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The 12 Division 1 teams in the Japan Rugby League One head into Round 11 on the back of a bye week last weekend, and with the season creeping past the halfway mark, the importance of every fixture has risen with teams aiming to qualify for the playoffs and avoid the Promotion-Relegation matches.
The 12 Division 1 teams in the Japan Rugby League One head into Round 11 on the back of a bye week last weekend, and with the season creeping past the halfway mark, the importance of every fixture has risen with teams aiming to qualify for the playoffs and avoid the Promotion-Relegation matches.
The weekend sees the commencement of the Friday games with Urayasu D-Rocks at the bottom of the log taking on 3rd-placed Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo and concludes on Sunday with the clash between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars in 11th facing Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath in 7th.
Kubota coach, South African Frans Ludeke, will be targeting a win and a run at the playoff spot, while his Scottish counterpart Greig Laidlaw who is in his first season coaching his former club D-Rocks’ has a mountain to climb if his side wants to avoid the relegation-series. Laidlaw will be handing a debut to former Leinster and Ireland age-grade representative Christopher Cosgrave at fullback. There are some collisions coming as Springbok number 8 Jasper Wiese starts for D-Rocks and fellow Bok Malcolm Marx is on the bench for the opposition.
Saturday kicks off with Toyota Verblitz trying to upset the odds by beating the defending champions Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo at Aichi. The two sides are both coached by New Zealanders - Steve Hansen and Todd Blackadder respectively - who will need to put personal relationships aside as the ex-All Black Coach Hansen prepares his side for his former captain Blackadder from their time with Canterbury in New Zealand’s national provincial championship. Hansen has selected NRL convert Joseph Manu on the wing.
Kwagga Smith’s fourth-placed Blue Revs take on the runaway log leaders Panasonic Wild Knights with Robbie Deans’ coached side bolstered by the return of Wallaby winger Marika Koroibete, who will make his first appearance of the campaign after overcoming a hand injury. There is no place in the Shizuoka squad for new signing Sanele Nohamba from South Africa.
Yokohama Canon Eagles and Ricoh Black Rams clash in the aptly named ‘Photocopy’ derby in Tokyo as both clubs are backed by corporates in what was traditionally the office supply industry. Former New Zealand and Fiji rugby union representative, as well as being the former Harlequins coach, Tabai Matson will be hoping his Black Rams can continue their recent run of good form which has seen the team pick up 11 points from the last three games, which means they are one of the momentum teams coming out of the bye weekend.
The Black Rams will travel to Yokohama Canon Eagles which means two of the leading scrumhalves from the past decade will be going to head-to-head as former All black and current Black Rams skipper TJ Perenara tries to outfox his Springbok counterpart Faf de Klerk. Canon Eagles managed to stop a run of three defeats before the break with a 33-22 win over Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath.
Sixth-placed Kobelco Kobe Steelers are coached by Dave Rennie and host Mie Honda Heat who have been inconsistent and lean on their talisman, former Argentine captain Pablo Matera. There will be some fireworks in the forwards as the Kobe side is captained by former All Black Brodie Retallick (who has bagged six tries this season) and only bettered in the try-scoring department in his team by in-form winger Ataata Moekiola.
Sunday’s only game sees the match hosted in the ancient capital of Japan, Kyoto, as part of JRLO’s commitment to expanding the game’s footprint nationwide and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars, who have made several mid-season acquisitions, to the squad, play Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath.
Division One (Japan times shown)
Friday 14 March 2025
Urayasu D-Rocks vs Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay at Tokyo, 7pm
Saturday 15 March 2025
Toyota Verblitz vs Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo at Aichi, 1.05pm
Shizuoka Blue Revs vs Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights at Shizuoka, 2pm
Yokohama Canon Eagles vs Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo at Tokyo, 2.30pm
Kobelco Kobe Steelers vs Mie Honda Heat at Hyogo, 2.30pm
Sunday 16 March 2025
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars vs Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath at Kyoto, 2.30pm