda Heat) the end-of-season Replacement Battle against the Division Two runners-up so there is plenty of motivation to end the season with a win-streak.
Suntory Sungoliath
Honda Heat
Blue Revs
Kobelco SteelersSuntory SungoliathDivision One (Japan times shown)
Friday, 25 April 2025
Urayasu D-Rocks v Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo; at Tokyo, 7.05pm
Saturday, 26 April 2025
Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay v Mie Honda Heat; at Tokyo, 12pm
Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights v Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo; at Saitama, 2.30pm
Kobelco Kobe Steelers v Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars; at Osaka, 2.30pm
Sunday 27 April
Shizuoka Blue Revs v Yokohama Canon Eagles; at Shizuoka, 2pm
Toyota Verblitz v Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath; at Osaka, 2.30pm