The JRLO is back for the first round to be played in 2026, and Round 4 sees a full house of fixtures across all three Japan Rugby League One Divisions. Will Division 1 see the top two remain undefeated, and will there be wins for the bottom-ranked sides?
The JRLO is back for the first round to be played in 2026, and Round 4 sees a full house of fixtures across all three Japan Rugby League One Divisions. Will Division 1 see the top two remain undefeated, and will there be wins for the bottom-ranked sides?
Saturday January 10
Urayasu D-Rocks v Yokohama Canon Eagles; at Tokyo (Chichibu), 12pm
Graham Rowntree is enjoying a good start to his coaching career in Japan with the Urayasu D-Rocks, and they will hope to keep the momentum going when they host another head coach in his first stint in the JRLO - but Leon MacDonald’s Yokohama Canon Eagles are thus far winless as they head to play at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium in Tokyo.
D-Rocks only won three matches in the whole of the last regular season, and will match that number of wins if they secure the victory at home. Starting number 8 is Springbok Jasper Wiese, but one of the players to watch is the in-form Wallaby Samu Kerevi, who is third on the carry stats this season so far and leads the meters gained (285), and second in defenders beaten (23) and features across a range of individual stats.
For the visitors, they are on a combined 7-game losing streak and should be doing much better considering the talent at their disposal and despite the early-season injury setback of losing Faf de Klerk. On the wing is the dangerous Brave Blossom Kippei Ishida, Jesse Kriel captains from the centres, and the in-form Billy Harmon is at flank.
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo v Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars; at Kanagawa, 2.30pm
For the visiting Dynaboars, 18-cap All Black scrumhalf Brad Weber could make his League One debut off the bench against Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo and will look to inspire them to just their second win this season - but the defending champions under Kiwi Todd Blackadder won't just roll over.
A season-opening shocker saw the Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo thumped 46-0 by the Wild Knights - the same side beat Dynaboars 33-3.
Since then, the Brave Lupus have won two on the bounce. The formidable Richie Mounga starts at flyhalf, and destructive ball carrier Seta Tamanivalu is at outside centre (lining up against Springbok Lukanyo Am opposite him). James Grayson will look to create opportunities from fullback for the visitors.
Saitama Wild Knights v Shizuoka BlueRevs; at Saitama, 2.30pm
The Wild Knights have not lost, and the surprise package of last season, the BlueRevs have only one win in three this campaign. Led by Springbok Kwagga Smith, the BlueRevs will look to upset one of the early favourites - as they did in 2023 when they defeated them 44-25 at Kumagaya and became the first visitors to successfully defeat the Wild Knights at their home in League One.
That unthinkable win ended a remarkable 47-game post-pandemic on-field unbeaten sequence at all venues for the former champions. Last season, they did it again and ended
their rivals' 10-match unbeaten start when they won 22-17 at Yamaha Stadium.
With a new Head Coach, Atsushi Kanazawa, at the helm but Robbie Deans still very much involved, the Saitama Wild Knights have an enviable record. In five years of regular-season League One fixtures, they have lost just three matches, but the BlueRevs have inflicted two of them.
Tokyo Sungoliath v Kobelco Kobe Steelers; at Tokyo (Ajinomoto), 2.30pm
Cheslin Kolbe has been in good form for Tokyo Sungoliath, who are fourth on the log, and his stats back it up. They will need the Springbok double World Cup Winner to keep that form when they host Ardie Savea’s third-placed Kobelco Kobe Steelers, coached by Dave Rennie.
In the final game of 2025, the Sungoliath were humbled by the Kubota Spears, and they will need to put that heavy defeat to rest. They also announced two club stalwarts will hang up the boots at the end of the season, which may reinvigorate them - Nagare Yutaka (11 seasons with the club), and Ryoto Nakamura (12 seasons with them).
The visiting New Zealand empowered Kobe Steelers ended the year on a high, crushing Toyota Verblitz 49-29, and come into the match sitting third in the log. Brodie Retallick captains from the second row, Savea starts at 7, the dangerous boot of Seungsin Lee at inside centre, and another Kiw,i Bryn Gatland, controls the flyhalf jersey.
Toyota Verblitz v BlackRams Tokyo; at Fukuoka, 2.30pm
On the bottom end of the Division 1 table, Steve Hansen and Ian Foster’s Verblitz 9th-placed side, who have lost twice since winning on opening day, face the tenth-placed BlackRams Tokyo side, who won their first game of the season to end of 2025.
The last time these two sides met, it was the Black Rams who ran out 37-7 winners, and captain and scrum-half TJ Perenara will want to see a similar performance this weekend.
Unfortunately, we will be deprived of a clash between two former All Black scrumhalves as Aaron Smith is not in the Verblitz line-up. Captain Kazuki Himeno and newcomer Mark Telea (although without a try so far) for the Verblitz have been in great form, but they need the whole squad to put in a shift. They are without Pieter Steph Du Toit this weekend.
Sunday January 11
Mie Honda Heat v Kubota Spears; at Mie, 12pm
The winless Mie Honda Heat couldn't ask for a tougher fixture to start 202,6, considering second-placed Kubota Spears ran up 79 points in their remarkable win against Sungoliath to close out 2025, in which Wallaby flyhalf Bernard Foley scored 29 points to lead the points chart in the division. There is Japanese and international talent across the pack and the backs for the visitors.
The international contingent for the Honda Heat includes Springbok Franco Mostert, Fijian test hooker Tevita Ikanivere, and club captain and Argentine Pablo Matera, but the side has been in the bottom two for most of last season and this season.
Saturday January 10
Hanazono Kintetsu Liners v Hino Red Dolphins; at Osaka, 12pm
Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks v RedHurricanes Osaka; at Tokyo (Yumenoshima), 2.30pm
Green Rockets Tokatsu v Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi; at Chiba, 2.30pm
Manie Libbok and Akira Ioane’s Hanazono Kintetsu Liners will look to extend their lead at the top of the table against second-from-bottom Hino Red Dolphins, and continue their win streak in Division 2.
Greg Cooper’s Green Rockets Tokatsu will look to avenge losing the title by a single point last season to Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi and face them at home.
If Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks beat RedHurricanes Osaka at home to make it 3/3 this season, they will maintain their second place on the log (assuming Kintetsu Liners also win).
Saturday January 10
SAYAMA SECOM RUGGUTS v Yakult Levins Toda; at Tochigi, 12pm SkyActivs
SkyActivs Hiroshima v Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions; at Hiroshima, 2.30pm
Sunday January 11
Le RIRO Fukuoka v Kurita Water Gush Akishima; at Fukuoka, 1pm
Yakult Levins Toda travel away to face the Rugguts, and both teams have won one and lost one so far. The same is true for Sunday’s fixture opponents.
The local derby between reigning section champions and current log leaders, SkyActivs Hiroshima and Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions is the game of Division Three. The currently winless Red Regulions have taken a match off their city rivals in each of the last two seasons.