Provided by Japan Rugby League One Media
Japan Rugby League One chairman Genichi Tamatsuka has congratulated players from the competition on performances representing their countries in the Rugby Championship and Pacific Nations Cup tournaments.
This comes after the league’s most successful season yet, with the test highlights led by an incredible performance from Mie Heat backrower Pablo Matera, who inspired Argentina to August’s historic 38-30 win over the All Blacks in Wellington.
Matera, who was captaining his country for the first time since 2021, was the outstanding player from either side in Los Pumas’ Rugby Championship opener, just a few weeks after he had played his 100th test for Argentina during a win over
France.
The large South African contingent who will play in next season’s competition has also thrived: seven of the squad from the thrilling wins over New Zealand at Johannesburg and Cape Town in the last week are Japan-bound.
Three other Bok regulars, Yokohama Eagles scrumhalf Faf de Klerk, Saitama Wild Knights second rower Lood de Jager and his Mie Heat counterpart Francois Mostert, were unavailable for the series due to injury.
“The performance of the players is evidence of how the rising level of club play in Japan is providing perfect preparation for test players of all countries,” Mr Tamatsuka explained. “Clubs in Japan Rugby League One are exceptional in how they manage their players physically while the competition schedule, which includes bye rounds, ensures the players are at their best for their clubs, but also ready to go when their
countries’ call.”
Last year’s Rugby World Cup final saw 12 of the 30 players who started the match – representing 40 percent of the run on teams – later play the League One season.
JRLO fuels world champion Springboks
The league’s ‘footprint’ on the international test game is at its most prominent with the world champions. Tokyo Sungoliath winger Cheslin Kolbe, Eagles centre Jesse Kriel, his Wild Knights counterpart Damien de Allende, Toyota Verblitz backrower Pieter Steph du Toit, Shizuoka Blue Revs backrower Kwagga Smith, Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay hooker
Malcolm Marx and next season’s newcomer, Uryasu D-Rocks backrower Jasper Wiese, all featured for the Springboks in their historic back-to-back wins against the All Blacks.
Although winger Marika Koroibete (Wild Knights) is the only current Wallaby representative based in Japan, All Blacks utility back Beauden Barrett (Verblitz) and backrower Ardie Savea (Kobelco Kobe Steelers) played last season, while former captain Sam Cane is returning to Sungoliath for the 2024-25 campaign. Scrum half TJ Perenara, who previously played for Red Hurricanes Osaka, is linking up with Black Rams Tokyo.
The league’s influence is not just limited to the Rugby Championship, with Shimizu Blue Sharks backrower Murphy Taramai scoring a try on debut during Samoa’s memorable win over Italy in July, while Kamaishi Seawaves second rower Benjamin Nee Nee is also with the team, who will play the Brave Blossoms in the semi-finals of the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2024 on Saturday.
“The quality of these players, their career achievements, and on-going hunger to perform are all things which excite fans in Japan. “It is helping to lift the league’s playing standard, but also bringing more people with no previous background in rugby
into our stadiums,” Mr Tamatsuka enthused.
“We saw that in this year’s final between champions Brave Lupus Tokyo and the Wild Knights, which attracted 57,000 people to the National Stadium, an increase of 13,000 on last year. “That game, which featured some of the world’s best players, was so exciting, being won by Brave Lupus in the last moments, that hopefully many of those who came along will come back for more.”
The new look Brave Blossoms have embarked on their next journey under Eddie Jones, participating in the Pacific Nations Cup after recently sharing their series with the Maori All Blacks. “A lot of the players are young and are learning, but you can see the benefit they are getting from the higher level of play in the league, as well as the teachings of the illustrious club coaches, and international stars that they play alongside in
their teams,” Mr Tamatsuka said.
“With a coach of such skill and experience as Eddie has, and his understanding of Japanese players, the future for the Brave Blossoms is bright, and League One will continue to help drive that.”
New era begins with JRLO expansion
As many professional club leagues around the world shrink in size, the opportunities for Japanese players to test themselves against the best are increasing, with the league welcoming three new participants.
Twelve teams will make up Division One for the new season, with the second section expanded by two to eight, and six making up the third tier. Saitama-based SECOM RUGGUTs, Yakult Levins who represent Toda, and LeRIRO Fukuoka are joining the competition in the third division, but with ambitions to climb higher.
“The interest in entering the league from clubs in Japan went well beyond the three who have,” Chief Operating Officer Hajime Shoji said. “They are the clubs who best met our strict criteria to enter but there is certainly plenty of potential for further growth
in the future.”
The fourth edition of Japan Rugby League One kicks off on December 21.
The competition, which will this season feature a six-team playoffs series, runs through to the final in Tokyo on June 1.