ＲＵＧＢＹ　ＪＥＲＳＥＹ

 (Written by Azul: April 5, 2025)

The Japan Rugby League One, Section 12 match: SUNTORY Sungoliath vs KOBE Steelers was held at Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato-ku, Tokyo on March 23 (Sun.) The League One standings as of March 22 are as follows.

2024-25	League One Order(Division 1) 3/22
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP	SD
1	TOSHIBA Brave Lupas TOKYO	10	1	1	46	128
2	Saitama Panasonic Wildnights	9	2	1	45	155
3	Kubota Spears	9	2	1	43	127
4	Shizuoka Blue Revs	9	3	0	39	31
5	KOBELCO Kobe Steelers	5	6	0	29	122
6	Yokohama CANON Eagles	5	7	0	26	12
7	Sagamihara Dynaboars	5	7	0	22	-113
8	Black Rams Tokyo	4	8	0	21	-46
9	Tokyo SUNTORY Sungoliath	4	5	2	21	-21
10	Mie Honda Heat	4	8	0	18	-135
11	Toyota Verblitz	2	9	1	15	-84
12	Urayasu　D-Rocks	2	10	0	10	-176
	WP=Winning Point
	SD=Score Difference

Sungoliath’s ranking prior to the day’s match was 9th, compared to Steelers’ ranking of 5th.

The temperature was 23 degrees Celsius, and the weather was clear, making the conditions as warm as mid-May, which was expected to be tough and physically demanding on the players in the second half of the match.

The attendance on the day was 9,663.

In the Top League era, this match would have been a golden card, and I remember the Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground being filled to capacity. I feel that Sungoliath’s poor performance this season has affected this crowd.

Let me introduce the two teams that will play on this day.

First, here is the latest information on the home team, SUNTORY Sungoliath.

As of March 22, their record in League One is 4 wins, 5 losses, 2 draws, and 21 winning points, placing them 9th in the overall standings. Although Sungoliath has been a strong team that is always a favorite to win the championship every season, we believe that the reason for their low ranking this season is not that Sungoliath has become weaker, but rather that other teams have become stronger.

As a contributing factor, please see the list of today’s starting members.

Suntory Sungoliath
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kenta KOBAYASHI	181cm	115kg	25
2	Kosuke Horikoshi	175cm	100kg	28	Japan　7caps
3	Kan NAKANO	177cm	108kg	27
4	Trevor HOSEA	203cm	114kg	25
5	Sam JEFFRIES	198cm	114kg	31
6	Ryuga HASHIMOTO	188cm	112kg	26
7	Kanji Shimokawa	188cm	105kg	25	Japan　14caps
8	Sione LAVEMAI	189m	120kg	30	Japan　1cap
9	Yutaka NAGARE	166cm	75kg	32	Japan　36caps
10	Mikiya Takamoto	171cm	80kg	24	Japan
11	Chelin KOLBE	172cm	80kg	31	South Africa 40caps
12	Shogo NAKANO	186cm	98kg	27	Japan　7caps
13	Isaiah PUNIVAI	189cm	100kg	24
14	Seiya Ozaki	175cm	85kg	29	Japan　4caps
15	Kotaro MATSUSHIMA	179cm	88kg	32	Japan　55caps

One of the rules for competing in League One is that the percentage of Category A players in the field must be 80%. Category A players are those who have represented Japan or are eligible to represent Japan. Starting this season, the restrictions on Category A players, including restrictions on foreign players, have been greatly eased. As a result of this change, the percentage of foreign players in each team’s roster has increased significantly. This is one of the reasons why teams have become more competitive and the intensity of the League One game, especially the physical aspect, has increased. Sungoliath has been the No. 1 team in the league in terms of the depth of its roster, having recruited many Japanese stars. In the match of the day, the percentage of foreign players among the starters is 5 (33%). In contrast, Steelers had 10 (66%) foreign players in their starting lineup, twice as many as Sungoliath. This makes it tough for Sungoliath when physicality, especially contact play, is pushed to the forefront as a tactic. It will be interesting to see how Sungoliath will organize and strengthen their team from next season onward.

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Mikiya TAKAMOTO. 171 cm, 80 kg, 24 years old. He is a graduate of Teikyo University. He is a member of Japan’s high school national team, Junior Japan, and a candidate for Japan’s national team. He has represented Japan in different generations and is expected to play a key role in the future of Japan’s national team. In his second year, he secured a regular position in Sungoliath, where there are many players. He has all the abilities required of a SO, including passing, kicking, and running, and in addition, his condition is always stable, so his performance is consistent. He is outstanding in bringing out the potential of the team. If I were to look for a drawback, it would be the lack of physical size, so the ability to break through on the physical side as an individual would be an issue for the future.

Next, let me introduce today’s Visitor Team, KOBELCO KOBE Steelers.

In League One, the strongest clubs are concentrated in the Kanto area, but the Steelers have made their presence felt in the Kansai area. This season, however, they are still in the playoffs, in 5th place out of 12 teams in League One. The Steelers fans, who know their history of winning 7 consecutive Japanese championships, will be hoping that this season they will not only make the playoffs, but also win the championship, which is their long-cherished wish.

The starting lineup for this day’s match is as follows.

KOBE Steelers
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Shigure TAKAO	178cm	110kg	28
2	George TURNER	183cm	101kg	32	Scotland 45caps
3	Hiroshi YAMASHITA	183cm	120kg	39	Japan 51caps
4	Gerard COWLEI-TUIOTI	197cm	115kg	32
5	Brodie RETALLICK	204cm	120kg	33	New Zealand 109caps
6	Tiennan COSTLEY	192cm	104kg	24	Japan　6caps
7	Solomone FUNAKI	185cm	110kg	22
8	Waisake RARATUBUA	186m	99kg	30
9	Atsushi HIWASA	166cm	70kg	37	Japan　51caps
10	Bryn GATLAND	180cm	88kg	29
11	Kanta MATSUNAGA	167cm	79kg	25
12	Seunsin LEE	176cm	85kg	24	Japan　18caps
13	Michael LITTLE	180cm	98kg	32
14	Ataata MOEAKIOLA	185cm	107kg	29	Japan　4caps
15	Rakuhei YAMASHITA	175cm	85kg	33

The Steelers are a force to be reckoned with. Why have they not performed well with such a huge squad? It may be an interesting thing about rugby that you can’t win just because you have a strong team.

＊＊　Player to watch 　　＊＊

Brodie RETALLICK. 204 cm, 120 kg, 33 years old. He was a mainstay regular for All Blacks in three consecutive RWCs in 2015, 2019, and 2023.He was named World Rugby Player of the Year in 2014. Fans in Japan are lucky to be able to watch RETALLICK, the world’s greatest lock, in his prime. This season, he is leading the Steelers as captain of the team. How far will the Steelers, led by RETALLICK, go in League One?

Let’s get the first half underway, with the kickoff going to the Steelers.

3 minutes into the first half:

Both teams are confident in their attacking ability, but it was Steelers who took the lead. From the opening kickoff of the game, Steelers entered the enemy territory and gradually made progress while expanding left and right.

The Steelers were on the front foot at the enemy 22m line when outside CTB Little made a line break and was caught by the Sungoliath defense, but offloaded to WTB MOEAKIOLA who followed up from the right side. MOEAKIOLA was tangled up with the Sungoliath defense, but he played it off and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but the Steelers scored the first try of the game to make the score 0-5.

6 minutes into the first half:

Despite the Steelers’ loss of the first goal, Sungoliath also showed their Slogan of Aggressive Attacking Rugby on the field.

Sungoliath’s CTB NAKANO made a line break deep in enemy territory and was caught by the Steelers defense as he approached the try line on the left side of the enemy line.

Sungoliath then won a tight battle in this position, and the ball was passed to WTB OZAKI, who used his individual skills to get past the Steelers defense and score a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

Sungoliath missed the conversion goal after the try, but the score was 5-5 to tie the game.

10 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath pushed deep into enemy territory, and Steelers’ FL COSTLEY was fouled for offsides. COSTLEY was shown a yellow card and temporarily sent off for 10 minutes for this foul that prevented Sungoliath from scoring a try.

Sungoliath elected to go for the PG, which SO TAKAMOTO converted to make the score 8-5.

19 minutes into the first half:

The Steelers had a scrum a short distance into enemy territory, but Sungoliath committed an infringement and the Steelers elected to take a penalty kick. CTB LEE scored to make the score 8-8 even.

19 minutes into the first half:

On the restart kickoff after the Steelers’ score, Sungoliath entered the enemy territory, the Steelers dropped the ball in front of them, which was picked up by a Sungoliath player. Sungoliath’s CTB NAKANO scored a try in the right corner of the in-goal.

Sungoliath missed the conversion goal after the try, but the score was 13-8 to take a 5 point lead.

23 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath’s attack found its rhythm, and the Steelers were on the defensive as Sungoliath attacked in succession into the enemy territory. The Steelers’ defense caught them.

Sungoliath won a tight battle here, however, and the ball was passed from SH NAGARE to FB MATSUSHIMA, who ran to the left side and threw a long pass to CTB PUNIVAI, who caught it and scored a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the left side.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 20-8 in Sungoliath’s favor.

34 minutes into the first half:

The Steelers had been evenly matched with Sungoliath in each phase of the game up to this point, but when opportunities arose, they repeatedly committed infringements and were unable to get a grip on the game.

The Steelers were able to break that bad trend with a big play here.

The Steelers connected the ball with a pass from their own line and managed to get deep into the enemy territory. shaking off three day defenders,

34 minutes into the first half:

Up to this point, the Steelers had been evenly matched with Sungoliath in each phase of the game, but when opportunities arose, they repeatedly committed penalties and were unable to get the game going.

The Steelers were able to break that bad trend with a big play here.

The Steelers passed the ball from their own line and managed to get deep into enemy territory, where captain Rock RETALLICK received the ball and took a pass just before the enemy 10-meter line. The 204 cm, 120 kg giant took a step and from there, he shook off three Sungoliath defenders and scored a try on the left side of the goal post in the enemy’s in-goal.

The fans in the stadium cheered loudly for this try.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 20-15.

40 minutes into the first half:

The Steelers’ team’s fighting spirit was given a boost by the earlier play of captain RETALLICK, who, after a foul by Sungoliath, was given the chance to take his own lineout in front of the enemy in-goal from a penalty kick, secured the ball, and then moved forward at once in a maul.

The Steelers kept up the momentum and scored a try with a maul to the left of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was unsuccessful, but the score was tied 20-20, and the first half ended there.

Looking at the first half of the match, both teams were able to score points when they were able to play to their strengths, with Sungoliath winning the tight contests and scoring from the quick turnaround created by SH NAGARE. On the other hand, Steelers’ winning pattern is for their powerful FWs to break through the dense pack and use that as a starting point to score points. Which team will score the first point in the second half?

Let’s begin the second half.

4 minutes into the second half:

Sungoliath took the second half kickoff and went on the attack in enemy territory, crossing the 22-meter line where the Steelers committed a high tackle infraction. Sungoliath chose to take a penalty kick instead of a PG, creating an opportunity for their own lineout just short of the enemy try line. Sungoliath secured the ball and, using sign play, CTB NAKANO ran in diagonally and cut in for a try right in the middle of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 27-20.

9 minutes into the second half:

Sungoliath scored the first try of the half and continued to attack in the enemy territory, forcing the Steelers back into a defensive dilemma. In the process, the Steelers committed an infringement in front of their own 22m line, giving Sungoliath a PG opportunity. Sungoliath’s SO Takamoto scored to make the score 30-20.

21 minutes into the second half:

Steelers changed their offensive approach, putting their strong FW forward,They secured the ball in a lineout on the right side of the field near the 22-meter line, then formed a maul to push forward and score a try, but Sungoliath managed to hold them off.

From there, however, the Steelers continued their FW side attack, culminating in a try by lock RETALLICK to the left side of the goal post in the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 30-27.

31 minutes into the second half:

The game continued to go back and forth during this period, with neither team able to score a point. Sungoliath committed an infringement just before their own 22m line. Here, the Steelers opted for a penalty kick instead of a PG in order to score a try and turn the tables. On the left side, in front of the enemy try line, Steelers secured the ball in their own lineout and expanded to the right side. Here, Steelers’ SO GATLAND released a brilliant kick pass from the right side to the edge of the left sideline. WTB MOEAKIOLA caught the pass and scored a try in the left corner of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 30-34, and the Steelers were back in front.

35 minutes into the second half:

With time running out, Sungoliath went on the offensive, winning the ball and pushing deep into the enemy territory as the Steelers struggled to handle kicks. With the try line closing in, Sungoliath made a series of vertical charges with their flanks to the goalposts. Here, Sungoliath substitute SH FUKUDA took advantage of a momentary lapse and dove just under the goal posts to score a crucial try.

Sungoliath also succeeded in scoring the conversion goal after the try, and the score was 37-34.

40 minutes into the second half:

With one last hope for a comeback, the Steelers had a chance to take the ball out of their own half on the left side of the field near the enemy 22m line. The Steelers then had a chance to take the ball out of their own half.

Sungoliath was now in a position to secure the ball in their own ball lineout and win the game if they could survive the remaining less than a minute. However, the ball from the lineout rolled into the Steelers’ side, and the Steelers went right and WTB MATSUNAGA scored the final try.

Steelers missed the conversion goal after the try, but the score was 37-39. The game was now over.

With this result, Steelers defended their 5th place position in the playoff standings. Sungoliath, on the other hand, lost the game but by seven points or less, so they gained one winning point and are now in seventh place.

With only 6 rounds remaining in League One, the gap between the teams has narrowed and no team can afford to be complacent. We are looking forward to watching the games from the next round onward.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: March 20, 2025)

Japan Rugby’s League One, Division 1 reached its 10th round on March 1. Here is the standings of Division 1 so far.

2024-25	League One Order(Division 1) 2/28
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP	SD
1	Saitama Panasonic Wildnights	8	0	1	39	157
2	TOSHIBA Brave Lupas TOKYO	7	1	1	34	102
3	Kubota Spears	7	1	1	33	103
4	Shizuoka Blue Revs	6	3	0	26	-10
5	KOBELCO Kobe Steelers	4	5	0	24	94
6	Yokohama CANON Eagles	4	5	0	21	25
7	Tokyo SUNTORY Sungoliath	4	3	2	21	2
8	Mie Honda Heat	4	5	0	18	-55
9	Sagamihara Dynaboars	3	6	0	14	-119
10	Black Rams Tokyo	2	7	0	11	-62
11	Toyota Verblitz	1	7	1	11	-69
12	Urayasu　D-Rocks	1	8	0	5	-168
	WP=Winning Point
	SD=Score Difference

On this day, I went to Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato-ku, Tokyo, to watch the match between Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars and RICOH Black Rams.

The temperature was a warm 20 degrees Celsius, making it a perfect day to watch the game. The attendance at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium was 6,031, which was a good turnout.

The match of the day was expected to be a close match between the 9th-ranked Dynaboars and the 10th-ranked Black Rams in Division 1.

Last season, the two teams met twice, winning once and losing once. Who will come out on top on this day?

Let us introduce the two teams playing on this day.

First, an update on the home team, the Dynaboars.

The MHI Sagamihara Dynaboars are in 9th place with a record of 3 wins and 6 losses so far this season. They beat KOBELCO Steelers in the 4th round and TOYOTA Verblitz in the 7th round to the delight of their fans, but suffered a late-game upset by lowly HONDA Heat in the 8th round. As a result, they have not been able to advance to the top of the standings. Their opponent on this day is rival Black Rams, who have been battling for the same ranking in recent years, so they will be looking to halt their losing streak.

Dynaboars
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Changho AHN	178cm	110kg	27
2	Seunghyuk LEE	179cm	103kg	25	Japan 1cap
3	Kanzo SCHINCKEL	187cm	125kg	25
4	Walt STEENKAMP	203cm	121kg	29
5	Lindi Makoto DANIEL	195cm	109kg	37
6	Epineri URUIVITI	196cm	122kg	28	Japan 4caps
7	Masataka TSURUYA	185cm	105kg	34
8	Kyo YOSHIDA	188cm	108kg	29
9	Kohta IWAMURA	182cm	87kg	31
10	James GRAYSON	182cm	90kg	26
11	Honeti TAUMOHAAPAI	180cm	94kg	32	Japan 7s
12	Curtis RONA	193cm	102kg	32	Australia 3 caps
13	Matt VAEGA	179cm	94kg	30
14	Joape NACO	181cm	98kg	22
15	Kurt-Lee ARENDSE	176cm	80kg	28	South Africa 22caps

** Player to watch **

Honeti TAUMOHAAPAI. 180 cm, 94 kg, 32 years old. Position = WTB. country of birth = Tonga. He is a graduate of Hanazono University and a member of Japan’s 7-man national team. He is a veteran in terms of age, but last season he was the No. 1 scorer of tries in the team. The key for the Dynaboars on this day would be how well they can get the ball to their trump card, TAUMOHAAPAI.

By the way, here is an update on the Visitor Team of the day, RICOH Black Rams.

They are in 10th place with 2 wins and 7 losses so far this season, but they won against D-ROCKS in the 8th round and lost to last season’s champion Brave Lupas in the 9th round, albeit by just a single point. The Black Rams had been struggling without England’s No.8 Nathan HUGHES and FB Izac LUCAS, who were the mainstays until last season, due to injury, but this season’s new players are gradually fitting into the team, and the team’s strength is improving.

The starting lineup for this day’s match was as follows.

Black Rams
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Taishi TSUMURA	174cm	108kg	23
2	Shin OUCHI	183cm	107kg	27
3	Shohei　OYAMA	186cm	116kg	26
4	Pohiva Yamato LOTOAHEA	192cm	118kg	36	Japan 7th
5	Harrison FOX	199cm	117kg	24
6	Michael  STOLBERG	204cm	116kg	32
7	Liam GILL	184cm	95kg	32	Australia 15 caps
8	Fakatava AMATO	195cm	118kg	30	Japan 12 caps
9	TJ PERENARA	184cm	94kg	32	New Zealand 81caps
10	Ichigo NAKAKUSU	174cm	84kg	24	Japan
11	Netani VAKAYALIA	181cm	90kg	27	Fiji 7th,Japan 7th
12	Yuki IKEDA	187cm	100kg	29	Japan
13	PJ　LATU	189cm	105kg	24
14	Semisi　TUPOU	190cm	98kg	25
15	Main TAIRA	180cm	91kg	24	Japan 1cap

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

(The player in the center of the photo is STOLBERG)

Michael STOLBERG. 204 cm, 116 kg, 32 years old. He is from Australia. Position = Flanker. Until last season, his position was lock, but due to a string of injuries in the team, he has been assigned to flanker this season. Flanker is a position that requires athleticism, and STOLBERG has played a role that has exceeded expectations in the game. A big man over 2 meters tall, he runs around the field in all directions, and the opposing team always has a strong defensive wall standing in his way. In attack, he is also the Black Rams’ leading scorer, as he faithfully follows up on scoring chances. He has been a key player in the team’s rise in the middle of the league.

Let’s start the first half.

3 minutes into the first half:

The Black Rams kicked off to start the game.

First, it was the Black Rams who made the decisive move. The ball was passed from left WTB VAKAYARIA to right WTB TUPOU, and TUPOU put the ball in the in-goal, but the video judgment showed that he stepped on the touch line before the try, and the try was canceled.

17 minutes into the first half:

The Black Rams pushed forward slightly after a scrum near the center of the field, where the ball was passed to WTB VAKAYALIA, who cut in for a 10-meter gain. Black Rams’ No.8 FAKATAVA followed VAKAYALIA and received the pass, and from there FAKATAVA, with his fast feet as fast as a WTB, scored a try in the left center of the enemy in-goal. The crowd went wild for FAKATAVA’s play here.

The Black Rams went ahead 0-5 despite a missed conversion goal after the try.

19 minutes into the first half:

After the try, WTB TUPOU of Black Rams caught the ball from the restart kickoff and made a great kickoff return.

TUPOU was caught by the Dynaboars defense, but the Black Rams won the ensuing tight battle, and from there the ball went to the left where WTB VAKAYALIA scored a try on the left side of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was missed, but the score was 0-10.

After that, both teams were close to the enemy’s in-goal, but in a lineout on their own ball, they were unable to secure the ball and missed their chances. The key to advancing to the top of the standings will be to secure the ball at these scoring opportunities.

36 minutes into the first half:

Neither team was consistent in catching the lineout ball, but the Black Rams dominated the Dynaboars in the scrum. This inevitably created more scoring opportunities for the Black Rams. The Black Rams’ flanker GILL showed his strength in the tight match.

In this period, the Dynaboars pushed right to the enemy’s in-goal and almost scored a try after a wave of attacks by the BK players.

However, just before the enemy in-goal, the Dynaboars released a pass that was intercepted by SO NAKAKUSU of the Black Rams, who ran more than 80 meters to score a try right under the enemy goalposts.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 0-17.

40 minutes into the first half:

The Black Rams quickly moved the ball to the left side of the field line, and quickly advanced to the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal. SO NAKAKUSU kicked a pass from the left side, which was caught by WTB TUPOU, who was stationed on the right side of the line, and TUPOU scored a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but the score was 0-22. The first half ended here.

After a scoreless first half, the Dynaboars formed a circle at the end of the first half to prepare for the second half.

After being down by a large margin in the first half, could the Dynaboars come back in the second half?

It was now 15-minute halftime, and Dynastars, the official cheerleaders of Dynaboars, gave a dance performance as the halftime show.

Let the second half begin.

The Dynaboars attacked the enemy territory early in the second half and launched a series of attacks, but the Black Rams defense held strong in front of the try line and they were unable to score any points.

17 minutes into the second half:

The second half was a stalemate with neither team scoring so far. If anything, the Dynaboars had more time to dominate the ball and attack, but the Black Rams’ FWs stood in the way of line breaks. The two flankers who stood out the most were GILL and STOLBERG, who showed their strength in the tight matchups and produced several turnovers.

The Dynaboars also could not score while attacking, so fatigue built up among the players and the team’s overall athleticism began to decline. The Black Rams turned the ball over and took the ball back, and CTB IKEDA showed a good touch kick to push the ball back deep into enemy territory to break the deadlock.

The Black Rams then secured the ball deep in the enemy territory, and from the right side, the ball was passed from CTB LATU to SH PERENARA, who scored a try on the left side of the goal post.

However, a video review revealed that the Black Rams were fouled in the lineout, and the try was cancelled.

23 minutes into the second half:

The Dynaboars switched SH from IWAMURA to STRATTON, and STRATTON increased the tempo of their attack, pushing deep into the enemy territory.

Then, in front of the goal post, CTB VAEGA received a pass from STRATTON and scored a try on the right side of the enemy goal post. This was the first score for the Dynaboars in this match.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 7-22.

The score remained 7-22 at the end of the match. With this result, the Dynaboars have now lost 3 straight games, dropping them to 11th place in the standings and into the relegation zone of Division 2.

Conversely, Black Rams moved up to 9th place with the win in this match. This season, the gap in strength between the teams in Division 1 has narrowed, and there are no more easy games for the top teams. However, for fans, the number of games that are worth watching has been increasing, and it will be worth cheering for.

I am looking forward to the next game.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: March 8, 2025)

On February 22, 2025, the Japan Rugby League One Section 9 match between Black Rams (11th) and Brave Lupas (2nd) was held at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato-ku, Tokyo.

The match was played under cloudy skies with a temperature of 8 degrees Celsius, a typical seasonal chill in the air. The event drew a decent crowd of 8,380 spectators that day.

The match between Brave Lupas and Wild Knights on February 9 was a battle for first place, and the attendance was 11,051. Considering this, the attendance of 8,380 for the match between the second and eleventh-ranked teams was a decent turnout. The pre-match prediction was for last season’s champion Brave Lupas to win the match.

However, League One has had a few upsets so far this season. How will the Black Rams fare against last season’s champion Brave Lupas?

League One’s standings so far in the 2024-2025 season were as follows

2024-25	League One Order(Division 1) 2/21
ranking	team		Win	Lose	Even	WP	SD
1	Saitama Panasonic Wildnights		8	0	1	34	128
2	TOSHIBA Brave Lupas TOKYO		6	1	1	30	101
3	Kubota Spears		6	1	1	28	55
4	Shizuoka Blue Revs		6	2	0	26	38
5	Yokohama CANON Eagles		4	4	0	20	28
6	KOBELCO Kobe Steelers		3	5	0	19	52
7	Tokyo SUNTORY Sungoliath		3	3	2	17	-3
8	Mie Honda Heat		3	5	0	14	-58
9	Sagamihara Dynaboars		3	5	0	14	-90
10	Toyota Verblitz		1	6	1	11	-27
11	Black Rams Tokyo		2	6	0	10	-61
12	Urayasu　D-Rocks		1	7	0	4	-163
WP=Winning Point
SD=Score Difference

The win-loss table so far this season,

* Last season’s runner-up, Wild Knights, remains as strong as ever and is the only undefeated team in the field.

*Brave Lupas, last season’s champion, is in second place with only a few points behind.

* Spears, the champion of the previous year, has recovered from last season’s 6th place finish and is now in 3rd place.

*Verblitz, who was considered a strong contender for the championship, has only one win so far and is languishing in 10th place.

*The teams from 5th to 9th are separated by only 6 winning points, so the order changes from week to week.

Which team will make it to the top 6 to qualify for the playoffs?

*The bottom two teams will have to play in the round-robin tournament, but which team will be able to escape? The difference in winning points between 8th and 11th place is only 4.

Let me introduce you to the two teams that will be playing on this day.

First, an update on the home team, the Ricoh Black Rams.

Black Rams’ record so far this season is 11th place with 2 wins and 6 losses and 10 winning points. This season, they accomplished a Giant Killing in the second round, defeating last season’s third-place finisher Sungoliath in a close game. However, after suffering 5 consecutive defeats, they finally got their second win of the season against 12th-ranked D-Rocks in the previous round. The team has been unable to ride the wave of success, although they have been able to showcase their new international star, T.J.Perenara, in every game. Brave Lupas, their opponent on this day, is a strong team, but will they be able to create another Giant Killing?

The starting lineup for this day’s match was as follows.

Black Rams
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kazuma NISHI	180cm	108kg	28
2	Shin OUCHI	183cm	107kg	27
3	Shohei　OYAMA	186cm	116kg	26
4	Reijiro　YAMAMOTO	191cm	110kg	22
5	Josh GOODHUE	199cm	113kg	29
6	Michael  STOLBERG	204cm	116kg	32
7	Shuhei　MATSUHASHI	180cm	99kg	31	Japan 8caps
8	Liam GILL	184cm	95kg	32	Australia 15 caps
9	TJ PERENARA	184cm	94kg	32	New Zealand 81caps
10	Ichigo NAKAKUSU	174cm	84kg	24	Japan
11	Semisi　TUPOU	190cm	98kg	25
12	Yuki IKEDA	187cm	100kg	29	Japan
13	Amanaki LOTOAHEA TAIYO	191cm	107kg	34	Japan 8caps
14	Main TAIRA	180cm	91kg	24	Japan 1cap
15	Kotaro ITO	177cm	86kg	23	Japan

＊＊　Player to watch 　＊＊

Yuki IKEDA. 187cm, 100kg, 29 years old. He is a graduate of Tokai University. He is a candidate for the Japan national team. He is one of the few Japanese players who can physically compete with foreign players on the professional stage. After graduating from Tokai University, he joined the NTT Shining Arcs for three seasons before moving to the Black Rams in 2021. In games this season, his work between the try line and scoring tries has been outstanding. We hope that he will continue to play an even more active role and make this season a breakthrough year.

Next, an update on the Visitor Team for this match, TOSHIBA Brave Lupas.

Brave Lupas, last season’s League One Champion, is in second place again this season with 6 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw, for 30 winning points. The only team they have lost to this season is the fourth-placed Shizuoka Blue Revs. Brave Lupas has the ability to score tries from all positions and has a strong group of players. The only weakness of this team is that they always play a power game centered around their FW, which makes them surprisingly fragile when they play opponents whose styles of play do not match up.

The starting lineup for this day’s match was as follows.

TOSHIBA Brave Lupas
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Sena KIMURA	175cm	105kg	24
2	Daigo HASHIMOTO	174cm	105kg	31	Japan 3caps
3	Taufa LATU	183cm	120kg	26
4	Shohei ITO	190cm	105kg	27
5	Anise SAMUERA	198cm	118kg	38	Japan 12caps
6	Yoshitaka TOKUNAGA	185cm	100kg	32	Japan 15caps
7	Takeshi SASAKI	180cm	101kg	26
8	Michael LEITCH	189cm	113kg	35	Japan 87caps
9	Yuhei Sugiyama	169cm	76kg	26
10	Richie MO’UNGA	176cm	83kg	30	New Zealand  56caps
11	Yuto MORI	174cm	82kg	26
12	Rob THOMPSON	184cm	103kg	33
13	Seta TAMANIVAL	189cm	104kg	33	New Zealand  3caps, Fiji 3 caps
14	Jone NAIKABULA	177cm	95kg	29	Japan 17caps
15	Takuro MATSUNAGA	172cm	82kg	25	Japan 4caps

** Player to watch **

Takuro MATSUNAGA. 172 cm, 82 kg, 25 years old. A graduate of Tenri University, MATSUNAGA was called up to the national team last fall to take part in a tour of Europe when there were injuries to the national team. At first, Matsunaga was used as an inexperienced SO, but when he returned to his main position, FB, he began to show his true potential. When participating in attacks, MATSUNAGA’s specialty is to accurately spot holes in the opposing defense and work in tandem with other players to make big gains. He is the fastest growing BK player in League One this season. I hope he will show his further growth in the Japan national team games this summer and fall.

Let’s start the first half.

1 minute into the first half:

Brave Lupas kicked off to start the match. FB MATSUNAGA passed the ball to WTB NAIKABULA, who scored a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Brave Lupas was ahead by 7 points. The score was 0-7.

5 minutes into the first half:

From the restart after the try, the Black Rams went into enemy territory, regained the ball, and from a series of attacks, they quickly approached the in-goal try line. Brave Lupas was fouled for offside, giving the Black Rams a PG opportunity right in front of the goal posts. Black Rams SO NAKAKUSU converted the PG to make the score 3-7.

13 minutes into the first half:

From the restart kickoff after the PG, Brave Lupas entered the enemy territory, dominated the ball, and attacked in succession. In the flow of the game, Brave Lupas FB MATSUNAGA received the ball on the right touchline and skillfully shook off the opposing defense to score a try right in the middle of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but Brave Lupas extended their lead with a score of 3-12.

19 minutes into the first half:

The Black Rams’ defense was not able to handle the continuous forward movement of the Brave Lupas attack. Brave Lupas came close to the try line, and CTB THOMPSON scored a try at the left side of the goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 3-19. Brave Lupas had a one-sided advantage in the match up to this point.

21 minutes into the first half:

From the kickoff after the try restart, the Black Rams entered the enemy territory and a mistake by the opposing team gave them the opportunity to have a scrum on their own ball just inside the 22-meter line in front of the goal posts. The Black Rams then took advantage of a scrum to the right, and SH PERENARA made a long pass to the right corner.

WTB TAIRA scored a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but the score was 8-19.

The Black Rams’ advantage in this match will depend on how long they can keep attacking in the opposition’s territory.

27 minutes into the first half:

Brave Lupas had a scrum in front of their own goalposts, and after a 15-meter gain, they moved to the right and then to the left, where the ball was passed to WTB MORI, who ran across the left touchline for what looked like a try.

However, Black Rams SO NAKAKAKUSU stopped MORI’s advance about 10 meters short of the try line. But Brave Lupas took the ball in a tight battle, and FB MATSUNAGA scored his second try of the day in the left center of the enemy’s in-goal. With this attack, Brave Lupas had advanced nearly 100 meters at a stretch from their own goal to the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 8-26.

35 minutes into the first half:

The Black Rams took the restart kickoff and went into the enemy territory, but Brave Lupas counter-attacked them and drove them back to their own in-goal. However, in a tight battle, Black Rams’ No. 8 GILL succeeded in stealing the ball. However, Black Rams’ SO NAKAKUSU’s penalty kick did not make it off the touchline, and the Brave Lupas counter-attacked again. The Black Rams’ SO NAKAKUSU made a number of kicking errors on the day.

However, the Black Rams were later awarded a penalty kick for a foul on their opponents, giving them a chance for a lineout on their own ball on the right side just beyond the enemy 22-meter line.

The Black Rams secured the ball, and SH PERENARA, who was caught by the defense, advanced forward and connected with an off-load pass to lock GOODHUE, who scored a try in the right corner of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but the score was 13-26.

42 minutes into the first half:

The Black Rams launched a series of attacks near the enemy 22-meter line near the end of the first half, but were unable to advance due to the solid defense of their opponents.

An injury to a Black Rams player halted the game, and the horn sounded to signal the end of the first half and the last play of the first half. Here, the Black Rams went on a series of attacks in an attempt to score the last point of the first half. Black Rams’ SH PERENARA kicked a pass from the right side in front of the enemy in-goal, and FL MATSUHAHI caught it and scored a try in the left corner of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but the score was 18-26, and the Black Rams were now 8 points behind at the end of the first half.

The first half ended with a 15-minute halftime break.

At halftime, mascots from various companies in Tokyo gathered and circled the field.

The temperature was low that day, but the wind was not blowing much, so it did not feel as cold as one might expect.

Now, let the second half begin.

7 minutes into the second half:

While watching this game, I noticed that the Black Rams, currently ranked 11th in Division 1 of League One, were more than even with Brave Lupas, the second-place team in Division 1, in the scrums. One wonders why such a strong FW team is ranked 11th. They dominated Brave Lupas in the scrums, especially after prop Puddy LYAN came on in the second half as a substitute.

Early in the second half, the Black Rams gained the upper hand in the scrum, and after pushing hard from a scrum set up slightly to the right in front of the enemy in-goal, SH PERENARA brought the ball up and scored a try under the enemy goalposts.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 25-26, and the Black Rams were finally within 1 point of Brave Lupas.

12 minutes into the second half:

The Black Rams had another scrum that drew an infringement from the opposing team, giving the Black Rams the right of a penalty kick 30 meters from the goalposts. Black Rams’ SO NAKAKUSU tried and missed again, as NAKAKUSU had missed 5 SHOTs on the day, putting the brakes on the team’s momentum.

14 minutes into the second half:

Brave Lupas replaced their hooker with Japan’s national team player, Harada, and then prop with Mikami in an attempt to recover from their poor showing in the scrums. This helped stabilize the Brave Lupas scrum a little, but it did not change the Black Rams’ scrum dominance.

After the game resumed, the Black Rams pushed in at the scrum, and SH PERENARA made a short punt up the back of the opposing defense, which was held by Black Rams CTB IKEDA in the left center of the enemy in-goal for a try.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but the score was 30-26. The Black Rams finally succeeded in turning the tide.

16 minutes into the second half:

After the try, Brave Lupas kicked off from the restart, and Brave Lupas CTB TOMPSON received the ball on the right side near the enemy 22m line, dodged two opposing defenders, and scored a try just under the goal post in the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 30-33, and Brave Lupas was back in the game.

21 minutes into the second half:

Once the Black Rams had attacked deep into enemy territory, Brave Lupas secured the ball after it was spilled in a tight battle and counter-attacked from there. Brave Lupas then had a scrum in the middle of the field, but Brave Lupas’ SH OGAWA, who came on as a substitute, got to the side of the scrum and got into the enemy territory.

Brave Lupas FB MATSUNAGA received a pass from OGAWA, and advanced forward at once, closing in on the enemy’s in-goal try line.

As the match entered its climax, the 2 teams were on the same page in terms of content, and both sides continued to attack in succession, with many spectacular scenes emerging. Whenever a player approached the try line, the screams of the fans, especially female fans, echoed around the stadium. That was how excited the fans watching the game were.

The Black Rams caught up with MATSUNAGA and managed to stop them, but from there, Brave Lupas took the ball to the right, where WTB NAIKABULA, the decisive trump card, received a pass and scored a try in the right corner of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was missed, but the score was 38-30 and Brave Lupas extended their lead.

24 minutes into the second half:

From the restart kickoff after the try, the Black Rams moved into enemy territory and gradually gained ground, crossing the enemy 22-meter line. Brave Lupas was fouled for offside and the Black Rams opted to go for the PG at this point as it was right in front of the goal posts.

However, SO NAKUSU missed this relatively easy looking PG, and it was a painful failure. The score remained 30-38.

31 minutes into the second half:

The Black Rams entered the final minutes of the match in a rather uncomfortable position.　Brave Lupas broke out of the crowd, and Black Rams’ SH PERENARA intercepted the ball and ran straight into the enemy’s in-goal. However, just two meters from the try line, he was caught by Brave Lupas’ CTB TOMPSON.

The Black Rams try was disallowed.

The Black Rams continued to attack, keeping the game in enemy territory. The Black Rams pushed the opposing scrum into the opponents’ territory, forcing an infringement by the opposing team, which led to a penalty kick and a lineout for their own ball. The Black Rams secured the ball at the lineout, and after closing in on the enemy in-goal, the FW side attacked in succession, and finally, when SH PERENARA mis-timed his pass, Black Rams prop TSUMURA, who came on as a substitute, ran in and scored a try on the left side of the goal post. He ran in and scored a try on the left side of the goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, bringing the score to 37-38, Black Rams within one point.

34 minutes into the second half:

From the kickoff after the try, Brave Lupas made steady progress and advanced deep into the enemy territory. Brave Lupas was pushed back in the scrums, but they showed their strength in the attacking sequences from the tight pack. WTB NAIKABULA got the ball and came close to the try line, but the Black Rams did their best to stop him with a defensive stop. But Brave Lupas’ CTB MANO followed up and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 37-45, Brave Lupas again outscoring the hosts.

37 minutes into the second half:

With only a few minutes left in the second half, the Black Rams worked hard to connect with the ball in hopes of winning the game. Once Brave Lupas turned the ball over and pushed deep into their own territory, the Black Rams regained possession. The Black Rams counter-attacked from their own territory, and FB TAIRA and WTB TUPOU made a clever passing move to get around the defense. As they approached the enemy in-goal, TAIRA passed to TUPOU who followed him up and TUPOU ran right under the goal posts for the try.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 44-45, with the Black Rams again within one point.

40 minutes into the second half:

The horn had already sounded to signal the end of the match, and the Black Rams were down to one last play. From a scrum on their own ball, the Black Rams attacked and attacked again until Phase 6, when the Black Rams went deep into enemy territory. The Black Rams attacked until Phase 6, when the ball hit a Brave Lupas player and was spilled, ending the game. Brave Lupas won the match.

As a result of the hard-fought match, the Black Rams were one point behind and thus received 1 bonus point for a loss by 7 points or less. Although it was not the second Giant Killing game of the season, Black Rams fans were treated to a great match. We look forward to another good game like this one in the next round and beyond.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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 (Written by Azul: February 23, 2025)

Japan Rugby League One reached its seventh round on February 9. On that day, I went to Sagamihara GION Stadium in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, to watch the game, following the 6th round. The match-up card on that day was Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars (10th) vs TOYOTA Verblitz (9th). The two teams are close in ranking, so I expected a heated game.

On this day, the stadium was fairly crowded with 5,287 spectators.

Let me introduce the two teams that played on this day.

First, an update on the home team, the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars.

So far, the Dynaboars have won 2 games, lost 4, and gained 9 points, and are currently in 10th place in the standings. Last season, the team made a splash in League One with back-to-back wins to start the season, but this season, they have only 2 wins so far, and they are still in the bottom half of the standings. Will they be able to beat the mighty Verblitz on this day? The fans at the stadium were looking forward to the match.

The starting lineup for this day’s game was as follows.

Dynaboars
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Hayato HOSODA	173cm	103kg	29
2	Seunghyuk LEE	179cm	103kg	25	Japan 1cap
3	Kanzo SCHINCKEL	187cm	125kg	25
4	Walt STEENKAMP	203cm	121kg	29
5	Epineri URUIVITI	196cm	122kg	28	Japan 4caps
6	Kyo YOSHIDA	188cm	108kg	29
7	Masataka TSURUYA	185cm	105kg	34
8	Jackson HEMOPO	194cm	111kg	31	NZ 5caps
9	Kohta IWAMURA	182cm	87kg	31
10	James GRAYSON	182cm	90kg	26
11	Honeti TAUMOHAAPAI	180cm	94kg	32	Japan 7s
12	Charlie LAWRENCE	171cm	92kg	26
13	Matt VAEGA	179cm	94kg	30
14	Ben PALTRIDGE	177cm	88kg	32
15	Kurt-Lee ARENDSE	176cm	80kg	28	South Africa 22caps

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Epineri URUIVITI. 196 cm, 122 kg, 28 years old. Position = lock. URUIVITI was the first player from Dynaboars to play a game for Japan, and he played in 4 games of Japan National Team. URUIVITI’s strength is his ability to penetrate strong defenses in attack. For the Dynaboars, the return of the mainstay of their offensive and defensive lineup will be a welcome boost as they look to continue their winning ways.

Next, an update on TOYOTA Verblitz, the Visitor Team of the day.

This season, Verblitz has a strong squad and former NZ national team head coach Steve Hansen as their HC, and was considered a favorite to win the championship this season. However, with 1 win, 4 losses, 1 draw, and 9 winning points, they currently sit in 9th place. As a result, they have failed to live up to the expectations of their fans, but if I look at their games, they have continued to miss out on wins, with many of their defeats coming by the smallest of margins. If they do not start winning more games this season, they will miss out on the playoffs this season. The team is expected to be inspired.

The starting lineup for this day’s game was as follows.

TOYOTA Verblitz
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Shogo MIURA	180cm	115kg	29	Japan 14caps
2	Yoshikatsu HIKOSAKA	178cm	105kg	34	Japan
3	Genki SUDO	173cm	110kg	31	Japan 2caps
4	Richie GREY	208cm	128kg	35	Scotland 79caps, Lions 1cap
5	Daichi AKIYAMA	192cm	114kg	28	Japan 1cap
6	Isaiah MAPUSUA	191cm	112kg	24	Japan 4caps
7	Akihito OKUI	177cm	103kg	23
8	Wiliam TUPOU	188cm	101kg	34	Japan　12caps
9	Aaron SMITH	171cm	83kg	36	New Zealand 125caps
10	Rikiya MATSUDA	181cm	92kg	30	Japan　39caps
11	Siosaia FIFITA	187cm	105kg	26	Japan　14caps
12	Nicholas McCURAN	189cm	94kg	28	Japan　5caps
13	Joseph MANU	192cm	102kg	28	Rugby League NZ
14	Taichi TAKAHASHI	187cm	105kg	25	Japan 2caps
15	Tiaan FALCON	181cm	90kg	27

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

(The player in the white jersey holding the ball is SMITH.)

Aaron SMITH. 171 cm, 83 kg, 36 years old. Position = SH. cap for New Zealand = 125. best SH in the world. joined Verblitz in 2023. signed a contract to stay with Verblitz after RWC 2023. as a team game-maker and a leader of Verblitz.

Let’s start the first half of the match.

2 minutes into the first half:

From the opening kickoff of the match, both sides kicked contested kicks to each other, trying to get into enemy territory. After 4 or 5 such exchanges, the Dynaboars FB ARENZE received the ball , who cut into the enemy territory and took it to the right. And the Dynaboars’ CTB VAEGA took the pass and raced down the right touchline to the enemy’s in-goal. Then WTB TAUMOHAPAI was caught by the Verblitz defenders in front of the in-goal, but SO GREYSON of the Dynaboars followed him up, got the ball, and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy in-goal. The referee did not intervene, so it was a no-whistle try.

The conversion goal after the try was missed, but Home Team’s Dynaboars scored first. The score was 5-0.

7 minutes into the first half:

From the restart after the try, Verblitz advanced into enemy territory and a penalty kick gave them a lineout opportunity deep in enemy territory on the right side of the field. From there, Verblitz moved forward in a maul, and Dynaboars again committed an infringement. From the free kick, Lock AKIYAMA rushed forward and scored a try in the middle right of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 5-7 in favor of Verblitz.

12 minutes into the first half:

Dynaboars kicked off from the restart after the try, and after entering the enemy territory, they advanced with a series of attacks. Later, a video judgment by the TMO revealed that Verblitz had committed an infringement in front of the in-goal.

From the spot of the infringement, the Dynaboars resumed the game on their own ball, and CTB VAEGA scored a try in the middle left of the enemy in-goal after a series of attacks, evading the Verblitz defense.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 12-7, and the Dynaboars were back in the game.

18 minutes into the first half:

In the previous match, the Dynaboars struggled in the scrums and lost control of the match. So far in this week’s match, the scrums have not overwhelmed them, making it easier for the Dynaboars to establish a rhythm in the match.

This time around, the scrum was crushed and Dynaboars was awarded a free kick. From there, the Dynaboars were able to quickly develop and CTB VAEGA again broke the line, scoring his second try of the day on the right side of the opposition goalposts.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 19-7.

23 minutes into the first half:

Dynaboars kicked the ball and Verblitz held the ball in in-goal, resulting in an in-goal dropout to restart the game. However, Verblitz FB FALCON made a mistake by kicking the kick out of line. This resulted in a scrum 5 meters in front of the in-goal to restart the game.

From the scrum, the Dynaboars moved to the right, and first FB ARENDSE tried to break through, but was caught by the opposing team’s defense. However, flanker YOSHIDA followed up and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was missed. The score was 24-7.

30 minutes into the first half:

The Dynaboars spent more time attacking in enemy territory during this period. Verblitz sometimes tried to counter-attack by winning the ball back in a tight battle, but could never get beyond the halfway mark. Then, while the Dynaboars were attacking near the enemy 10-meter line, Verblitz committed an infringement and the Dynaboars elected to go for the PG. The score was 27-7 after SO GRAYSON of the Dynaboars scored.

34 minutes into the first half:

Verblitz’s entire team was on tenterhooks, making a series of minor passing errors. Even when they did connect passes and attack, the team did not have the will to attack as a team. They simply passed the ball horizontally and came up with no attacking ideas, which made it difficult for them to get out of their own half. When they made contact with a Dynaboars player, they easily lost the ball.

The Dynaboars controlled the ball in the enemy territory, and steadily approached the enemy’s in-goal. He then dodged one of the opposing defenders and scored a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The Dynaboars controlled the ball in the enemy territory, and steadily approached the enemy’s in-goal, Then the finisher WTB TAUMOHAAPAI who dodged one of the opposing defenders and scored a try in the left corner of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 34-7.

38 minutes into the first half:

Verblitz continued to make the same mistakes in the first half, with their attacks being one-off and their defense not working well together, only tackling when they were in range. The Dynaboars attacked deep into the enemy territory, and FB Arendse easily broke through on the crowded side of the field and scored a try right under the goal posts.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 41-7, with the Dynaboars leading Verblitz by 34 points in the first half alone.

41 minutes into the first half:

From the kickoff after the restart, both teams kicked each other. A rare miscue by SO GRAYSON of the Dynaboars gave Verblitz a chance for a scrum deep in enemy territory.

The horn sounded to end the first half, and it came down to one final play. Verblitz moved to the right, approached the enemy try line, turned back from there, and after a dense battle, the FW side attacked repeatedly, and finally FL MAPUSUA scored a try on the right side of the enemy goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 41-14.

The first half ended here. This was the first time I had ever seen a strong Verblitz team beaten so thoroughly by a team from a lower ranking. Will Verblitz continue to lose badly without a win?

At this point, it was halftime.

At halftime, Daibo-kun, the mascot of the home team Dynaboars, made an appearance.

In addition, the Dynastars, the official cheerleading squad of the Dynaboars, appeared to enliven the stadium.

Now, let the second half begin.

2 minutes into the second half:

From the second half kickoff, Verblitz connected with the ball on the right side of the field, and CTB MANU made a big gain and was caught by the opposing defense in front of the enemy try line, but he and his follow-up player rushed into the in-goal for the try. This was a no-whistle try, which, oddly enough, was the result of the Dynaboars’ first-half comeback. Verblitz scored the first of the second half, which set the tone for the rest of the match.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 41-21.

9 minutes into the second half:

From the restart kickoff, the Dynaboars made a series of attacks in the enemy territory, but it was Verblitz’s WTB FIFITA who broke the deadlock. He made a strong tackle and then held the ball back to give Verblitz the ball back.

This showed that the awareness of the Verblitz players was different from the first half.

From this tackle, Verblitz gradually advanced deeper and deeper into the enemy territory. As Verblitz approached the enemy try line, they attacked and attacked again, and finally, the ball was passed from SO MATSUDA to CTB MANU, who scored his second try of the day in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the left. This was Verblitz’s third consecutive try since the end of the first half.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 41-28.

16 minutes into the second half:

The Dynastars finally found their attacking rhythm after a string of disappointing performances in the second half.

Unlike the first half, however, Verblitz’s defensive link-up had improved, and their defense was solid with their backs to the try line. However, Verblitz was fouled offside in front of the goal post, and the Dynaboars opted to go for the PG.

Dynaboars’ SO GRAYSON scored the first goal of the second half for the Dynaboars. The score at this point was 44-28.

24 minutes into the second half:

In the second half, with the game in Verblitz’s favor, the Dynaboars had a chance to score when they were awarded a penalty kick for a foul on their opponents and a lineout of their own ball deep in enemy territory, but they missed two consecutive opportunities to score.

Entering this period, Verblitz’s FL OKUI was outstanding. Whenever he received the ball, he played it away one after another, even when tangled up with the opposing defense, and continued to move forward.

The Verblitz players were now focused on winning the match, and the Dynaboars were unable to get the ball back. Verblitz entered the enemy territory on the left flank, made a series of breakthroughs, and finally WTB FIFITA scored a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but the score was 44-33.

8 minutes into the second half:

Verblitz’s momentum was unstoppable, as Verblitz continued their pattern in the second half of getting into enemy territory and continuing to attack and score.

From the restart kickoff, the Dynaboars tried to get into enemy territory, but were quickly kicked back, forcing them to defend their own territory. Then, unable to break the momentum of Verblitz’s continuous attacks, the ball was connected and finally FL OKUI scored a try on the right side of the enemy goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 44-40, and Verblitz was finally within 4 points of the Dynaboars.

In a match like this, “attack is the best defense,” and the players who kept attacking each other on the opponents’ side of the field would have the advantage. But would the Dynaboars be able to regain control of the match?

With 12 minutes remaining, the Dynaboars chose to keep the ball in play and continue to attack. From the 28th minute of the second half until the 34th minute, Phase repeated the series of attacks a total of 34 times. In the end, the Dynaboars were unable to add to their tally, but with 5 minutes left on the clock.

35 minutes into the second half:

Verblitz won the ball back and continued to attack in the enemy territory, but the long defensive break had taken its toll on their attack. But as far as fatigue was concerned, so did the Dynaboars, and with 5 minutes remaining, it was all hands on deck. Both sides played 3 reserve players here to try and win the game.

With a 4-point difference, Verblitz needed to score a try, not a PG, to win the game. Because of the closing minutes of the game, the accuracy of play started to drop off on both sides. From this point on, it became a game of spirit. However, Verblitz continued to hold onto the ball, and gradually closed in on the opponent’s in-goal.

39 minutes into the second half:

In a tight battle, the Dynastars won the ball back. With less than a minute remaining, Dynaboars would win the game if they kept possession.

Then, as the final horn sounded, the Dynaboars had the ball kicked out by CTB VAEGA to end the game. Both teams gave their all, but the victory went to the Dynaboars.

At the end of the game, the players of both teams were applauded for giving their all.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: February 13, 2025)

I went to Sagamihara GION Stadium in Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, to watch the 6th round of the Japan Rugby League One. The temperature that day was a cool 11 degrees Celsius, and according to the weather forecast, snow was predicted for the following day. For rugby fans, the weather was somewhat harsh.

However, since there was almost no wind, I went out heavily equipped for protection against the cold, so I did not feel as cold as I thought I would.

The game started at 14:30, and the attendance that day was 3,925.

Since League One has only been in existence for a short period of time, it does not have the capacity to attract as many spectators as the J-League soccer team. Therefore, if Japan’s national team plays a series of boring games (games with large margins) or loses repeatedly on the international stage, fans will immediately stop coming to watch the games, so a strong match content is required.

Starting with this week’s games, there was a noticeable change in the starting lineups of each team.

This is due to the relaxation of the qualifications for each country’s representative in international matches, which has resulted in an increase in the number of players, especially foreign players, in Category A, who are qualified to represent Japan. Since each team must register 11 Category A players in its starting lineup, the number of foreign players in the starting lineup has increased and the number of Japanese players has decreased.

As the international competition level of Japan Rugby League One has improved, more star players from around the world have come to Japan, as well as promising young players from around the world. As a result, the starting lineups of teams competing for victory become more merit-based, and Japanese players who are not as physically strong as they should be at this point in time have fewer chances to play. This tendency is especially noticeable in Division 1.

This means that the development of Japanese players will become an issue in the future, and it is expected that the number of Japanese players will increase in the lower divisions such as Division 2 and 3.

At present, it takes one season for even a star player who has graduated from college to compete in League One. That is how much difference there is in the physical aspect between professional players and university students.

Let me now give you an update on both teams that played that day.

First, let me give you an update on the home team, the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars.

The Dynaboars’ record so far this season is 2 wins, 3 losses, and 9 winning points, ranking them 8th out of 12 teams in Division 1. Since only the first through sixth place teams can advance to the playoffs, they would like to accumulate as many wins as possible. KUBOTA Spears won last season’s matchup 34-28, but since they were the champions the year before last, they will be playing a team with a higher rating.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

Dynaboars
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Hayato HOSODA	173cm	103kg	29
2	Seunghyuk LEE	179cm	103kg	25	Japan 1caps
3	Tomoaki ISHI	182cm	120kg	26
4	Walt STEENKAMP	203cm	121kg	29
5	Lindi Makoto DANIEL	195cm	109kg	37
6	Kyo YOSHIDA	188cm	108kg	29
7	Masataka TSURUYA	185cm	105kg	34
8	Jackson HEMOPO	194cm	111kg	31	NZ 5caps
9	Jack STRATTON	185cm	91kg	30
10	James GRAYSON	182cm	90kg	26
11	Satoshi KOIZUMI	178cm	86kg	24
12	Charlie LAWRENCE	171cm	92kg	26
13	Matt VAEGA	179cm	94kg	30
14	Ben PALTRIDGE	177cm	88kg	32
15	Kurt-Lee ARENDSE	176cm	80kg	28	South Africa 22caps

Five of the 15 players in the starting lineup was Japanese, and although it is not limited to the Dynaboars, the number of Japanese players in the starting lineup has decreased dramatically since this section.

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

(The player with the number 9 is Jack STRATTON.)

Jack STRATTON. 185 cm, 91 kg, 30 years old. He is from New Zealand. After playing for the Super Rugby powerhouse Crusaders, he came to Japan and played for the TOSHIBA Brave Lupas for 3 years before joining the Dynaboars in 2023. A large SH, he is not only a long and accurate passer, but also a strong tackler and a 4th back row player. He is also a utility player who can command the team as SO.

He has also been a part of the Dynaboars’ success in the playoffs during his time with Brave Lupas.

Next, here is an update on KUBOTA Spears, the Visitor Team for this match.

KUBOTA Spears was the League One champion the year before last, but last season, they finished in 6th place due to a string of injuries to their main players. This season, they have 3 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw, with 15 winning points, and are currently in 5th place in the League One standings, just inside the playoff spots. Based on the lessons learned from last season, this season’s team has a stronger lineup of players in each position, and has regained the strength it had when it won the championship the year before last.

The starters for the day were as follows.

KUBOTA SPEARS
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Yota KAMIMORI	172cm	105kg	25
2	Hayate ERA	170cm	106kg	23
3	Keijiro TAMEFUSA	180cm	108kg	23	Japan 7caps
4	David Van ZEALAND	196cm	116kg	24
5	David BULBRING	199cm	113kg	35
6	Merwe OLIVIER	194cm	108kg	22
7	Takeo SUENAGA	178cm	98kg	30
8	Faulua MAKISI	182cm	117kg	28	Japan　7caps
9	Shinobu FUJIWARA	171cm	76kg	25	Japan　6caps
10	Atsushi OSHIKAWA	175cm	87kg	25
11	Haruto KIDA	176cm	90kg	25
12	Yuya HIROSE	181cm	92kg	23
13	Rikus PRETORIUS	193cm	104kg	24
14	Halatoa VAILEA	187cm	105kg	25
15	Shaun STEVENSON	190cm	100kg	28	New Zealand 1cap

Spears had 8 out of 15 Japanese players in their starting lineup, which was a large number compared to the Dynaboars. This showed the depth of the Spears’ lineup.

＊＊　Player to watch　　＊＊

Atushi OSHIKAWA is 175 cm, 87 kg, 25 years old. He is a graduate of Teikyo University. He joined the Spears in 2023 after winning the Japan University Championship in his time at Teikyo University. In the Spears’ deep-rooted organization, he has not been able to get enough opportunities to play in official matches, but this season, he has been given the chance to play as a starting SO. He is known for his solid game management, and his experience in many sports, including soccer and basketball from an early age, has given him a wide range of adaptability. As for the backs, he is a utility player who can play not only SO but also CTB and FB. He is expected to support the Spears’ progress this season.

Let’s start the first half.

3 minutes into the first half:

The Dynaboars shows their strength by developing a series of attacks, while the Spears show their stability with a strong set play centered around a strong FW.

In the first scrum early in the match, Spears pushed in and drew an infringement from their opponents. The Spears chose to go for the PG because the point of the infringement was right in front of the goal post. SO OSIKAWA scored the PG, and Spears scored first. The score was 0-3.

15 minutes into the first half:

The Spears defense did not put too many men in a tight battle, but left room on the defensive line to prevent the line from being broken.

In response, the Dynaboars ran in and made strong tackles to stop their opponents as soon as a pass was passed to them to break the line.

Spears continued to attack, making progress without losing the ball. A foul by the Dynaboars gave the Spears a penalty kick and a chance to take the ball out of their own half near the enemy 22m line. Spears secured the ball and mauled forward, with Spears hooker ERA scoring a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the left.

However, a video decision was made by the TMO at this point.

After deliberation, the try was cancelled due to insufficient grounding.

21 minutes into the first half:

Spears showed their strength in set pieces, attacking from scrums and lineouts with mauls to close in on the enemy in-goal. However, the Dynaboars fought well defensively and kept the try at bay.

Spears’ second maul attack was broken up, and SO OSIKAWA kicked a pass to WTB KIDA in the left corner, who replenished it and scored a try in the left corner of the enemy in-goal, despite being tangled up with two opposing defenders.

The conversion goal after the try was unsuccessful, but the score was 0-8.

24 minutes into the first half:

From the kickoff of the restart after the try, the Dynaboars showed their strength with a series of development attacks as they entered the enemy territory. The ball carrier made steady gains as they approached the enemy in-goal, and finally CTB LAWRENCE scored a try in the middle left of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was missed, but the score was 5-8, and the Dynaboars were up by 3 points.

37 minutes into the first half:

The Dynaboars showed their strength in the tight contests. However, they were almost overwhelmed by Spears in the set pieces, especially in the scrums, and handed the game to their opponents.

Spears was not only a strong FW team, but also a strong BK team, and they were able to get the ball to WTB VAILEA in the right corner, who made a strong breakthrough and scored a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was unsuccessful, but Spears made the score 5-13.

The first half ended with this score.

The Dynaboars had been almost dominating the scrums throughout the game, and they needed to somehow reverse this scrum disadvantage in order to get back on track for the second half.

At halftime of the match, a relay race was held by Kanagawa Prefecture rugby schools at the match site.

In order to increase the number of rugby fans in the region, each team needs to be involved in activities to connect with the local community.

Now, let the second half begin.

3 minutes into the second half:

The game started with a kicking contest between the two teams. However, the Dynaboars made an unintentional late tackle and committed a foul. Spears opted for a PG, which SO OSIKAWA converted to make the score 5-16.

6 minutes into the second half:

At this point in the half, the Dynaboars defense began to look a little tired. They were no longer making the strong tackles in their own territory that they had shown in the first half, and they were no longer able to hold off Spears’ powerful breakthroughs. The Spears were also getting the ball back in tight races, and were pushed to the brink of the in-goal. Finally, Spears lock VAN ZEALAND scored a try in the left center of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 5-23.

10 minutes into the second half:

Once again, Spears was fouled in a scrum, resulting in a penalty kick and a chance for a lineout deep in enemy territory. Spears secured the ball, and after a long pass from SO OSIKAWA, the ball was quickly passed to WTB KIDA on the left edge, who scored a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal, unmarked.

The conversion goal after the try was unsuccessful, but Spears made the score 5-28, extending the point difference to 23 points.

13 minutes into the second half:

From the restart kickoff after the try, the Dynaboars entered the enemy territory and continued to advance with a series of attacks. The Dynaboars started on the left flank, and FB Arendse received the ball, broke the line, went close to the enemy in-goal, passed to WTB PALTRIDGE who followed up, and scored a try right under the enemy goalposts.

The two fast BK players of the Dynaboars showed off their decisive power, and the stadium was filled with excitement. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 12-28.

32 minutes into the second half:

At this point in the second half, the Dynaboars players began to show signs of fatigue. The Dynaboars were losing the front line battle, and were getting tired of being run around by their opponents.

The Dynaboars had their chances, but were caught up in their own ball scrums, resulting in penalties and creating opportunities for their opponents.

After a series of such situations, the Spears attacked deep into the enemy territory, and from a tight pack on the right edge, they moved to the left, where CTB PRETORIUS broke the line, made a big gain, and finally CTB HIROSE followed him to get the ball and score a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the left side. After the try, the conversion goal failed.

The conversion goal after the try failed, and the score was 12-33.

39 minutes into the second half:

The Spears’ FW dominance grew in advantage as time ticked away, and they moved into enemy territory to take the game to the wire. From a scrum at a set piece, the ball was spread to the right to substitute WTB Van Den HEEVER, who took a short kick, re-gained the ball himself, and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful and the score was,

The score was 12-40.

The score remained the same, and Spears won the match.

It was a bitter defeat for the home team, Dynaboars, but they will use this as a springboard for the next round and onward.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: January 28, 2025)

On January 13, 2025, the final match of the 61st National University Rugby Championship was held at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Minato-ku, Tokyo. The semifinals were played at the National Stadium, which has a capacity of over 60,000, but the final was played at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, which has a capacity of about 23,000, and many rugby fans asked why. Since the final was held at a stadium with a small capacity, tickets were sold out five days in advance.

I bought a cheap unreserved ticket and entered the venue as soon as the doors opened to secure a good seat.

The photo above was taken around 11:40 when the doors opened.

However, just before the game started, the seats were full, as you can see.

Before the game started, both schools sang their school anthems, and the officials of both schools stood up and sang together.

The photo above is an image of Teikyo University fans.

Next, here is an image of Waseda University fans.

Teikyo University is currently winning 3 consecutive university championships, but this season, Waseda University was expected to win the Japan championship for the first time in 5 years, so many Waseda University fans gathered at the venue.

Here is the latest information on the two schools that will be competing on this day.

First, the latest information on Teikyo University, the defending champion.

Teikyo University lost to Waseda University by the score of 48-17 in the official match of the Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group on November 3. Teikyo University had not lost to any other university in the 3 seasons prior to last season, so this long-overdue defeat seemed to have come as a great shock not only to the players, but also to those involved at Teikyo University. Since then, Teikyo University has been studying hard, hoping to be humiliated in the University Championships, and the factors that led to Teikyo University’s defeat in the 11/3 match were,

(1) Overwhelmed in the FW game, especially in the scrum.

(2) Waseda University’s SO HATTORI’s long-range kicking was not able to be dealt with, and the players were worn out during the game.

3) The loss of 5 tries by WTB TANAKA of Waseda University. 5 tries scored by one player in the match on 11/3 was a collapse of Teikyo University’s defense.

How Teikyo University will correct these factors of defeat in the rematch on this day will be the highlight of this match.

The starting lineup for this day’s match was as follows

Teikyo University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kaisei UMEDA	176cm	108kg	22
2	Yura CHINEN	171cm	100kg	22
3	Tsubasa MORIYAMA	180cm	109kg	20	JXV,U18Japan,Japan
4	Kaisa DAUNAKAMAKAMA	182cm	120kg	21	U-18 Japan
5	Takuma MOTOHASHI	192cm	118kg	22	JXV,Japan
6	Keito AOKI	187cm	110kg	22	JXV
7	Ikki MORIMOTO	169cm	81kg	22
8	Kanta KURAHASHI	181cm	103kg	22
9	Kumsu LEE	174cm	80kg	22
10	Takaya MOTOHASHI	182cm	86kg	20	U-20 Japan,JXV,Japan
11	Taiyo HIGUMA	176cm	89kg	21
12	Yoshiki OMACHI	173cm	84kg	20	U-18,U-20 Japan,JJ
13	Yamato UEDA	180cm	84kg	19	U-18,U-20 Japan,JXV
14	Genki IKUTA	170cm	83kg	21	U-18,U-20 Japan,JXV
15	Shinya KOMURA	180cm	88kg	22
					JJ=Junior Japan
					JXV=Japan XV

＊＊　Player to watch 　＊＊

 (The player with the number 6 is Keito AOKI)

Keito AOKI. 187cm, 110kg, 22 years old. He is a graduate of Toin Gakuen High School and was selected for the Japan XV. Captain of Teikyo University this season. He has been a regular member of the top team since he was a freshman at Teikyo University. He has never been a captain before, but this season he was selected as a captain for the first time. As for his achievements as a player, he is impeccable, but as a team leader, he has had a lot of trial and error. As a leader-oriented captain, will he be able to lead his team to the top of the championship with his rugged back in the final game against Waseda University, the only team they have lost to so far?

Next, an update on Waseda University, the undefeated A-seeded school in this season’s University Championship.

Since losing to Kyoto Sangyo University in the quarterfinals of last season’s University Championship, they have remained undefeated, and were the only team to beat the reigning university champions, Teikyo University, in an official match on November 3, 2011. This season, under the leadership of captain Kenji Sato, the team tried to recapture the No. 1 position in Japan for the first time in 5 years. This season, the team has not only a strong BK attack, but also a powerful FW, and they will challenge this day’s final with a solid team structure. Will they be able to go undefeated in the final match of the day?

The starting lineup for this day’s match wsa as follows

Waseda University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Airou SUGIMOTO	176cm	107kg	21	U19 Japan
2	Kenji SATO	177cm	107kg	21	Japan XV,Japan
3	Shotaro KAMEYAMA	176cm	116kg	22
4	Takeomi NISHIURA	184cm	94kg	22
5	Bunsuke KURITA	184cm	105kg	20	U20Japan
6	Osuke SHIRO	185cm	99kg	18	U18 Japan
7	Yusei TANAKA	166cm	87kg	21
8	Fuuta SUZUKI	183m	99kg	23
9	Sena HOSOYA	162m	64kg	21
10	Ryota HATTORI	178cm	80kg	18	U18 Japan
11	Haruto IKEMOTO	183cm	90kg	20
12	Kengo NONAKA	180cm	93kg	21	U20,U21Japan,Junior Japan
13	Shuhou FUKUSHIMA	183cm	95kg	21	U18 Japan
14	Kenzou TANAKA	172cm	76kg	19
15	Yoshitaka YAZAKI	180cm	86kg	20	U18,U20 Japan,JapanXV,Japan
					JJ=Junior Japan
					JXV=Japan XV

** Player to watch **

(The player in the black T-shirt on the left is SATO.)

177cm, 107kg, 22 years old. Position = Hooker. He is a graduate of Toin Gakuen High School. He and AOKI, captain of Teikyo University, were teammates in high school, and both experienced Japan’s top high school team when they were in their second and third years of high school. However, after entering Waseda University, he became a regular player in his freshman year, but has yet to win the University Japan championship. Unlike AOKI, who appears quiet on the outside, SATO has a strong charisma that makes him a natural born leader. The fighting spirit he displays during games inspires the team. Will Team SATO be able to grab the title of No. 1 university in Japan?

Let’s start the first half.

In the first scrum after the kickoff, Teikyo University pushed Waseda to take the lead.

5 minutes into the first half:

Waseda University penetrated deep into the enemy territory and almost created an opportunity, but Teikyo University’s BK defenders were calm and composed in this match. Teikyo University caught up with the ball kicked deep into their own territory and immediately tried to counter attack from there. Teikyo University deployed the ball to the left side, and FL AOKI bounced off the opposing defense and quickly approached the enemy’s in-goal. Waseda University’s defenders caught up with them in front of the in-goal, but Teikyo University’s prop MORIYAMA followed up and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Teikyo University scored the first points of the match. The score was 0-7.

12th minutes into the first half:

Waseda University made some minor mistakes due to their inferiority in the scrum and the upset caused by allowing the first score. They failed to get the ball out of their own lineout and gave it to their opponents, allowing Teikyo University to close in on their in-goal. Teikyo University’s flanks began to charge forward, and FL AOKI scored a try right under the goalposts.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 0-14.

15 minutes into the first half:

Waseda University kicked off from the restart after the try, and attacked the enemy line. After Teikyo University was fouled for offside, Waseda University opted for a penalty kick and had a lineout opportunity on their own ball on the left side in front of the enemy in-goal.

Waseda University secured their own ball, and after a rightward move, FB YAZAKI received the ball, broke the line, and scored a try right under the enemy goal posts.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 7-14.

24 minutes into the first half:

Waseda University recovered from the upset of scoring the first points and became more consistent in set plays other than scrums.

Waseda University won a series of dense battles and launched a series of attacks, with No.8 SUZUKI scoring a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, and the score was 12-14.

The first half ended with Teikyo University holding a two-point lead. Teikyo University overcame the weaknesses seen in the previous defeat and came into this match

The first half ended with Teikyo University holding a 2-points lead. Teikyo University came into this match having overcome the weaknesses seen in their previous defeat. Teikyo University won the scrum battle, dealt with the long kick by SO HATTORI of Waseda University, and when the ball was kicked in, the back-3 players responded calmly and did not allow WTB TANAKA to get a chance to get the ball rolling. Waseda University, as the undefeated No. 1 seeded school, also evened up their game, and it was not a surprise to see either team win.

Let’s get the second half underway.

2 minutes into the second half:

Both teams were looking to see what their opponents were up to, and near the halfway mark, the teams traded positions via contested kicks.

Teikyo University committed an infringement just inside their own half, and Waseda University opted to go for the PG. Waseda’s CTB NONAKA scored to give Waseda the lead for the first time in the match, 15-14.

5 minutes into the second half:

Waseda University kicked the ball into their own territory, and SO HATTORI attempted a counter attack, which was caught by the Teikyo University defense.

From there, Teikyo University connected with a series of attacks and finally prop MORIYAMA dived into the enemy’s in-goal for the try.

However, this was ruled a no try as a result of video judgment.

After this, the game started with a penalty kick by Teikyo University. Immediately after, Teikyo’s FWs surged forward from sign play, and lock MOTOHASHI scored a try right under the enemy’s goalposts.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 15-21 in favor of Teikyo University.

Waseda University then had several good scoring chances to close in on the enemy in-goal, but Teikyo University was able to overcome them.

27 minutes into the second half:

Teikyo University took control of the scrum and used it as a starting point to attack deep into Waseda University’s territory. Waseda University defended well, but in the end, Teikyo’s lock, Daunakamakama, scored a try in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal on the right.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 15-28 in favor of Teikyo University.

With just over 15 minutes remaining, Teikyo University was one step closer to victory. Can Waseda University come back from this deficit?

37 minutes into the second half:

Waseda University tried their best to connect the ball in a final counterattack, but were penalized for a series of knock-on penalties that dropped the ball forward. With this foul, the game would restart from the scrum, and since Teikyo University had complete control of the scrum, Waseda University was on the defensive. Teikyo University’s WTB HIGUMA kicked the rolling ball, picked up the ball himself, and scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 15-33.

The score remained at 15-33 until the end of the game. Waseda University was eventually held to one PG in the second half. Teikyo University successfully avenged their loss against Waseda in the November rivalry game in the final of the University Championship, the last decisive match of the tournament.

With this victory, Teikyo University has now won the University Championship for four consecutive years. Unlike the previous seasons, Teikyo University added a new page to the history of the Teikyo University Rugby Club as they bounced back from a loss to Waseda University.

Waseda University, who also lost, fought evenly until the middle of the second half, and came close to winning the University Championship for the first time in 5 years. The match was a hopeful one for the next season. The packed house of fans cheered them on. We wish both teams good luck next season, and we also wish the graduates good luck in their future careers.

Nice game.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: January 22, 2025)

On January 2, 2025, ２semifinal matches of the 61st National University Rugby Championship were held at the National Stadium in Shibuya, Tokyo. The four schools that remained through to that day were as follows

(1) Teikyo University (last season’s champion, 2nd in the 2024 Kanto Rivalry Rugby group)

(2) Meiji University (last season’s runner-up, 3rd in the 2024 Kanto Rivalry Rugby Group)

(3) Waseda University (last season’s top 8, 1st in the 2024 Kanto Intercollegiate Rugby Group)

(4) Kyoto Sangyo University (last season’s top 4, 2nd in the 2024 Kansai University Rugby League)

2 semifinal matches were played on the day.

The first match was Teikyo University vs. Meiji University (12:25 kick-off)

The second match was Waseda University vs. Kyoto Sangyo University (14:45 kick-off)

Let us first introduce the 2 schools that played in the first match.

* Teikyo University’s record in the University Championship this season:

Seeded in the 3rd round (no games)

Quarterfinal: Defeated Keio University 73-24.

Meiji University’s record in the University Championship this season:

3rd round: Defeated Tokai University (3rd in league group), 50-17.

Quarterfinal: Defeated Tenri University (No.1 in Kansai University Rugby League) by 24-21.

(Note: Meiji University played against Teikyo University on 11/17 and lost 48-28)

Game 1: Meiji University vs Teikyo University

The first semifinal match has the same combination as last year’s final, but the major difference from previous years was that Teikyo University, which was undefeated until last season and had won three consecutive championships, played with Waseda University in the league match on 11/3 this season and lost by a 17-48 margin. During their 3 consecutive university championships, they have dominated other universities as the undefeated absolute champions, but they were coming into this year’s university championships as challengers.

Here is an update on the two schools that played each other in the first match.

First, let’s talk about the Meiji University Rugby Club.

Meiji University, which celebrated its 100th anniversary last season, is the No. 1 university in terms of the depth of its players. Of the current 20-year-old Japanese high school players who are considered to be the golden generation of rugby players, 6 players have joined Meiji University, which is outstanding in comparison to other universities. If they develop well, the future of the Meiji University Rugby Club is extremely promising. On the other hand, if they do not perform well, it will be said that Meiji University does not have the ability to develop.

The starting lineup for the day was as follows.

Meiji University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Sosuke HIYAMA	176cm	108kg	20	U18 Japan
2	Hampei NISHINO	176cm	104kg	21	U18,U20 Japan,JJ
3	Kodai KURASHIMA	174cm	108kg	22	U18 Japan
4	Kantaro TAJIMA	197cm	100kg	21	U20 Japan,JJ
5	Daichi SATO	185cm	103kg	21
6	Taison MOGAMI	185cm	105kg	22	U18,U20 Japan,JJ
7	Taisei FUKUDA	173cm	95kg	22
8	Taishiro KIDO	185m	104kg	22
9	Ryusei SHIBATA	174m	81kg	21
10	Ryunosuke ITO	172cm	79kg	20	U18,U20 Japan
11	Kohaku EBISAWA	173cm	80kg	20	JXV,U20 Japan,Japan
12	Shota TAIRA	178cm	94kg	21	U18,U20 Japan,JJ
13	Yuta AKIHAMA	174cm	86kg	22	JXV
14	Eito SHIRAI	178cm	85kg	19	U18,U20 Japan
15	Jingo TAKENOSHITA	180cm	86kg	20	U18,U20 Japan,JXV
					JJ=Junior Japan
					JXV=Japan XV

The majority of Meiji University’s starters have been selected for the Japan national team for their age group. From the perspective of other schools, Meiji University can be said to be a star-studded group of players.

** Player to watch **

Ryunosuke ITO. 172 cm, 79 kg, 20 years old. He is a graduate of Toin Gakuen High School. He was a key player in Japan’s high school team that toured Ireland and played a key role in the victory over U19 Ireland, and his vision and sharp running play as a SO are a crowd-pleaser. Many rugby fans hope that he will continue to develop well and be selected for the national team.

Next, an update on Teikyo University, the Defending Champion.

Last season, they won the National University Rugby Championship for the third consecutive year, and this season they are the absolute champions, aiming for another consecutive championship. This season, however, the team lost to Waseda University in the November tournament, and they have come this far in their quest to make up for it. Rugby fans can now finally see Teikyo University in action. Expectations are high for the serious Teikyo University to show us what kind of rugby they can play.

The starters for the day were as follows.

Teikyo University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Hanjiro HIRAI	177cm	95kg	22
2	Ren TOMA	176cm	92kg	22
3	Tsubasa MORIYAMA	180cm	109kg	20	JXV,U18Japan,Japan
4	Kaisa DAUNAKAMAKAMA	182cm	120kg	21	U-18 Japan
5	Takuma MOTOHASHI	192cm	118kg	22	JXV,Japan
6	Keito AOKI	187cm	110kg	22	JXV
7	Ikki MORIMOTO	169cm	81kg	22
8	Kanta KURAHASHI	181cm	103kg	22
9	Kumsu LEE	174cm	80kg	22
10	Takaya MOTOHASHI	182cm	86kg	20	U-20 Japan,JXV,Japan
11	Taiyo HIGUMA	176cm	89kg	21
12	Yoshiki OMACHI	173cm	84kg	20	U-18,U-20 Japan,JJ
13	Yamato UEDA	180cm	84kg	19	U-18,U-20 Japan,JXV
14	Genki IKUTA	170cm	83kg	21	U-18,U-20 Japan,JXV
15	Shinya KOMURA	180cm	88kg	22
					JJ=Junior Japan
					JXV=Japan XV

** Player to watch **

(The number 4 player in the red jersey is DAUNAKAMAKAMA)

Kaisa DAUNAKAMA. 182 cm, 120 kg, 21 years old. Position = lock, FL. Place of birth = FIJI. U18 Japan national team. While many international rugby players are more attack-oriented, DAUNAKAMAKAMA is a player with a high awareness of his defensive abilities. Even when the opposing team deployed him on the outside and threatened to break the line, he showed on many occasions that he was able to detect the hole and make a hard tackle. Also, as a FW, he is of standard height, but his instantaneous dash is strong and makes an impact when he makes contact. He is an indispensable player for Teikyo University to win back-to-back championships.

Let’s start the first half.

7 minutes into the first half:

In the early stages of the match, both sides exchanged contested kicks, and the contest became one of high ball and densely-packed battles for re-gaining the ball. Teikyo University won the battle for the loose ball, and with individual breakthroughs by each player, the FW and BK worked together to connect the ball to the enemy in-goal.

Teikyo University scored the first points of the game with a successful conversion goal, making the score 7-0.

16 minutes into the first half:

Both schools pride themselves on the ability of their FWs to break through, but Teikyo University’s defense deep in their own territory was solid. Meiji University’s powerful FWs, who had won the quarterfinal against Kansai champion Tenri University, were unable to make a frontal breakthrough and gain ground against Teikyo University.

Meiji University, unable to make a frontal breakthrough, tried to advance from both sides of the field, but Teikyo University’s BK was also unable to make a decisive breakthrough. Both teams therefore tried to punt the ball back deep into the enemy territory. In the kicking battle here, it was Teikyo University who had the advantage. Teikyo University’s FB Komura lifted the punt, and Teikyo University’s WTB IKUTA regained the ball, and ran all the way to the enemy’s in-goal, where Meiji University’s SO ITOH tackled him, but IKUTA dragged it away and scored a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 0-14.

19 minutes into the first half:

Meiji University kicked off from the restart and kicked deep into the enemy territory. Teikyo University FB Komura tried to escape with a run play, but Meiji University defenders caught him and it became a tight battle. The ball went to WTB EBISAWA who was in the left corner,

He scored a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

After the try, the conversion goal failed, and the score was 5-14.

The score was 5-14:

32 minutes into the first half:

In this period, Meiji University won a scrum and drew a second collapsing infringement from Teikyo University. Meiji University then launched a series of attacks from their own lineout deep in enemy territory. In this attack, Meiji University did not just rush vertically, but also developed a combined FW and BK attack. Finally, SO Itoh’s long pass was passed to WTB Shirai, and finally prop HIYAMA received the ball and scored a try in the right corner of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 12-14.

The first half ended with the score at 12-14. Meiji University had lost their last match against Teikyo University in November 2024, but the teams were evenly matched in the first half of the match.

Which team will advance to the finals of the University Championship?

４ minutes into the second half:

At the start of the second half, Meiji University won the scrum and drew a collapsing foul from Teikyo University. Meiji University was beginning to dominate the flow of the game. However, Meiji University kicked the ball deep into enemy territory, and Teikyo University’s FB Komura caught the ball and counter attacked from there, where the two teams engaged in a tight battle, but Teikyo University regained the ball and quickly expanded. Teikyo University’s CTB UEDA received the ball and scored a try directly to the left of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, and the score was 12-19.

８minutes into the second half:

Meiji University replaced EBISAWA with YASUDA at WTB in an attempt to regroup on the defensive side of the field. Meiji University then had a lineout on their own ball, and a mishandling of the ball resulted in a tight battle, with Teikyo University winning the ball back. Teikyo University then launched a series of attacks, closing in on the enemy’s in-goal, forming a tight group, where lock DAUNAKAMA picked up the ball and scored a try on the right side of the enemy goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 12-26.

Within 10 minutes of the start of the second half, the teams scored one try after another, and Teikyo University was finally gaining momentum.

17 minutes into the second half:

Meiji University fought hard at set pieces to turn the tide of the game in Teikyo University’s favor. They were not to be outdone in the scrums, and won the ball in the lineout as well, trying to advance into the enemy territory.

However, as in the first half, Teikyo University’s defense was strong, making it difficult for Meiji University to stay in the enemy territory. Teikyo University won the ball back, and the FW and BK worked in unison to keep moving forward and close in on the enemy’s in-goal. Meiji University could no longer stop Teikyo University’s advance. Teikyo University’s lock Motohashi then drove close to the enemy’s in-goal, dragging four Meiji University defenders behind him, and scored a try in the middle left of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but the score was 12-31, giving Teikyo University a big lead.

32 minutes into the second half:

With less than 10 minutes left in the second half, Teikyo University skillfully took their time and put the pressure on Meiji University. While Meiji University wanted to close the gap quickly, Teikyo University took their time and consumed time in the set piece scrums. In the process, Teikyo University drew an offside infringement from Meiji University when they were deep in enemy territory. The position of the foul by Meiji University was directly in front of the goal post. Here, Teikyo University opted for the PG. Teikyo University’s CTB OMACHI scored to make the score 12-34.

35 minutes into the second half:

Meiji University’s offensive efforts were all but crushed by Teikyo University, except for SO ITOH’s run play, which was unstoppable even by Teikyo University. 172 cm, 77 kg, ITOH is not a physically gifted player, but he showed great physical sharpness that belies his disadvantage.

When ITOH had the ball in his hands, even the experienced Teikyo University defense could not stop him in a one-on-one match. ITOH dug deep through the enemy defense and went close to the in-goal, only to be caught by the Teikyo University defense. However, Meiji University’s No.8 KIDO followed up and scored a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the left.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 19-34.

43 minutes into the second half:

The whistle blew for full time, and it was the last play of the game. Meiji University had lost the game, but the players showed their final determination and kept going forward to score a try and connect the ball. Meiji University’s tall 195cm lock TAZIMA finally scored a try at the right side of the goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 26-34. The game ended here. Teikyo University beat Meiji University to advance to the final of the University Championship.

The final score was 26-34. Meiji University put up a strong fight in the final minutes of the match to hold off Teikyo University, but in the end, Teikyo University showed its superiority in the end and came away with a convincing victory.

Meiji University suffered back-to-back losses against Teikyo University in the University Championship, but they will not forget their disappointment this season, and we hope that the remaining regular members will show us another great game next season.

Game 2: Waseda University vs Kyoto Sangyo University

Now, let us introduce the two teams that played in the second match.

First, an update on the Waseda University Rugby Team, the top seed in this year’s tournament.

Last season, the team played with Kyoto Sangyo University in the quarterfinals, where they were completely beaten by a score of 65-28. This was the first time in almost a year that they have played each other in an official match. This season, Waseda University’s captain, hooker SATOH, in particular, has thoroughly trained his FW team to the point where they were able to win outright against the university champions, Teikyo University, at set pieces. Waseda University was still undefeated this season, and captain Sato has stated his goal for this season to become the best university in Japan. With only 2 more wins to go until their goal of becoming the number 1 university in Japan, it will be interesting to see what Waseda University will show in this day’s match.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

Waseda University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Airou SUGIMOTO	176cm	107kg	21	U19 Japan
2	Kenji SATO	177cm	107kg	21	Japan XV,Japan
3	Shotaro KAMEYAMA	176cm	116kg	22
4	Takeomi NISHIURA	184cm	94kg	22
5	Bunsuke KURITA	184cm	105kg	20	U20Japan
6	Osuke SHIRO	185cm	99kg	18	U18 Japan
7	Yusei TANAKA	166cm	87kg	21
8	Fuuta SUZUKI	183m	99kg	23
9	Sena HOSOYA	162m	64kg	21
10	Ryota HATTORI	178cm	80kg	18	U18 Japan
11	Haruto IKEMOTO	183cm	90kg	20
12	Kengo NONAKA	180cm	93kg	21	U20,U21Japan,Junior Japan
13	Shuhou FUKUSHIMA	183cm	95kg	21	U18 Japan
14	Kenzou TANAKA	172cm	76kg	19
15	Yoshitaka YAZAKI	180cm	86kg	20	U18,U20 Japan,JapanXV,Japan
					JJ=Junior Japan
					JXV=Japan XV

** Player to watch **

Kenzou TANAKA. 172 cm, 76 kg, 19 years old. A graduate of Toin Gakuen High School, he is a gem of a player who has secured a regular place in the BK lineup at Waseda University, a school with a strong BK lineup, since his freshman year. His characteristic feature is his run play, in which he starts from an extremely low position and goes into top speed. He is a relatively small player, so when he rushes forward from that low stance, it is difficult to tackle him from the front. He also has an excellent sense of scoring, and he is a natural scorer who shows up where the chances are likely to be. He was selected as the Man of the Match for the match against Teikyo University in last November, and has become instantly recognized by rugby fans across the country. We can’t wait to see how far he will go in the future.

Next, I would like to introduce Kyoto Sangyo University, the only Kansai team to survive in the University Championship.

In the past, Kyoto Sangyo University’s tradition was to take players from no-name schools, train them hard, challenge them to the University Championship, and play power rugby with an honest focus on the scrum. However, Kyoto Sangyo University has now become a regular participant in the University Championship, and has gradually begun to attract Japan’s high school national team players, and is on its way to becoming a powerhouse school. In the Kansai League this season, the team did not show the absolute strength that it had until last year, and there was a period at the end of the season when it lost steam, but since entering the University Championship, the team’s unity has grown, and it has advanced to the semifinals again this season. This season, the team hopes to advance to the finals for the first time, and even win the title of University Champions.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

Kyoto Sangyo University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Ryushin SONE	175cm	103kg	22
2	Kaen HIRANO	174cm	98kg	22
3	Shinta KAWAGUCHI	186cm	120kg	22
4	Chuka ISHIBASHI	190cm	93kg	20	U18,U20 Japan,JXV
5	Soromone L.FUNAKI	186cm	114kg	22
6	Ken HIYOSHI	180cm	100kg	22
7	Ryu HIRANO	180cm	100kg	21
8	Sione POLUTELE	184cm	110kg	21	U18 Japan
9	Asahi DOEI	170cm	73kg	21	U20 Japan, JJ,JXV
10	Keita OZAKI	165cm	80kg	21
11	Hiroto NISHI	170cm	75kg	22
12	Ryosei FUJIMOTO	172cm	86kg	22
13	Eroni NABULAGI	185cm	100kg	20	U18 Japan
14	Shuichi KOBAYASHI	176cm	82kg	21
15	Hayata TSUJINO	178cm	85kg	21
					JJ=Junior Japan
					JXV=Japan XV

** Player to watch **

Asahi DOEI is 170 cm, 73 kg, 21 years old. He is a graduate of Kosen Catholic High School, and is a member of U20Japan, Junior Japan, and JapanXV. He was selected for Japan’s national team in his age group, and was noticed by Japan’s national team HC Eddie JONES as soon as he took over, and was called up to the national team training camp. He is known for his long and accurate passing ability, as well as his kicking ability. As a game-maker for Kyoto Sangyo University, he can take control of the game if he can take advantage of the strong FW and connect with the decisive BK.

Due to the similar design of the first jersey, both teams wore their second jerseys for the match.

Waseda University wore white with a rouge-colored collar, while Kyoto Sangyo University wore a dark blue jersey.

Now, let’s start the first half.

7 minutes into the first half:

The game started out with both sides trying to find out what each other’s game was. Kyoto Sangyo University was looking to increase the number of scrums, one of their strengths, while Waseda University was looking for a series of attacks from the densely packed field. Waseda University was the first to take the lead. Kyoto Sangyo University committed an infringement in a scrum in the Waseda camp, and Waseda University opted for a penalty kick. Waseda’s SO HATTORI kicked his weapon, a long-range kick, close to the enemy’s in-goal, and from this position, Waseda gained possession of the ball in the lineout. At the lineout, Waseda University secured the ball, and using sign play, passed the ball from hooker SATOH to WTB IKEMOTO, who came running in, and quickly approached the in-goal. Here, they formed a tight group, and lock KURITA got the ball and scored a try in the left center of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but Waseda University scored first. The score was 5-0.

15 minutes into the first half:

Kyoto Sangyo University had a chance to scrum in their best set play, but on the contrary, Waseda University pushed them into a scrum, and they were fouled. Kyoto Sangyo University not only failed to take advantage of their strength, but on the contrary, Waseda University’s set plays looked stronger this season. Waseda University then opted for a penalty kick here, which gave them the chance to have their own lineout in front of the enemy in-goal. Waseda secured the ball in the lineout and tried to advance with a maul, which was stopped by Kyoto Sangyo University. Waseda University then launched a series of attacks, culminating in CTB FUKUSIMA scoring a try in the left center of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 12-0.

24 minutes into the first half:

Again, Waseda University’s SO HATTORI’s long-range kick was effective in this match. Kyoto Sangyo University had made a good run deep into enemy territory, but were outmuscled by Waseda University in a tight battle, and when the ball was passed to SO HATTORI, he quickly kicked it back deep into his own territory. This only increased the fatigue of the Kyoto Sangyo University players.

Waseda University, who had the upper hand in the battle for possession, moved into the enemy territory and, with little fatigue, expanded wide left and right to close in on the enemy in-goal, with hooker SATOH scoring the final try in the middle right of the in-goal.

Waseda University scored a successful conversion goal after the try to make the score 19-0.

32 minutes into the first half:

Finally, Kyoto Sangyo University’s continuous attack started to work in the enemy territory. Pass after pass, Kyoto Sangyo University’s strong runners broke through the gain line and approached the enemy’s in-goal.

Kyoto Sangyo University came very close to scoring a try, but a tackle by the Waseda University defense caused the ball to be dropped. Waseda University then took the ball into their own in-goal, and SO HATTORI kicked it back deep into enemy territory with a long-range kick of nearly 60 meters.

Waseda University then launched a series of attacks, culminating in Waseda’s WTB Tanaka receiving the ball in the right corner, breaking through the opposing defense, and scoring a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.

Waseda University also succeeded in scoring the conversion goal after the try, making the score 26-0 and putting Kyoto Sangyo University ahead.

In the end, the first half ended with this score. Kyoto Sangyo University attacked deep into the enemy territory several times, but were unable to break through Waseda University’s skillful defense in front of the in-goal, resulting in no points. In addition, Waseda University’s SO HATTORI’s long kick of almost 60 meters from deep repeatedly made them exhausted by being forced to return to their own line after attacking in front of the in-goal, which resulted in the difference in score.

Can Kyoto Sangyo University come up with some kind of breakthrough to close the gap in the second half?

Let’s get the second half underway.

11 minutes into the second half:

Kyoto Sangyo University, hoping to somehow score the first goal of the second half, connected the ball in good form early in the second half, and came within inches of the enemy’s in-goal. However, once again they were thwarted by the Waseda University defense in front of their own goal and failed to score.

From in front of their own in-goal, FB YAZAKI kicked the ball back to the outside just beyond the enemy 22m line, and the 50-22 rule was applied, resulting in a own ball lineout deep in the enemy territory.

Waseda University secured the ball from the right side near the enemy 22m line, and expanded to the right, and FB YAZAKI to WTB IKEMOTO, and IKEMOTO scored a try in the middle left of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, and the score was 31-0.

25 minutes into the second half:

As Kyoto Sangyo University entered the enemy territory, a penalty kick opportunity resulted from a foul by Waseda University, and they had a chance to take the ball out of their own line on the right side near the enemy 22-meter line.

Kyoto Sangyo University secured the ball at this point and attempted to move forward in a maul. After the maul collapsed, Kyoto Sangyo University continued to attack on the flanks.

Kyoto Sangyo University foolishly repeated the side attack nearly 10 times and finally scored a try at the right side of the goal post in the enemy’s in-goal. It was Kyoto Sangyo University’s first try of the match.

It was FL HIYOSHI who scored the try. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 31-7.

33 minutes into the second half:

Toward the end of the match, both teams made a series of player changes. Due to this, Kyoto Sangyo University was the stronger team in the scrums. Waseda’s scrum collapsing allowed Kyoto Sangyo University to advance into the enemy’s in-goal area. Here, Kyoto Sangyo University secured the ball in a lineout on their own ball, and then formed a maul to advance. The maul collapsed and a dense battle ensued, with Kyoto Sangyo University’s prop NYUI scoring a try in the middle right of the in-goal from a side attack by the FWs.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 31-14.

39 minutes into the second half:

Kyoto Sangyo University opted for a penalty kick after a foul by Waseda University, and had a lineout opportunity on their own ball deep in the enemy territory on the right side. After securing the ball, they formed a maul, and BK joined the maul, with 14 players pushing the maul.

After the maul collapsed, a tight battle ensued, and Kyoto Sangyo University’s SH DOEI scored a try in the right corner of the in-goal.

After the try, the conversion goal failed, and the score was 31-19.

With the score at 31-19, the game came to an end, and Waseda University was humiliated by Kyoto Sangyo University, who had suffered a crushing defeat in the quarterfinals of the University Championship last season.

Waseda University will now face Teikyo University on January 13 in the final of the University Championship to decide the winner. Will Teikyo University’s winning streak continue, or will Waseda University be crowned University Champion for the first time in five years? We can hardly wait for the decisive match.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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 (Written by Azul: January ８, 2025)

On December 28, 2024, the Japan Rugby League One 2024-2025 season entered its second week. This time, I went to Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Minato-ku, Tokyo, to watch the match between Ricoh Black Rams vs. Suntory Sungoliath. The conditions were fine and the temperature was 7.8 degrees Celsius. The conditions on the day of the game

The conditions on the day of the game were clear and sunny, with a temperature of 7.8 degrees Celsius, but there was not as much wind as I expected and I was seated in the backstage in the sun, so I did not feel the cold so much.

The attendance that day was 8,169, which is said to be a new record for the Black Rams.

Personally, I think the Black Rams fan club pricing contributed to this.

The Black Rams Fan Club offers an annual membership fee of 3,300 yen and a 1,000 yen discount on the price of tickets (non-reserved seats) per game for the host game. In my case, I have never been a member of a fan club for a particular team because I like to watch many teams play, but since T.J. Perenara, formerly of the All Blacks, joined the Black Rams this season, I thought I would watch more Black Rams games, I joined the fan club.

Let me introduce you to the two teams that would be playing on this day.

First, let me introduce the Visitor Team, Suntory Sungoliath.

Suntory Sungoliath is a strong team that has always been one of the favorites for the championship since the Top League days. In the previous round, they lost 12-33 against last season’s runner-up, Panasonic Wild Knights. The team’s morale is expected to be high as they look to get their first win of the season in this match. The team’s catchphrase this season is “Aggressive Attacking Rugby,” and they are probably the best in League One in terms of player depth. However, the dilemma is that the team is so well-rounded that it is difficult for the players who were stars in their college days to play in the games.

The starting lineup for this day was as follows.

Suntory Sungoliath
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Yukio MORIKAWA	180cm	113kg	30	Japan　2cap
2	Kosuke Horikoshi	175cm	100kg	28	Japan　7cap
3	Kan NAKANO	177cm	108kg	27
4	Sam JEFFRIES	198cm	114kg	34
5	Harry HOCKINGS	206cm	118kg	25
6	Kanji Shimokawa	188cm	105kg	25	Japan　10caps
7	Kai YAMAMOTO	177cm	100kg	24	Japan　1cap
8	Sean McMAHON	186m	99kg	30	Australia 26 caps
9	Kenta FUKUDA	173cm	80kg	28	Japan　1cap
10	Mikiya Takamoto	171cm	80kg	23
11	Taiga OZAKI	184cm	93kg	26
12	Shogo NAKANO	186cm	98kg	27	Japan　7caps
13	Isaiah PINIVAI	189cm	100kg	24
14	Seiya Ozaki	175cm	85kg	29	Japan　4caps
15	Ryosuke KAWASE	183cm	88kg	25

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Ryosuke KAWASE.183cm, 88kg, 25 years old. Position = FB, WTB. He is a graduate of Waseda University, and has been a promising prospect since his college days. However, he was not able to play regularly in a team with a large number of players. Currently, KAWASE has had the opportunity to be a starter from the start of the season, as Sungoliath’s teammate and Japan’s WTB, MATSUSHIMA, has been unable to play due to injury. He has the physique, speed, and determination to compete on the international stage, so we hope he can produce solid results this season and be selected for the Japan national team. I am sure Japanese rugby fans are eagerly awaiting his selection.

Next, I would like to introduce today’s Home Team, RICOH Black Rams.

Last season, the Black Rams finished 10th in the final standings, and won the division 2 match to remain in Division 1. However, this season, the Black Rams changed their HC, replaced their players, and reinforced their strong players. In addition, the team’s promotion has also changed, with a more aggressive stance toward promotion, more exciting performances, and a more positive attitude toward attracting spectators to games. Finally, the Black Rams have become more like a professional team.

In the first match of the season, the team faced Mie HONDA　Heat, who finished 11th last season, and lost 21-23. In this day’s match, they are looking for their first win of the season as a team.

This day’s starting lineup was as follows.

Black Rams
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kazuma NISHI	180cm	108kg	28
2	Hinata TAKEI	171cm	97kg	26
3	Paddy RYAN	190cm	114kg	36	Australia 3 caps
4	Michael Stolberg	202cm	116kg	32
5	Josh GOODHUE	199cm	113kg	29
6	Amato Fakatava	195cm	118kg	30	Japan 10caps
7	Brodi McCURRAN	193cm	108kg	30
8	Liam GILL	184cm	95kg	32	Australia 15 caps
9	TJ PERENARA	184cm	94kg	32	New Zealand 81caps
10	Ichigo NAKAKUSU	174cm	84kg	24	Japan
11	Netani Vakayalia	181cm	90kg	26	Japan 7th
12	Yuki IKEDA	187cm	100kg	29	Japan
13	Ryohei ISODA	178cm	90kg	28
14	Amanaki LOTOAHEA TAIYO	191cm	107kg	34	Japan 8caps
15	Isaac LUCAS	180cm	85kg	25

＊＊　Player to watch ＊＊

TJ PERENARA. 184 cm, 94 kg, 32 years old. Position = SH, SO. 81 caps for New Zealand.He is the most popular and accomplished player in League One this season.He has signed a 3-year contract with the Black Rams, and his commitment to the Black Rams’ success is evident. PERENARA was instrumental in the Black Rams setting a new attendance record at the game. PERENARA is a world-class passer, kicker, and runner, as well as a true professional who has instilled an inspirational atmosphere in all Black Rams staff members, both in practice and in their daily lives.

Let’s begin the first half.

Sungoliath’s SO TAKAMOTO kicked off the game.

2 minutes into the first half:

From the opening kickoff, Sungoliath got into the enemy territory, reacquired the ball in a tight battle, and launched a series of attacks. In the flow of the game, Black Rams lock GOODHUE committed a Not Role Away foul. Since the position of the foul was in front of the goal post, Sungoliath elected to go for the PG. Sungoliath’s SO TAKAMOTO scored it, and Sungoliath recorded the first goal with the score 0-3.

6 minutes into the first half:

Both teams kicked each other to gain the upper hand, and the Black Rams managed to get into the enemy territory and launched a series of attacks that led to a Sungoliath foul, where the Black Rams opted for a penalty kick and advanced deep into the enemy territory. The Black Rams then took advantage of a lineout on the right side of the field to break wide left and SO NAKAKUSU broke the line to the enemy in-goal, where NAKAKUSU passed to WTB VAKAYALIA, who was running along the left side of the line, VAKAYALIA scored a try in the left corner of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 7-3 in favor of the Black Rams.

10 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath developed from their own tight formation, SO TAKAMOTO kicked, Black Rams lock GOODHUE successfully charged, and GOODHUE caught the ball as it rolled by himself and went straight ahead. Sungoliath’s SO TAKAMOTO caught up with him and tackled him, but he passed to Black Rams’ FL McCURAN, who ran after him and scored a try in the middle left of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 14-3.

14 minutes into the first half:

The Black Rams’ FWs were gathering quickly, and Sungoliath was unable to move the ball forward. Sungoliath then kicked deep into enemy territory in an attempt to regain possession. However, Black Rams FB LUCAS tried to counter-attack from deep in their own territory.

LUCAS dodged two Sungoliath day defenders and advanced quickly into enemy territory, where the Sungoliath defense again gave chase, but LUCAS passed to lock STOLBERG, who followed up, and STOLBERG scored a try right in the enemy territory.

The conversion goal after the try was missed, but the score was 19-3.

The Black Rams started the first half well, scoring 3 tries in less than 10 minutes.

20 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath had a penalty kick deep into enemy territory and had the ball in their own lineout. Sungoliath’s CTB PUNIVAI received the ball, broke the line, and approached the enemy’s in-goal. FB KAWASE scored a try in the middle left of the in-goal of the enemy line.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 19-10.

31 minutes into the first half:

The Black Rams were pinched by a series of unintentional penalties in a tight match, and Black Rams WTB AMANAKI was temporarily sent off for 10 minutes for a bad foul.

In front of the Black Rams’ own in-goal, a tight battle ensued, and the Black Rams did well to push back, but in the end, Sungoliath prop MORIKAWA scored a try right in the middle of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 19-17.

42 minutes into the first half:

Near the end of the first half, the Black Rams committed an infringement during a scrum in their own territory, and Sungoliath opted to go for the PG. Sungoliath’s SO Takamoto scored to make the score 19-20.

The first half ended here. In the early stages of the match, Black Rams scored a series of tries and took control of the match. However, Sungoliath scored a series of tries towards the end of the first half to bring the match to an even contest.

It will be interesting to see which team will be the first to take control of the match in the second half.

During the 15-minute halftime, the host team, the Black Rams, provided fan service by giving out autograph balls

The team staff also performed an original dance.

Let the second half begin.

5 minutes into the second half:

The Black Rams controlled the ball continuously as they entered the enemy territory at the second half kickoff. The Black Rams gradually made progress and approached the enemy in-goal, and from near the goal posts, the Black Rams took a left turn and SO NAKAKUSU broke the line and ran into the left middle of the enemy in-goal for a try.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 26-20 and giving the Black Rams a 6 point lead.

9 minutes into the second half:

The Black Rams’ momentum was unstoppable. From the restart kickoff after the try, they won the ball and continued to attack. Sungoliath occasionally won the ball back, but the Black Rams continued their attack, outpacing the hosts with their athleticism and support in the tight pack. The Black Rams again came close to scoring an in-goal, and CTB IKEDA received the ball and scored a try right under the goalposts.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 33-20.

16 minutes into the second half:

Sungoliath was in the middle of the field when the Black Rams committed an infringement, and Sungoliath opted for a penalty kick. Sungoliath had their first scoring opportunity in a long time, but the ball went to the left in front of the enemy in-goal, and SO TAKAMOTO passed the ball to FB KAWASE, who scored his second of the day in the left center of the enemy in-goal.

After the try, the conversion goal failed, and the score was 33-25.

20 minutes into the second half:

Sungoliath resumed the attack from their own territory, and substitute FL IOANE made a powerful run to advance more than 10 meters, and from there, the ball was passed to FB KAWASE who ran as fast as he could from behind. He then swept past 2 Black Rams defenders with his speed and scored his third try of the day in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the right.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 33-32, Sungoliath was finally within one point.

Both teams put on a show in attack, and the time was running out for both teams. From this point on, the game entered a tough phase where a single foul could make the difference between victory and defeat.

Sungoliath took control of the attack towards the end of the match. This was largely due to the work of Sungoliath substitutes SH NAGARE and prop HOSOKI, with NAGARE helping to set the tempo in the attacking sequences and HOSOKI providing the momentum for Sungoliath as an impact player in the scrums. In my opinion, Sungoliath’s HOSOKI is probably the best scrummager in Japan. But he is not selected for the national team because of his frequent injuries and the short time frame in which he is able to show his strength.

(SH Yutaka NAGARE)

(Prop Kotaro HOSOKI)

Toward the end of the match, Sungoliath pushed and won in all of their scrums. Sungoliath’s prop HOSOKI’s outstanding strength in the scrums shined through here, and the Black Rams also wanted to expand and advance into the opposition’s territory, but the scrums were not enough.

The Black Rams were also at a disadvantage when a collapsing scrum in their own territory resulted in an immediate PG for Sungoliath, which meant the loss of the game.

After 80 minutes of game time, Sungoliath went on their 9th consecutive attack in front of the enemy in-goal,

SO TAKAMOTO threw a long pass to FB KAWASE, who placed the ball in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal. However, just before that, SO NAKAKUSU of the Black Rams appeared to have pushed KAWASE’s foot off the field. The winner was left to the video decision TMO.

Since it was already past the end of the match, the winner was decided by this decision. Could Sungoliath score a try in the end?

The Black Rams players look at the big screen behind the goal.

The result of the decision was a no try.

At the end of the match, the Black Rams were finally the winners.

Sungoliath’s FB KAWASE cowered as he missed the try that would have decided the match.

The crowd applauded and cheered for the players who had fought so hard, much to the delight of the Black Rams players and fans, who had lost 16 straight games against Sungoliath, including a humiliating 0-62 defeat last season.

We would like to thank all the players and fans for a great match at the end of the year 2024.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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 (Written by Azul: January 2, 2025)

The Japan Rugby League One 2024-2025 season started on December 21, 2024. I went to watch one of the first matches of the season, Sagamihara Dynaboars vs. Urayasu D-Rocks, which was held on December 22 at Sagamihara GION Stadium.

On the day of the game, the weather was fine, but it was a chilly day with a very northerly wind.

We watched the game from the bleachers behind the goal.

The following 12 teams are participating in this season’s League One Division 1.

＊＊　CONFERENCE A ＊＊ 1.

1. Urayasu D-Rocks
2. KOBELCO Kobe Steelers
3. Shizuoka Blue Revs
4. Toshiba Brave Lupas Tokyo
5. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars
6. Yokohama CANON Eagles

＊＊　CONFERENCE B　＊＊

1. Kubota Spears Funabashi, Tokyo Bay
2. Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights
3. Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath
4. TOYOTA Verblitz .
5. Mie HONDA Heat
6. RICOH Black Rams Tokyo

This season, the top 6 teams will advance to the playoffs and compete for the championship in a tournament. The bottom 2 teams will play in a match-up with the Division 2 teams.

This season, many stars from around the world who played in RWC2023 have gathered here in League One, and we are looking forward to seeing how they will play.

Now, let me introduce the two teams that will be competing on this day.

First, let me introduce the Visitor Team, Urayasu D-Rocks.

In their first year in League One, they finished 10th in Division One and lost two games against the Dynaboars, who had been promoted from Division Two, and were relegated to Division 2. It took them two seasons to get back to Division 1. On the day of the match, they faced Dynaboars, a team they had lost to in the elimination round. All the players were eager to play in this match.

The starting lineup for this day’s match was as follows

URAYASU D-ROCKS
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Hidetomo NABESHIMA	176cm	115kg	23
2	Ryuji FUJIMURA	174cm	102kg	26
3	Syuhei Takeuchi	183cm	115kg	27	Japan 12cap
4	Uwe HELU	193cm	120kg	34	Japan 19cap
5	Lourence ERASUMUS	200cm	123kg	31
6	Tom PERSONS	196cm	113kg	34
7	Shinya OHSUGI	187cm	100kg	32
8	Tui HENDRIK	188cm	112kg	37	Japan 47cap
9	Ren IINUMA	170cm	75kg	24	Japan
10	Otere BLACK	185cm	86kg	29
11	Kai ISHII	179cm	85kg	31
12	Samu KEREVI	186cm	106kg	31	Australia 41cap
13	Shane GATES	183cm	95kg	32	Japan 4cap
14	Takuhei YASUDA	177cm	80kg	26	Japan 2cap
15	Israel FOLAU	194cm	103kg	35	Australia 73cap, Tonga 1cap

＊＊　Player to watch 　＊＊

Ren IINUMA. 170cm, 75kg, 24 years old. He is a graduate of Meiji University. He is a candidate for the Japan national team. Although he is only 24 years old, he has been the captain of the D-Rocks for 2 consecutive years. Last season, he was appointed as the captain of the team, which won the Division 2 championship and defeated the Kintetsu Liners in the replacement game, and is now aiming to make a breakthrough in Division 1. He was also called up to training camp this season as a candidate for the Japan national rugby team. Although he did not play any games for the national team this season, he is expected to be the face of the D-Rocks in the future.

Next, we would like to introduce the home team for this match, the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars.

Since being promoted to Division 1 in the 2022-23 season, the Dynaboars have gradually improved their team strength, finishing 10th the year before last and 9th last year. The driving force behind the team’s progress has been the hard work of all members, who, under the guidance of HC Glenn Delaney, have been training with an emphasis on team athleticism. The team’s strength often comes in the second half of games.

Although there are few national team players in the team, lock ULUIVITI was selected for the national team this season, and WTB ARENDSE, who boasts 22 caps for South Africa, joined the team as a newcomer. This season, the team aims to achieve better results than last season and make a breakthrough as a team.

The starting lineup for the day was as follows.

Dynaboars
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Jun MORIMOTO	175cm	115kg	28
2	Seunghyuk LEE	179cm	103kg	25	Japan 1caps
3	Rento TSUKAYAMA	186cm	107kg	26
4	Walt STEENKAMP	203cm	121kg	29
5	Epineri ULUIVITI	196cm	122kg	28	Japan 5caps
6	Kyo YOSHIDA	188cm	108kg	29
7	Kohki SATO	179cm	96kg	29
8	Marino MIKAELE-TUU	193cm	111kg	27
9	Kohta IWAMURA	182cm	87kg	31
10	James GRAYSON	182cm	90kg	26
11	Satoshi KOIZUMI	178cm	86kg	24
12	Charlie LAWRENCE	171cm	92kg	26
13	Tonishio VAIAFU	177cm	103kg	30
14	Ben PALTRIDGE	177cm	88kg	32
15	Kurt-Lee ARENDSE	176cm	80kg	28	South Africa 22caps

＊＊ Player to watch　＊＊

Kurt-Lee ARENDSE. 176 cm, 80 kg, 28 years old. He has played for South Africa in 7-a-side rugby and represented the country at the Tokyo Olympics. In July 2022, he was selected for the South African 15-man national rugby team, and since then has been a regular member of the national team, contributing to South Africa’s victory at the RWC 2023. Although he is rather small in height and weight compared to Japanese players, his determination as a try-getter is remarkable. His contract with the Dynaboars is for one season only, but we hope that his success will be witnessed by rugby fans in Japan.

Let’s begin the first half.

6 minutes into the first half:

D-Rocks kicks off to start the game.

It was 11 degrees Celsius with a strong northerly wind blowing, and the home team, the Dynaboars, were upwind in the first half. The Dynaboars then opted for the PG, which SO GRAYSON converted to give the Dynaboars a 3-points lead.

8 minutes into the first half:

Immediately after the game resumed, the D-Rocks were in a tight battle in enemy territory, and FL YOSHIDA of the Dynaboars tangled with the ball and drew a foul for Not Release the Ball. The Dynaboars again opted to go for the PG, and SO GREYSON made a great score from 50 meters to make the score 6-0.

13 minutes into the first half:

From the restart kickoff, the D-Rocks got into the enemy territory and deployed left and right, piling up gains and closing in on the opposition’s in-goal. The Dynaboars were fouled for offsides and D-Rocks elected to go for the PG. The point of the infringement was in front of the enemy goalposts, so D-Rocks’ SO BLACK made a steady run to make the score 6-3.

14 minutes into the first half:

From the kickoff of PG’s restart, the Dynaboars were in a tight battle as they entered enemy territory, where D-Rocks committed another infringement. The game was marked by minor infractions by both teams. Here, SO GREYSON of the Dynaboars scored a PG to make the score 9-3.

22 minutes into the first half:

D-Rocks continued the tempo of their attack as they entered the enemy territory, and they came close to the enemy in-goal. SO BLACK released an excellent kick pass, which was caught by CTB KEREVI, and he scored a try in the left corner of the in-goal. However, a video judgment was made at this point, and the try was disallowed for a moment.

The D-Rocks try was disallowed, but just before the play, a foul on the Dynaboars gave them a PG opportunity, which was scored by SO BLACK, making the score 9-6.

25 minutes into the first half:

Dynaboars lock STEENCAMP was fouled for a high tackle and was temporarily sent off for 10 minutes.

32 minutes of the first half:

The Dynaboars were disadvantaged at set pieces as one of their FW players left the field. D-Rocks then pushed the opposing ball scrum, won the ball back, and from there developed a series of attacks, with the FWs repeatedly attacking on the side to the right of the enemy’s in-goal. From there, D-Rocks took a turn to the left, and FB FOLAU passed to WTB ISHII, who scored a try in the left corner of the in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was unsuccessful, but D-Rocks succeeded in turning the score around, making the score 9-11.

The first half ended with the score at 9-11, with D-Rocks leading by only 2 points, and with only one PG needed to turn the tide, it was hard to predict who would win the game. However, the wind was strong on this day, so D-Rocks was expected to take advantage of the tailwind in the second half. Will Home Team Dynaboars be able to turn the tables?

Let’s start the second half.

9 minutes into the second half:

Dynaboars was now in a bit of a disadvantage because of the strong headwind, which makes it difficult for them to regain ground by kicking, and also because of the scrums they lost. D-Rocks opted to go for the PG, which was scored by substitute SO TAMURA, making the score 9-14.

11 minutes into the second half:

From the restart after the PG, the Dynaboars took advantage of an opponent’s infringement to take a penalty kick, and moved deep into the enemy territory, When the maul broke down, the FWs attacked on the flanks, and finally the 3 of FW players pushed forward and scored a try in the left corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but the score was 14-14, and the Dynaboars were back on level terms.

21 minutes into the second half:

The Dynaboars, in downwind position, tried to advance by run play instead of kicking. In a series of attacks, they exploited holes in their opponents’ defensive network, and FB Arendse broke the line, ran through the left side of the opposition line, and scored a try in the middle left of the opposition in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was missed and the score was 19-14.

The Dynaboars were able to come back and score a try.

29 minutes into the second half:

The Dynaboars, despite being downwind of their own line, took control of the attack in the second half and spent much of the time in enemy territory. WTB PALDRIDGE used his speed to break the line and run 40 meters to score a try in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was missed, making the score 24-14.

33 minutes into the second half:

The D-Rocks were on the defensive in the second half, scoring only 3 points on PGs until this time, when the Dynaboars pushed deep into their own territory and substitute SH STRATTON rolled a punt into the in-goal, which was held by substitute NO.8 HEMOPO of the Dynaboars, resulting in a try.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 31-14.

45 minutes into the second half:

In the closing minutes of the match, D-Rocks showed their final mettle and scored a try by CTB GATES in the right corner of the enemy’s in-goal after a series of attacks totaling over 20 phases.

The conversion goal after the try failed, making the score 31-19.

With the failed PG, the game was over, and the Dynaboars were able to win their opening game of the season. Since the number of games in League One has increased this season, the second round will be played before the end of the year.

The attendance on the day was 6,607, slightly higher than the average attendance of the Dynaboars last season. We expect that there will be more heated matches after the next section.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

 (Written by Azul: December 24, 2024)

On Saturday, December 14, 2024, the 3rd round of the National University Rugby Championship was held at Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato-ku, Tokyo.

The weather was fine, but a very strong northerly wind was blowing, and this wind was expected to affect the development of the game.

The following 12 teams have advanced to the third round of the 2024 National University Rugby Championships.

Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group 5 Schools

1st : Waseda University

2nd : Teikyo University

3rd : Meiji University

4th : Keio Gizyuku University

5th : Aoyama Gakuin University

Kanto University Rugby League Group 3 Schools

1st : Daito Bunka University

2nd : Toyo University

3rd : Tokai University

Kansai University A League 3 schools

1st : Tenri University

2nd : Kyoto Sangyo University

3rd : Kinki University

Kyushu Student Rugby League 1st place

1st : Fukuoka Institute of Technology

Remarks:

For leagues with many participating universities, the top 3 schools will be eligible to participate. In addition to this, the league to which the winning team of the previous year belonged will receive one slot, and the team to which the runner-up team belonged will receive one slot. Last season, both of the schools that qualified for the finals were in the Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group, so this season, the group has 5 spots available.

The temperature at the start of the match was 11 degrees Celsius, but due to the strong northerly wind, the temperature felt much lower.

The cheerleaders of Toyo University were cheering at the game site. When I came to watch the game on November 24, the cheerleaders of Hosei University were cheering in short sleeves and skirts, but the cheerleaders of Toyo University were fully warmed up on this day.

Now, here is the latest information on the two teams that will play on this day.

First, here is the latest information on the Toyo University rugby team, which finished second in the Kanto University League Group and qualified for this national championship.

This will be the Toyo University Rugby Club’s second appearance in the National Championship after being promoted to the first division of the Kanto University League Group in 2022. In 2022, their first appearance in the championship, they lost to Waseda University in the third round. If they win this match, they will advance to the quarterfinals of the University Championship for the first time in their history. Toyo University’s style of rugby play is characterized by the “attack is the best defense. Even against strong teams, Toyo University has been able to score many points by placing physical and superior players in key positions. However, while the team has an excellent attack, they also lose a lot of scores. They are good at scoring points against each other, but they are not good at scoring points against strong defenses. Will they be able to maintain their own fighting style against Keio University?

The starting lineup for the match was as follows.

Toyo University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Seita KASAMAKI	175cm	108kg	21	Captain
2	Shuto KOIZUMI	171cm	100kg	20
3	Makito ISHIKAWA	184cm	115kg	22
4	Daichi KURIHARA	192cm	95kg	21
5	Juan OOSTHUYZEN	211cm	132kg	22
6	Taketo MAEKAWA	173cm	97kg	22
7	Miu Austin MORIYAMA	181cm	108kg	21
8	Shu UEDA	186m	95kg	21
9	Asahi IKUTA	165m	72kg	18
10	Shinsuke AMO	174cm	83kg	21
11	Marks MAURICE	179cm	89kg	23
12	Adam TAMATI	185cm	97kg	21
13	Kodai SATO	173cm	79kg	21
14	Yohei BOND	180cm	87kg	22
15	Kohaku SAKAMOTO	168cm	72kg	19

** Player to watch **

(The lifted player in the center of the photo is KURIHARA)

Daichi KURIHARA. 192 cm, 95 kg, 21 years old. He is a graduate of Isesaki Koyo High School. He started playing rugby in high school, but his alma mater was a no-name high school at the one-win level in the prefectural qualifying rounds. However, he was tall, so some university officials invited him to join the team, but he says, “I thought I wouldn’t be good enough, so I didn’t want to go on to higher education and play. However, he was enthusiastically invited by Toyo University coach Fukunaga and joined the Toyo University Rugby Club. At first, he could barely keep up with practice, but from his second year he was used as a starter and is now an unshakable regular player. A gem in the rough that shines when polished is a player like him.

Next, an update on the Keio Gizyuku University Rugby Club.

Keio Gizyuku University Rugby Club, a school with roots in Japanese rugby, has been participating in the National University Rugby Championship this season as the fourth place team in the Kanto University Rugby Rivalry Group. Although the team does not recruit a large number of Japan’s U-18 national team players like other strong universities, the tradition of training the players who have come to Keio to face strong teams is still alive and well. Since the team is inevitably inferior to the stronger schools in terms of individual breakthrough ability, the entire team tactics are incorporated into each individual player, and the whole team stands up to the challenge. The fighting spirit, traditionally known as “soul rugby,” is still alive and well this season.

This day’s starting lineup is as follows.

Keio Gizyuku University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Yugo IBUKI	175cm	98kg	19
2	Taiki NAKAYAMA	176cm	105kg	22	Captain
3	Takashi YOSHIMURA	177cm	108kg	22
4	Kenta NAKAYA	183cm	103kg	22
5	Yuki ASAI	188cm	108kg	22
6	Masanori NAKANO	176cm	101kg	18
7	Eitetsu TANUMA	176cm	95kg	22
8	Mansaku TOMINAGA	188cm	106kg	22
9	Yamato KOJO	168cm	72kg	22
10	Kentaro WADA	168cm	70kg	19
11	Shinnosuke ISHIGAKI	175cm	80kg	21
12	Ryohei IMANO	183cm	90kg	21	U18,U20 Japan,JJ
13	Kousuke MURATA	174cm	85kg	22
14	Ryo HIROSE	179cm	78kg	21
15	Ou IBUKI	176cm	81kg	21

** Player to watch **

(The player with the number 12 in the photo above is IMANO)

Ryohei IMANO. 183 cm, 90 kg, 21 years old. He is a graduate of Toin Gakuen High School. Position = SO, CTB, WTB, FB. U18, U20 Japan, Junior Japan. He was a national champion in his high school years, and later represented Japan in each generation of the national team. After entering Keio University, he quickly became an unshakable regular and is expected to lead the team as a BK leader.

He is a gem of a BK player with a good combination of running, offense, and defense, and we hope that he will aim for the Japan national team in the future.

Now, let the game begin.

5 minutes into the first half:

Toyo University kicked off from the downwind side, and the game got underway. As expected, the ball kicked by Keio University, which was upwind, went the distance. Keio University pushed deep into enemy territory, but Toyo University committed an infringement and Keio University opted for a penalty kick, resulting in a own ball lineout inside the 22m line.

Keio University secured the ball, and after a maul, they surged forward and scored the first try in the middle left of the enemy’s in-goal. The try was scored by Keio University hooker NAKAYAMA.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 0-7.

20 minutes into the first half:

In the early stages of the match, Keio University showed good movement in the densely packed field.

Although Toyo University was taller and heavier than the Keio’s FWs as a whole, Keio University had the advantage in terms of the speed with which they were able to gather and disperse into the densely-packed area. After taking the ball in the enemy territory, they gradually advanced and closed in on the enemy’s in-goal. From the dense in-goal area, Keio University’s SH KOJO moved to the left, cut in, and CTB IMANO scored a try to the left side of the goalposts.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 0-12 and giving Keio University the lead.

22 minutes into the first half:

Keio University kicked the ball back from the restart kick-off after the try, but Toyo University FB Sakamoto mishandled the ball and when he caught it, his foot went off the line. This resulted in Keio University having their own ball lineout deep in enemy territory. From there, Keio University secured the ball, and it was spread out to the right, where Keio University’s CTB IMANO scored his second try of the day, right under the goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 0-21.

32 minutes into the first half:

Toyo University had the advantage in the set piece scrum, but in the densely packed battle, Keio University overwhelmed them with their concentration and took the ball away from them. This allowed Keio University to constantly attack in the enemy territory. Keio University steadily approached the enemy’s in-goal, and finally, Keio University lock NAKAYA scored a try on the right side of the goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 0-28, with Keio University taking a massive lead and the game looking like a one-sided affair.

36 minutes into the first half:

Toyo University was unable to stop Keio University’s continuous attacks, and was almost glued to its own territory in the first half. Keio University’s attacks gradually became bolder and faster. Keio University kicked the ball behind the enemy defensive net, which was secured by Toyo University’s FL MORIYAMA, but he was pushed out of position in front of the in-goal, resulting in a lineout for Keio University to own the ball. From here, Keio University’s FW made a series of side attacks, and Keio University’s FL NAKANO scored a try at the left corner of the goal post.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 0-35.

39 minutes into the first half:

Keio University won a tight battle in the closing minutes of the first half, and their BK made more gains, closing in on the enemy’s in-goal. Toyo University managed to get the ball back in front of the in-goal, where SO AMOU of Toyo University kicked to WTB MARKS, who was stationed at the left corner of the in-goal. MARKS caught the ball and ran about 100 meters from his own in-goal to the enemy’s in-goal to score a try, a masterpiece of individual skill by MARKS.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 7-35.

The first half ended with the score 7-35.

In this match, it was evident that Keio University had studied Toyo University’s tactics well before the game.

Toyo University was scored many points against lower-ranked teams when looking at points scored. This was a result of Toyo University’s lack of tenacity in defense.

Next, Toyo University has strong runners in key positions, and they show their strength when they go on the attack, so it was necessary to reduce the opportunities for Toyo University to attack. From this point of view, Keio University dominated the ball battle in the dense first half and did not hand the ball over to Toyo University.

Toyo University had one weapon in their attack, the counter attack by FB Sakamoto, but Keio University crushed it at every opportunity and scored points of their own. This was made possible by the fact that Toyo University’s FB Sakamoto was not likely to kick the ball back, but rather to run with it almost 100% of the time.

Toyo University finally got a shot in the arm at the end of the first half, and will they be able to get back on track in the second half with the wind in their sails?

Toyo University sent a cheering section to this match, which means that Toyo University considers this match as one of the obstacles. They lost in the third round of the University Championship the year before last, so a win here would make new history for the Toyo University Rugby Club. Will the Toyo University Rugby Club be able to live up to the cheers and expectations of this cheering section?

Now, let the second half begin.

7 minutes into the second half:

At the start of the game, Toyo University entered the enemy territory and tried to break through with their key attacking player, an international student player. However, in a densely packed battle, the ball was won back by Keio University. Toyo University continued to attack, with the FWs pushing forward on the crowded side of the field, but Keio University’s tight defense in front of the in-goal made it difficult for them to score. In this situation, Toyo University continued to attack in the same pattern, and Keio University’s WTB ISIGAKI read the flow of the pass, intercepted it, and ran 100 meters across the left side of the field to score a try.

The conversion goal after the try failed, but Keio University scored the first points of the second half to make the score 7-40.

16 minutes into the second half:

Although they were unable to score any points in the middle of the half, Toyo University began to attack for a longer period of time in the second half. In such a situation, Toyo University approached the enemy’s in-goal, continued the attack, and turned the ball to the right corner where WTB MARKS scored his second try of the day.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 14-40.

21 minutes into the second half:

Keio University had their first chance to attack in the second half in a while. Keio University secured the ball in their own lineout, and through a gap in the Toyo University defense, Keio University’s SH KOJOH slipped through and scored a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal on the left side of the field.

The conversion goal after the try was missed, but the score was 14-45.

26 minutes into the second half:

At this point in the second half, Keio University began to attack more and more. Keio University continued to attack in the enemy territory, making progress through a series of minor line breaks and closing in on the enemy in-goal, where lock ASAI scored a try in the middle left of the enemy in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try failed, and the score was 14-50. Before the match, Toyo University was said to have the advantage, but the atmosphere of a convincing victory for Keio University was becoming stronger.

30 minutes into the second half:

Towards the end of the match, Toyo University’s original attacking momentum returned. With strong individual contact, they were able to accumulate gains and maintain rhythm while attacking in succession.

When Toyo University had a lineout opportunity in front of the enemy in-goal, they lost their hesitation and formed a maul, then drove left and right to score a try by hooker KOIZUMI.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 21-50.

Go, Toyo University! Don’t give up until the end.

40 minutes left in the second half

Time was running out, but Toyo University continued to push forward for a try to show their final determination. Toyo University came close to the enemy’s in-goal many times, but Keio University’s defense kept bouncing them back. However, the ball finally went to Toyo University’s WTB MARKS, who had scored two tries on the day, and MARKS dragged Keio University’s tacklers behind him to score a try right in the middle of the in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was missed, but the score was 26-50.

In the end, the game ended here, and Keio University beat Toyo University to advance to the third round.

In this third-round match, Keio University was expected to have a tough time according to pre-match previews, but they showed their match mastery and made an impressive advance to the quarterfinals. Toyo University, on the other hand, lost in the third round to a team from the Kanto University rivalry group, as they had done the year before last. However, many of the regulars on this year’s team are underclassmen, and we hope that they will make the most of their experience this time and grow a lot for the next season.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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