Japan Rugby League One Round 9 was a weekend to remember this season, but for some clubs, it will be for the wrong reasons as we reach the halfway stage of the regular season.
Japan Rugby League One Round 9 was a weekend to remember this season, but for some clubs, it will be for the wrong reasons as we reach the halfway stage of the regular season.
Saitama Wild Knights lost their first game this season to 3rd-placed Kobelco Kobe Steelers, which means, combined with Kubota Spears' win, we have a new log leader in Division 1.
The defending champions, Toshiba Brave Lupus, were thumped by Toyota Verblitz to make it three consecutive losses, and just a second win for the Verblitz.
Division 1
Saturday February 21
Kubota Spears 26-10 Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars; at Tokyo (Edoriku)
Kubota Spears converted a 12-3 halftime lead into a good 26-10 full-time win and managed to grab that bonus point in the win over Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars, which also made it 24 consecutive matches at Spears Edoriku Field.
With a number of surprising results this weekend, including a first loss of the campaign for Saitama Wild Knights, Frans Ludeke’s side is now at the top of the Division.
First-half tries were scored by Merwe Olivier and Haruto Kida. Kida got his second in the second period with Opeti Helu dotting down for the fourth try in a period which also saw the side have two players sin-binned.
37-year-old and former Japan Brave Blossoms captain Pieter Labuschagne made his first appearance of the season and earned his 100th cap for the club.
For the Dynaboars, their top try scorer, Matt Vaega was the sole try scorer and now has 7 this season.
BlackRams Tokyo 41-19 URAYASU D-Rocks; at Tokyo (Komazawa)
BlackRams Tokyo did keep their momentum at home against Urayasu D-Rocks, and inflicted a 5th consecutive defeat on the visitors this season.
The D-Rocks had been ahead at the break 14-12, but BlackRams Tokyo (not for the first time this season) put in a big second-half performance. Israel Folau was among the try-scorers again, but one of the D-Rocks best players this season, Jasper Wiese, was yellow-carded at the end of the half, and the hosts took full advantage at the start of the second period, scoring 12 points.
Taira Main scored a brace of tries as his side ran in 4 tries, while BlackRams Tokyo skipper TJ Perenara also spent ten minutes watching from the sidelines. Israel Folau capped off the game with his second try, to make it 5 in two matches.
Toyota Verblitz 52-21 Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo; at Aichi
Toyota Verblitz pulled a rabbit out of the hat and were ahead against the defending champions 27-7 at halftime and got the job done for a massive upset 52-21 win, scoring 6 tries.
Keito Aoki, Siosaia Fifita, and Hingano Lolohea all scored in the opening 40 minutes for the home side, before the NZ stars Aaron Smith and Mark Telea each scored in the second half and the victory was topped off by a score for Taichi Takahashi
Captain Kazuki Himeno has kept his fantastic form going, and it's a wonder he doesn't get more caps for Japan.
The result means it's three losses in a row for Todd Blackadder’s team, and the wheels seem to be coming off for a star-studded team that was led by Michael Leitch and, of course, Richie Mounga at fly-half.
Kobelco Kobe Steelers 40-24 Saitama Wild Knights; at Hyogo
Kobelco Kobe Steelers followed up their win over Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo last week to inflict a first loss on Saitama Wild Knights - pulling away in the second period after it was 19-19.
It's two losses for the Wild Knights in a row against Kobe Steelers too, as the Brodie Retallick captained side, coached by Dave Rennie, put a big smile on the home fans’ faces, outscoring the visitors 6 tries to 4 in a bonus point win.
Among the scorers for the victors were Ash Dixon, Kanta Matsunaga, Gerard Cowley-tuioti, Kazuma Ueda, Tali Ioasa, and Waisake Raratubua. That makes it 8 tries this season for left-wing Kazuma Ueda.
Also a mention to Springbok Damien De Allende who reached 50 caps in League One but unfortunately the 16-point margin of the Wild Knights’defeat was their biggest since the JRLO began five years ago and they have slipped to third on the table.
Sunday February 22
MIE Honda HEAT 26-21 Shizuoka BlueRevs; at Mie
Mie Honda Heat beat the higher-placed Shizuoka BlueRevs on Sunday, 26-21, as Kieran Crowley’s side (despite last weekend’s loss) is having a purple patch and ended a run of seven straight defeats to the opposition.
The win sees Honda Heat move up to 8th on the log, thanks to the second-half heroics, as they were trailing the visitors 5-21 at the break and stormed back with 21 points in the second period.
A Riku Kitahara try, and a yellow card for Ben Paltridge for the hosts, and three tries for the visitors put them on the back foot. Valynce Te Whare scored his 6th try this season for Shizuoka BlueRevs as they looked to be on course for an away win.
Dawid Kellerman, Ryoma Nishimura, and Kyogo Okano scored in the second half, and they defensively shut out the visitors for an impressive win.
Tokyo Sungoliath 54-22 Yokohama Canon Eagles; at Tokyo (Chichibu)
Tokyo Sungoliath easily saw off Yokohama Canon Eagles to earn a bonus point win in the final game of the weekend in Division 1, and the result sees the Eagles move to the bottom of the log, while the Tokyo Sungoliath are into 4th.
The Eagles had won three of the last four matches between the sides, but were outscored 8 tries to 3 in the loss, despite the hosts being down to 14 men early in the second half after Sam Phillip Jeffries was red-carded. The Eagles then had two players yellow-carded, and a brace of tries for Sean McMahon and Taiga Ozaki helped the side to the comfortable victory.
Saturday February 21
Red Hurricanes Osaka 15-14 Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves; at Osaka, 12pm
Another unexpected result this weekend as Red Hurricanes Osaka pipped the visiting Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves at home for just their second victory in the 2025-2026 season.
The month out of action looks to have impacted the Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves, who had led 7-3 at the break in this low-scoring contest, which also yielded three yellow cards.
Toshihiro Yamanouchi and Kaito Isono both scored in the second half to secure the win and see them rise to 5th on the table, one point behind the team they beat.
Saturday February 22
Green Rockets Tokatsu 39-14 Hino Red Dolphins; at Chiba
The hosts, Green Rockets Tokatsu, ran out as bonus point winners against Hino Red Dolphins, who remain winless this season and are at the bottom of Division 2, while the Green Rockets are in 4th after the weekend’s results.
Green Rockets Teruya Goto is now their leading try scorer with 4, after he scored in the second half.
Saturday February 21
Sayama SECOM Rugguts 44-7 LeRIRO Fukuoka; at Tochigi
A big win and a bonus point for Sayam SECOM Rugguts sees them stay within touching distance of the Division leaders Skyactivs Hiroshima
There were three first-half tries and a 17-0 lead at the break, and the hosts added 5 tries in the second half to seal a comfortable win.
Kurita Water Gush Akishima 41-47 Skyactivs Hiroshima; at Tokyo (AG Field)
88 points in the match as 5th-placed Kurita Water Gush Akishima hosted the Division 3 leaders Skyactivs Hiroshima and came close to an unlikely win (which would have been just their second this season), but the log leaders.
Skyactivs Hiroshima had a one-point advantage after the first 40 minutes, and then scored 4 tries to seal the win - Jackson Pugh scored two of the team’s total of six tries.
Sunday February 22
Yakult Levins Toda 10-25 Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions; at Gunma
Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions won their first game of the season, and on the road, as they toppled Yakult Levins Toda, who were 4th before the weekend.