A shortened roster of games this weekend in the JRLO, but there were some surprising results on Saturday, March 7th. In the only Division 1 matchup, Tokyo Sungoliath lost to Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars. In Division 2, the Kintetsu Liners lost their first game this season, while in Division 3, SkyActivs Hiroshima came out on top of Sayama Secom Rugguts to make it 9 straight wins.
A shortened roster of games this weekend in the JRLO, but there were some surprising results on Saturday, March 7th. In the only Division 1 matchup, Tokyo Sungoliath lost to Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars. In Division 2, the Kintetsu Liners lost their first game this season, while in Division 3, SkyActivs Hiroshima came out on top of Sayama Secom Rugguts to make it 9 straight wins.
Division 1
Saturday March 7
Tokyo Sungoliath 15-34 Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars - Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground (Tokyo)
The postponed Round 7 match saw 11th-ranked Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars come out on top over Tokyo Sungoliath, who are in 4th, at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, with Shun Miyake putting in a Player of the Match performance.
The 24-year-old scored a first half hattrick, and all of the Dynaboars' 22 points in the first half, which they led 22-5 at the break.
He has a great rugby pedigree, having studied at Christ’s College in New Zealand, where he played three seasons in the first XV, as well as representing Canterbury and Crusaders development systems. He competed for both Tasman and Canterbury in New Zealand’s national provincial championship, and was a title winner with the latter in 2025, and he scored in the winning 36-28 final over Otago.
Former (Waikato) Chiefs and Maori All Blacks centre Gideon Wrampling made his debut and was the sole try scorer for the Sungoliath in the first half.
The Dynaboars stayed in control in the second period with Springbok centre Lukhanyo Am scoring just his second try of the season. The only real blemish was the red card for Brave Blossoms second rower Epineri Uluiviti late in the game. The win saw them jump one place to 10th.
Saturday March 7
Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves 30-22 Hanazono Kintetsu Liners; at Iwate
Ryota Kono stood out for the hosts, Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves, as they defeated the top of the Division Hanazono Kintetsu Liners at Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium.
Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves are coached by former Wallaby Toutai Kefuere, and they were placed 6th coming into the round. The victory was just their sixth home win in the five years since the JRLO started, and they moved up one position to 5th.
This was just the second time the Kintetsu Liners hadn't put 40 points on the board, and the first loss this season is also the first loss for the likes of Manie Libbok and captain Peter Umaga Jensen in Japan’s JRLO.
The visitors had scored first via Sanaila Waqa, but tries for Hayato Nishibayashi and Kiwi flyhalf Mitchell Hunt, who was tied-second on the points charts before this game, gave them a 20-7 halftime lead.
Taichi Takahashi, Ryota Kono scored for the winners in the second period, while Yuma Nakagawa, Taiki Miyashita, and Shoma Makinouchi crossed over for the Liners.
Hino Red Dolphins 10-48 Green Rockets Tokatsu; at Tokyo (AGF Field), 1pm
Kanta Omata was POTM as Green Rockets Tokatsu secured a bonus point win against a side that is winless this season, and the result means the Greg Cooper-coached Green Rockets Tokatsu stay in fourth position.
Omata was the second player this weekend to secure a first-half hat-trick, while Anpyon Kim got the only points for Hino Red Dolphins in the opening half.
There were four more tries for the Green Rockets in the second half, including one for Teruya Goto, who now has 5 this season.
Division Three
Saturday March 7
Le RIRO Fukuoka 26-24 Yakult Levins Toda; at Fukuoka
Le RIRO Fukuoka’s Shotaro Matsuo helped his side gain a narrow win over Yakult Levins Toda as Ryousei Kohara, Manase Havili, Amanaki Lisala scored tries for the hosts in the first half.
Yakult Levins Toda came back strongly in the second period, scoring three tries themselves by Kagechika Ota, Ryuki Hayashi, and Ippei Oshima. Two penalties from the POTM late in the game sealed the win - he only came off the bench in the 62nd minute!
We said before the weekend that he was one to watch as he was third in the division for points scored this season with 67.
Yakult Levins Toda dropped to 5th in the Division, and Le RIRO Fukuoka are third.
SkyActivs Hiroshima 33-30 Sayama SECOM Rugguts; at Hiroshima
Ginjiro Sakiguchi was the POTM and his side remains undefeated in the Division, after narrowly beating Sayama SECOM Rugguts at Balcom BMW Stadium. It was only the second loss this season for the Rugguts, with both defeats coming at the hands of the log leaders.
SkyActivs Hiroshima led 18-10 at halftime with the visitors down to 14 men late in the period with Sam Slade receiving a yellow card. That allowed the hosts to add 15 points thanks to two tries for Andrew Davidson and Taine Craig Ranga 15 minutes into the second half.
It was Sayama SECOM Rugguts after that, as they scored three tries but just came up short of turning the game around. Despite the loss, they stay comfortable in second place, 22 log points ahead of the third team, LeRIRO Fukuoka.
