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The new JRLO season in Japan only saw three rounds of action for the teams in Division 1 before the first break in the campaign for the new year. The stats make for some interesting reading at this early stage of the season, with points galore in the JRLO and some leading international and Japanese talent leading the way.
Most Points
Bernard Foley (Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay) - 57 points
Rikiya Matsuda (Toyota Verblitz) - 34 points
Takuya Yamasawa (Saitama Wild Knights) - 31 points
Former Wallaby Bernard Foley has been with the Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay since 2020 and was a key part of the team when they won the title in the 2023/2024 season, when they beat Tokyo Sungoliath in the semi-finals, Saitama Wild Knights 17-15 in the Grand Final to win their first-ever league championship.
The side is undefeated and joint top of the table with Saitama Wild Knights, and Foley has scored one try, 17 conversions and 6 penalties in his haul of 57 points, which is nearly double the amount of the second-placed points scorer.
Rikiya Matsuda’s side is sitting 9th on the log and collectively has scored 98 points, with the fly-half contributing more than a third. The former Wild Knights stalwart, where he scored nearly 800 points and came close to 100 caps, has also played for the Brave Blossoms 39 times. He is only 31 and has an impressive playing CV, but despite the star coaching and playing talent at Verblitz, it's a side that has failed to deliver the highs expected of them.
It makes sense that two of the top-ranked teams’ flyhalves appear in the top three, and Takuya Yamasawa is another experienced campaigner and capped Japanese international. He has played one game fewer and is in the mix to top the table come the end of the season if the Wild Knights hit their highs of previous seasons. His brother, Kyohei Yamasawa, is another key player for the side and also plays at ten - he was the competition’s leading point-scorer last season, notching up 230 points to establish a new record for points in a League One season (he is yet to play this season).
Most Tries
Atsushi Sakate (Saitama Wild Knights) - 6 tries
Haruto Kida (Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay) - 4 tries
Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath), Faulua Makisi (Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay), Halatoa Vailea (Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay) - 3 tries
What is with hookers topping the scoring charts in the global stage rugby union leagues over recent years? Atsushi Sakate has already bagged a hat-trick, and a return of six tries in three games is impressive as his side has blown away the opposition to start the season. He has nearly 50 caps for the national side and has been with the Wild Knights since 2016. His former teammate and record-breaking hooker, Shota Horie, is the forwards coach.
Haruto Kida had an injury-ravaged season last campaign but still scored 5 times in 7 appearances for Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay, and he has already bagged four tries in three games this season (crossing in all three games so far), which has helped his side rack up the points and be one of two undefeated sides in Division 1. The Brave Blossom wing featured in the Pacific Nations Cup in 2025.
One of the world’s most dangerous finishers, Springbok wing Chesling Kolbe, is in the top three, and he is tied with two more Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay players tied with him.
Defenders Beaten
Mark Tele’a (Toyota Verblitz) - 29
Samu Kerevi (Urayasu D-Rocks) - 23
Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath) - 22
In his debut season in the JRLO, the world-class All Black Mark Tele’a might not be finding that the results are going their way for Toyota Verblitz, who play their rugby at home in a 45,000 seater stadium which was used during RWC 2019 - but his class has still been evident on the field.
He leads the defenders' beaten stat with 29 across the three games, but he has yet to score his maiden points for the club whose coach includes the former All Black coach who gave him his international debut - Ian Foster. He will score sooner rather than later to add to his 13 tries in 19 tests for the All Blacks, and 41 from 80 Super Rugby.
The pacey wing who has proven hard to put down on the international stage is in esteemed company, with former Wallaby Samu Kerevi in second on 23 defenders beaten (he also leads the metres made with 285m), and that man Kolbe just behind with 22 defenders beaten.
Most Carries
Kazuki Himeno (Toyota Verblitz) - 58
Epineri Uluiviti (Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars) - 52
Samu Kerevi (Urayasu D-Rocks) / Aseri Masivou (Mie Honda Heat) - 50
Himeno is the heartbeat of the Toyota Verblitz and has captained the side and the Brave Blossoms to date. The 31-year-old was born in Aichi and has played for his home club since he joined as a 23-year-old in 2017. The former Super Rugby Rookie of the Year winner with the Otago) Highlanders is an absolute workhorse in the back row, and considering he plays alongside Springbok Pieter Steph Du Toit and still shines is a testament to his quality. He is also 6th for tackle completions (46). Although competition in the Brave Blossoms back row is fierce, you have to wonder what he needs to do to get the attention of Eddie Jones.
Someone who is in the current Japanese Men’s setup is the massive presence of Epineri Uluiviti, who usually plays in the second row. The Dynaboars have won just one of three matches so far, but he has given them front-foot ball with his 198cm and 125kg frame (if you believe the stats - he looked bigger when we stood next to him!). He played for the Japan XV and Brave Blossoms on their end-of-year tour in 2025.
For a back to be among the top three carriers shows the ever-lasting class and durability of 50-Test Wallaby Samu Kerevi, who is having an outstanding season in Japan, and he is tied with 50 carries with Mie Heat’s number 8 Fiji-Born Aseri Masivou, who is a Kelston Boys High School alumnus. He joined from NEC Green Rockets this season.
Kerevi was strongly linked to a Wallabies return in 2025, but it didn't happen under coach Joe Schmidt. His last appearance was against Wales at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on November 18, 2024. He made his intentions clear of wanting to play Rugby World Cup 2027.
Another impressive stat this season has been the crowd attendances, with 10 fixtures already seeing crowds of more than 10,000 spectators this season, and total combined attendances so far are 264,408.
In total, 35 fixtures last season saw crowds of ten thousand or more, and that was across the whole season. The biggest crowd of the season was 32,613 between Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo and the Saitama Wild Knights, played on December 14, 2025, at Ajinomoto Stadium in Tokyo.
The JRLO Round 4 continues this weekend from 10 January 2025 - stay tuned for full previews and reviews.