Japan Rugby League One Round 6 features the rematch of last year's final between champions Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo and Kubota Spears to get the weekend underway, with all of the Division 1 matches except one played on Saturday.
Japan Rugby League One Round 6 features the rematch of last year's final between champions Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo and Kubota Spears to get the weekend underway, with all of the Division 1 matches except one played on Saturday.
There is only one fixture in each of the other two divisions.
After this weekend, the JRLO Division 1 takes a week break and returns for the weekend of 7-8 February in Round 7.
Saturday January 24
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo vs Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay - at Tokyo (Chichibu), 12pm
The game of the weekend in Division 1 and Richie Mo’unga, who will leave Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo after this season, will try to help his side secure a win over one of only two remaining teams that are yet to taste defeat and who his side beat in last season’s final to clinch the title.
The All Black fly-half put in a man-of-the-match performance in the 18-13 victory, and did so playing with a broken hand. He will again square up against Wallaby fly-half, who tops the points scoring stats this season, Bernard Foley. Absent from this side that won the title are the injured former Brave Blossoms skipper Michael Leitch, who head coach Todd Blackadder said will be back soon, and the current Japan captain Warner Dearns, who is training with the Hurricanes for a season in Super Rugby.
It is bound to be a close game, but the Brave Lupus are on a four-game winning streak against the Kubota Spears. Ironically, Kubuto’s last regular season loss was against Brave Lupus in March 2025 - a streak of 13 games.
Mie Honda Heat vs Urayasu D-Rocks - at Tochigi, 1pm
Mie Honda Heat are spending another season in the bottom two, and their unenviable losing run in the regular season is now 14 matches. Their rivals on Saturday are a side who were with them in the trenches last campaign, but Urayasu D-Rocks have already won more this campaign than last season.
However, they do come into this round off the back of a loss to end a three-match winning run under new coach Graham Rowntree, and Mie’s captain is Springbok Franco Mostert, who will be hoping he can inspire his side to break the long-standing losing run.
Back for the D-Rocks is Samu Kerevi, who has been leading the charge for his side and was absent last week in the loss, and his side could be in the top five after the weekend if they win on the road. The stats are also in their favour as they have not lost to Honda since 2012.
Saitama Wild Knights vs Tokyo Sungoliath - at Saitama, 2.30pm
Saitama Wild Knights will look to remain joint-top of the championship table, and will be favourites to beat Tokyo Sungoliath at home. The two sides account for 11 national titles between them, but the Wild Knights easily have the advantage in the JRLO, winning all six matches between them. The last one was for Suntory to forget - a 60-17 humbling in May 2025.
It would be hard to bet against the Saitama Wild Knights captain, Atsushi Sakate, not adding to his remarkable try record this weekend, as he leads the stats with 7. There are great battles across the park, with internationals littered across both sides.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara DynaBoars vs Black Rams Tokyo - at Kanagawa (Gion), 2.30pm
Despite some high-calibre Test signings, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara DynaBoars have only one win this season compared to the six they secured in each of the previous two JLRO campaigns.
Epineri Uluiviti has been one of their best players according to the stats, and he starts in the second row, with World Cup winner Lukhanyo Am in the centres, but Brad Weber is absent.
The visiting Black Rams Tokyo and the hosts both come into the round on the back of losses, and the result the last time these two faced up was a win for the Black Rams 22-7.
Yokohama Canon Eagles vs Kobelco Kobe Steelers - at Kanagawa (Nippatsu), 2.30pm
Even though they are playing at home, it's unlikely Yokohama Canon Eagles will end their quest for a first win this season when they host Kobelco Kobe Steelers, who are third on the log, and the Eagles occupy the bottom of Division 1.
The Eagles have now lost nine in a row, and even the addition of former All Black hooker Liam Coltman helped stop the losses as he came off the bench for his first appearance last weekend. He makes his first start this round and in the pack will come up against the free-scoring All Black Brodie Retallick and former NZ captain Ardie Savea
Eagles captain Jesse Kriel will need to find something special to help his side turn the season around, but this weekend will probably not be it.
Sunday January 25
Shizuoka Blue Revs vs Toyota Verblitz - at Shizuoka, 2pm
Another side whose season is unlikely to improve this weekend is Toyota Verblitz, who travel to Yamaha Stadium to take on Shizuoka Blue Revs. The Verblitz have four losses and conceded 160 points, so the game is very much in favour of the hosts in Sunday's only game in the division.
The BlueRevs will want to improve on their 7th placing and put a sequence of wins and form to have another bite at the semifinals this season, and the addition of Semi Radrada, who had a Player of the Match (POTM) performance last weekend, will help, as will the scoring ability of Valynce Te Whare, who has three so far.
Saturday January 24
Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex v Green Rockets Tokatsu; at Fukuoka, 12pm
Former Wallaby Rory Arnold captains his side as they travel to play Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex, who are one position above them in the table in 5th.
Ren Hagiwara is the top points scorer for the host with 34 this season, and he starts on the right wing, but top try scorer Kyungmun Wang misses the fixture.
Sunday January 25
Yakult Levins Toda v SkyActivs Hiroshima; at Tochigi, 12pm
SkyActivs Hiroshima in second place, head to Tochigi and play Yakult Levins Toda, who occupy 4th. The visitors Issen Kano has 39 points this season, and their joint top try scorers are Jacob Abel, Kohei Kamei and Clynton Knox with 3 each.