Month: December 2022

Tokyo Sungoliath vs Kubota Spears

(Author: Azul, December 27, 2022)

On December 17, 2022, the 2022-2023 season of Japan Rugby League One began.

To kick off the season, let’s take a look back at the standings of the teams from last season: The League One standings for the 2021-22 season are shown in the table below.

2021-22	League One Order
ranking	team	Win	Lose	Even	WP
1	Tokyo Sungoliath	14	2	0	66
2	Saitama Wildnights	14	2	0	61
3	Kubota Spears	12	4	0	58
4	Tokyo Brave Lupas	11	5	0	53
5	Toyota Verblitz	10	6	0	46
6	Yokohama Eagles	10	6	0	45
7	Kobe Steelers	7	9	0	36
8	Shizuoka Blue Revs	5	11	0	27
9	Black Rams Tokyo	4	12	0	21
10	Shining Arks Tokyo Bay	4	12	0	18
11	Red Hurricanes Osaka	3	13	0	14
12	Green Rockets Tokatsu	2	14	0	14
	WP=Winning Point

After the league season ended, the top four teams played off.

• Play-Off Tournament

** Semi-Final

1)Tokyo Sungoliath vs Tokyo Brave Lupas: 30-24

(Winner: Tokyo Sungoliath)

2)Saitama Wildnights vs Kubota Spears: 24-10

(Winner: Saitama Wildnights)

** Final

Saitama Wildnights vs Tokyo Sungoliath: 12-18

(Winner: Saitama Wildnights)

As a result, the winner of League One for the 2021-2022 season was the Saitama Wildnights, who were undefeated in actual competition, with two losses in league play due to the new corona outbreak. The focus of League One will be on which team will beat the Wildnights.

The lower teams in Division One of League One then played the top teams in Division Two in a substitution match, with the following results.

	Promotion or Relegation Deciding Match
D1/D2
1St	Green Rockets Tokatsu	vs	Mie HONDA Heat		30-10
2nd	Mie HONDA Heat	vs	Green Rockets Tokatsu		24-22
Winner:	Green Rockets Tokatsu
1St	Shining Arks Tokyo Bay	vs	Sagamihara Dynaboars		25-33
2nd	Sagamihara Dynaboars	vs	Shining Arks Tokyo Bay		33-19
Winner:	Sagamihara Dynaboars

Note: The Kintetsu Liners, who finished first in Division 2, were automatically promoted to the next round. And as a result of the round-robin matches, the following teams were selected

Green Rockets Tokatsu, ranked 12th in D1, remained in D1, and Honda Heat, ranked 2nd in D2, was not promoted and remained in D2.

Sagamihara Dynaboars, ranked 3rd in D2, was promoted to D1, and NTT Shining Arcs, ranked 10th in D1, was relegated to D2.

The NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes, who finished 11th in D1, were relegated to D3 after their team was temporarily disbanded at the end of the season.

I then went to watch one of the first-round games of League One, Suntory Sungoliath (2nd place last season) vs. Kubota Spears, at Tokyo Stadium (aka Ajinomoto Stadium) in Chofu, Tokyo, on December 18.

Ajinomoto Stadium is the stadium where the opening match of RWC 2019 took place, so coming here reminds me of the frenzy I was in back then.

The following year, RWC 2023 will be held in France, so I believe that rugby will gradually become more popular in Japan. The number of paying visitors on that day was 10,842.

I would like to introduce both teams that will play today.

First, we would like to start with Visitor Tean, KUBOTA Spears.

They finished 3rd in League One last season, and this season, they are capable of winning the championship.

Spears’ slogan for this season is “Split Second. This slogan means to give one’s all in each and every moment.

Their 1st jersey is orange color, and the Spears supporters are called the Orange Army.

Today’s starting lineup is as follows.

KUBOTA
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Kota KAISHI	172cm	102kg	28	Japan　1cap
2	Malkolm Marx	189cm	117kg	28	South Africa　57cap
3	Shoya MATSUNAMI	186cm	110kg	30
4	Ruan Botha	205cm	120kg	30
5	David BULBRING	199cm	113kg	33
6	Peter Labuschagne	189cm	106kg	33	Japan　14cap
7	Takeo SUENAGA	178cm	98kg	28
8	Faulua Maikisi	187cm	112kg	25	Japan　5cap
9	Shinobu FUJIWARA	171cm	76kg	23
10	Bernard Foley	182cm	89kg	33	Australia　75cap
11	Haruto KIDA	176cm	90kg	23
12	Harumichi Tatekawa	180cm	93kg	32	Japan 55cap
13	Sione Teaupa	183cm	97kg	30	Japan 3cap
14	Koga Nezuka	173cm	82kg	24	Japan　1cap
15	Gerhard Van Den Heever	192cm	102kg	33	Japan　5cap

As you can see from the table above, Spears has a strong FW, the No.1 team in League One in terms of average height and weight of FW. This season, the Spears are particularly focusing on strengthening their defense, aiming to play rugby with fewer goals scored.

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Bernard FOLEY. 182 cm, 89 kg, 33 years old. Australia national team cap 79. position = SO. selected for RWC 2015 and 2019. In his third season with the Spears, I expect him to combine well with his teammates to create a spectator-pleasing game.

Now, let us introduce Suntory Sungoliath, the home team of this game.

Last year, they finished second in League One. The meaning of the team name includes Sun=Sun and Goliath=Giant. The team’s slogan for this season is “SunGoliath Pride -All for Victory,” and they are aiming for their first championship in five seasons. The team’s style of play is explosive attack and thick defense. Last season, the team’s 577 total points was by far the highest of all the teams.

Today’s starting lineup is as follows

	Sungoliath
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Yukio MORIKAWA	180cm	112kg	29	Japan　2cap
2	Shunta NAKAMURA	176cm	105kg	28	Japan
3	KanNAKANO	177cm	108kg	25
4	Tom SAVAGE	197cm	118kg	33
5	Harry HOCKINGS	206cm	118kg	24
6	Koji IINO	190cm	110kg	28	Japan　1cap
7	Kai YAMAMOTO	177cm	98kg	22
8	Tevita TATAFU	183m	124kg	26	Japan　14cap
9	Naoto SAITO	165cm	73kg	25	Japan　10cap
10	Hikaru Tamura	175cm	80kg	29
11	Tevita Li	182cm	95kg	27
12	Keisuke MORIYA	185cm	93kg	28
13	Shogo NAKANO	186cm	98kg	25	Japan　5cap
14	Shota EMI	183cm	95kg	26
15	Kotaro MATSUSHIMA	178cm	88kg	29	Japan　46cap

＊＊ Player to watch　＊＊

Shogo NAKANO. 186 cm, 98 kg, 25 years old. Position = CTB. Japan national team 5cap. Graduated from Waseda University. He has international standard physique and speed, and is a promising star of Japan’s national BK team. He is a member of Sungoliath, a team that has a strong group of players, so he has had few opportunities to play at CTB, but this season, he will be responsible for Sungoliath’s progress as an unshakable CTB.

Let’s follow the match of the day.

7 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath boasted the best attack in League One last season, and in the early stages of the match, Spears showed a defensive prowess that was no match for their attack. Spears showed a strategy of going for the PG once they got into the opposition’s territory and gained an infringement. In the 7th minute of the first half, Spears’ SO Foley scored the first PG from a position slightly to the right of the 10-meter line.

FOLEY followed this up with another PG in the 11th minute of the first half to make the score 0-6 in favor of Spears.

21 minutes into the first half:

The Spears’ orange wall stood in the way of Sungoliath’s best attackers in League One. Until this time, Sungoliath could not score, or rather, could not even cross the gain line due to Spears’ strong defensive network. This was a bit of a surprise.

Spears went deep into the enemy territory, and after a long pass from FB Van den Heever to WTB NEZUKA at the right end, NEZUKA scored a try in the right corner of the in-goal. The try was scored in the right corner of the in-goal. The conversion attempt failed and the score was 11-0, giving Spears a big lead.

25 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath, perhaps thinking it would be difficult to get a try past the Spears’ defensive net, infringed on their opponents as they entered enemy territory and opted to go for the PG without hesitation. Sungoliath’s SO Tamura scored to make the score 3-11.

31 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath, hoping to close the gap somehow, deployed from deep in their own territory, and WTB EMI tried to break through. However, as he got past a man, he was held by Spears prop KAISI and was penalized for not releasing the ball. The Spears elected to go for the PG, which the SO FOLEY converted to make the score 3-14.

35 minutes into the first half:

In the same position as in the first 25 minutes, Sungoliath got a PG and the SO TAMURA scored to make the score 6-14. However, Sungoliath fans expect a raging attack in every game, so this was a stressful game for them.

Spears has outscored Sungoliath in set pieces this season. In the scrums, Spears steadily pushed Sungoliath and put pressure on Sungoliath in the lineouts.

With the first half ending with this score, can Sungoliath regain momentum in the second half?

Let’s get the second half underway.

2 minutes into the second half

Spears started the second half by going deep into the opponent’s territory, pushing and winning at almost every point of contact against Sungoliath, and after a series of attacks, the ball was passed to Spears’ WTB KIDA on the left flank, who played off a Sungoliath defender and scored a try in the left corner of the opponent’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 6-21.

9 minutes into the second half:

Sungoliath’s attack started to show their typical style. They entered the enemy territory and attacked in succession, with FB MATSUSHIMA making a big gain at the left site, and from there a dense battle ensued. No.8 TATAFU of Sungoliath accelerated quickly, overtook the pursuing No.8 MAKISI of Spears, and scored a try right under the goal post of the opponent’s in-goal. The stadium was abuzz with excitement as Japan’s national team players showed great effort at every turn. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 13-21.

The instantaneous acceleration of Sungoliath’s No.8 TATAFU was amazing. He is indeed the No.8 of the Japanese national team.

19 minutes into the first half:

Sungoliath tried to activate their attackers by breaking through their own line as well. But once again, Spears’ orange wall cut off Sungoliath’s attackers. Here, Spears had their own ball scrum deep in enemy territory, where they applied heavy pressure and drew a collapsing foul from Sungoliath. The SO FOLEY made the score 13-24 with a PG from the scrum.

24 minutes into the second half:

The teams kicked to each other, and when Sungoliath’s SO TAMURA had trouble handling the kick, he was caught by the Spears’ FW, and from the crowd that formed here, the Spears took the ball to the left. Spears’ SO FOLEY received the ball and, seeing a breakdown in the opponents’ formation, kicked to the left side of the opponents’ in-goal. This turned out to be an excellent kick pass to Spears’ left WTB KIDA, and KIDA scored a try in the left corner of the opponents’ in-goal.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 13-31 in favor of Spears. The WTB KIDA scored his second try of the day.

36 minutes into the second half:

Sungoliath, outnumbered on the scoreboard, made several attempts to break through the Spears defense, but each time their attacks were cut short by a bounce off the Spears flanks. Nevertheless, Sungoliath continued to push forward in the enemy territory, and came close to the opponent’s in-goal. On the right side in front of the enemy’s in-goal, Sungoliath got a scrum on their own ball, and at the moment the ball was released, FB OZAKI, who came in as a midway replacement, scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal. The conversion goal after the try failed. The score was 18-31.

KUBOTA SPEARS won the opening game of the season with a final score of 18-31, marking the first time in 18 years that KUBOTA has defeated SUNTORY. SPEARS, however, won today’s match, and the team’s improvement from last season has paid off, as they are now serious contenders to win the championship this season.

On the other hand, Sungoliath’s offensive power from last season hardly worked against SPEARS this season. It is thought that Sungoliath is greatly outclassed in physical ability. Will they be able to get revenge in the next rematch (April 22)?

＊＊　Jersey Collection 69　＊＊

This Sungoliath baseball shirt was distributed to the first 12,300 people in attendance at the SUNTORY Sungoliath’s opening game on December 18.

This shirt is a new experiment in that it also has the sponsor’s name on the back. I was able to get a free seat for 2,000 yen on this day, so I felt like I was getting a little something out of it. I also attended Sungoliath’s opening game last season, but there was no such service at that time, and I hope that the League ONE teams will expand such fan services to increase the number of rugby fans. I hope that the League ONE teams will expand these fan services to increase the number of rugby fans, and I believe that this will lead to the strengthening of the Japanese national rugby team.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

(Author: Azul, December 19, 2022)

On December 11, 2022, I went to watch the 3rd round match of the National University Rugby Championship held at the Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground in Minato-ku, Tokyo.

The matches played on this day were

Waseda University vs Toyo University

(Kanto University Rivalry Rugby group 3rd place vs Kanto University League group 3rd place)

The Rugby University Championship has entered the third round, and the top-ranked schools in the major leagues have begun to play each other. This will be followed by intense tournament play until the finals on January 8. For each team, a loss in the championship match means the end of their season. We look forward to a heated and exciting match in every game as they aim for the top of the University Championships.

Now, let me introduce each team competing in the day’s matches.

First, let me introduce the visiting team, Toyo University.

This is Toyo University’s first appearance in the University Championship, and this season they have not only been promoted from the second division of the Kanto University League Group to the first division for the first time in 29 years, but have also advanced to the University Championship by defeating one strong school after another in the first division. In addition, three players were selected as one of the best 15 players in the Kanto University League Group. Every game this season for Toyo University has been a new history for the university.

Today’s starters are as follows:

Toyo University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Taiga Yamaguchi	168cm	106kg	21
2	Tatsuki TANINA	175cm	101kg	22
3	Makito ISHIKAWA	185cm	115kg	19
4	Lamin Dieng SAITO	185cm	102kg	22
5	Juan Oost HUYZEN	211cm	135kg	20
6	Vea TANIELA	183cm	120kg	22
7	Sho TANAKA	185cm	100kg	25
8	Shu UMEMURA	183m	100kg	21
9	Yusaku KANDA	170m	80kg	23
10	Fumiya DOBASHI	180cm	86kg	21
11	Kaito SUGIMOTO	170cm	75kg	20
12	Sho OHSHIMA	166cm	72kg	21
13	Shuta SHIGEMATSU	171cm	85kg	22
14	Maurice MARKS	180cm	85kg	21
15	Kohei TANAKA	183cm	91kg	21

＊＊ Player to watch ＊＊

Lamin Dieng SAITO. 185 cm, 102 kg, 22 years old. He is a graduate of Meguro Gakuin High School. Position = lock. Captain of Toyo University, which has made great strides this season. He is of Senegalese descent. He often makes his presence felt in the lineout by stealing the ball from his opponents. He is also an agile player who is as fast as a BK, and his pressure on defense makes him a threat to opposing teams. He was selected as one of the best 15 players in the Kanto University League group this season.

Next, let me introduce the home team, Waseda University.

In contrast to Toyo University, Waseda University is a regular participant in the University Championship. It has won the championship 16 times. This season, the team lost to Teikyo University and Meiji University, and finished in third place in the Kanto University Rivalry group. But they are aiming for their first university title in two years as they grow as a team in the University Championship. This season, injuries have been noticeable among the core players, but the team’s challenge will be to get their lineup back to full strength in order to win the championship.

Today’s starting lineup is as follows:

Waseda University
No.	Name	height	weight	age
1	Shota IMOTO	165cm	98kg	22
2	Naoto YASUTSUNE	172cm	95kg	19
3	Shotaro KAMEYAMA	176cm	115kg	20
4	Shogo FUJII	180cm	100kg	21
5	Daiki IKEMOTO	186cm	105kg	20
6	Bunsuke KURITA	183cm	110kg	19
7	Hitoshi NAGASHIMa	179cm	95kg	21
8	Jingo MURATA	185m	102kg	20
9	Masanori MIYAO	165m	70kg	20
10	Kengo NONAKA	181cm	93kg	19
11	Reo MATSUSHITA	183cm	93kg	22
12	Ko YOSHIMURA	175cm	84kg	22
13	Soma OKAZAKI	177cm	89kg	20
14	Eito MAKI	175cm	88kg	22
15	Satoshi KOIZUMI	178cm	86kg	22

＊＊　Player to watch　＊＊

Masanori MIYAO is a 165cm, 70kg SH. A graduate of Kyoto Seisho High School, he has been a regular SH player for the prestigious Waseda University Rugby Club since his freshman year. He has the ability to break through from the scrum to score tries with his agility and speed. His quick passing skills, which allow Waseda’s BK to expand in all directions, have been a lifeline for Waseda this season.

Let’s kick off today’s match.

As I expected before the match, Toyo University dominated the first half with their FW set pieces. They led their opponents into infringements in scrums and maintained their dominance in lineouts, especially with lock SAITO.

15 minutes into the first half:

Toyo’s strong FW gave them the upper hand, while Waseda pushed back with hard work on the defensive side of the field. Once Toyo got in front of the enemy’s in-goal, but Waseda got the ball back in a tight battle and kicked it back to the Toyo camp. From there, Toyo attacked again, this time to the right. The ball was passed from the densely-packed area to the SO and then to the CTB, who threw a pass. Waseda’s SH, MIYAO, who had read the flow of the pass, intercepted the ball, broke through behind the enemy defense, and scored a try right under the opponents’ goal posts. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Waseda scored the first point, making the score 7-0.

Waseda scored a valuable try in a poor game.

28 minutes into the first half:

Toyo attacked continuously from their own line. Little by little, they made their way into the enemy territory. From there, they moved to the right and Toyo’s FB TANAKA broke through two opposing defenders and advanced forward at full speed, finally passing to Toyo’s SH KANDA, who scored a try in the middle of the enemy in-goal. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was tied 7-7.

39 minutes into the first half:

Toyo made progress through a set play by the FWs, who had the advantage in the first half after entering enemy territory. First, Toyo pushed their opponents forward in a scrum, and after being pushed in, Waseda couldn’t resist collapsing the scrum and were fouled. From here, Toyo opted for a penalty kick, which resulted in a lineout in front of the enemy in-goal. Toyo secured their own ball, and after a maul, they surged forward and scored a try by Toyo’s hooker TANINA. The conversion goal after the try was unsuccessful. The score was 7-12, and Toyo University succeeded in turning the score around.

The first half ended as it did, with Toyo University holding the upper hand going into the second half.

As predicted by the sports media before the match, Toyo University, with its equally powerful FWs, was a formidable opponent for Waseda, which had suffered complete defeat against the powerful FWs of Teikyo and Meiji in this season’s group of competitive matches. Against Toyo University, which was pushed into the game by set plays and has a decisive BK, it will be interesting to see how they will recover in the second half.

Let us begin the second half. Waseda made a player change at the start of the second half, replacing hooker YASUTUNE with SATO. SATO, who was injured in the match a week ago, was introduced to try to rebuild the set piece.

3 minutes into the second half:

Waseda, wanting to score first in the second half, BK deployed to the left near the center of the ground. The Toyo defenders tackled and stopped them, and FL TANIELA went to steal the ball from a downed Waseda player, where he drew a foul from Waseda. Toyo’s SO DOBASHI took the penalty kick that he earned here and kicked it out to a position just before the enemy’s in-goal, a great kick. Toyo secured their own ball from a lineout, then moved forward in a maul, and hooker TANINA scored his second try of the day.

The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Toyo succeeded in increasing the score difference to 7-19.

6 minutes into the second half:

The tide of the game was turning in Toyo’s favor. From the kick-off after the try, Waseda entered the enemy territory, and from a scrum, the ball was passed to the SH from No.8, where CTB YOSHIMURA got close to the ball, shifted his timing, and received the ball. This allowed YOSHIMURA to get behind the enemy defense and score a try right under the goal posts. The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 14-19 to Waseda, pulling the game back to the other side.

10 minutes into the second half:

Waseda made a player change at this point, replacing KOIZUMI at FB with ITOH, who had been a key player in Waseda’s BK, but was making his first appearance in this match due to injury. Now, it was going to be a test to see if ITOH could be the catalyst for Waseda.

11 minutes into the second half.

Waseda had a scrum on the right side of the field, just inside the enemy territory, where they pushed past Toyo and won a penalty kick. This was the first time Waseda had beaten Toyo in a scrum in this match. The change of hooker to SATO paid off.

18 minutes into the second half:

Waseda was now able to go toe-to-toe with Toyo in the scrum. Waseda was able to supply the ball smoothly to BK from the scrums and gradually started to advance in the enemy territory. Then, in front of the goal posts in the enemy territory, WASEDA drew an infringement from their opponents and gained the right for a PG. CTB YOSHIMURA scored to bring Waseda within 2 points, 17-19.

26 minutes into the second half.

Waseda was now able to provide a steady supply of ball in the scrums, allowing them to make full use of the wide expanses of the ground in a series of attacks. The ball was spread from the right end to the left end and then to the right end again, and finally passed to WTB MAKI, who scored a try at the right end of the in-goal of the enemy line.

Waseda finally got back on top with a successful conversion goal to make the score 24-19.

33 minutes into the second half:

Waseda was able to spread the ball more freely and had more time to attack in the enemy’s territory. Toyo could no longer cope with Waseda’s speed. Waseda’s left WTB MATSUSHITA ran to the right side of the field, received the ball, and shook off the Toyo defenders to score a try in the right corner of the enemy in-goal. Waseda also succeeded in scoring the conversion goal after the try, pulling the score to 31-19.

42 minutes into the second half:

With only a few minutes remaining, Toyo tried their best to attack, but their attacks were too few and far between, and they could not get out of their own half. As the horn sounded for the last play, Waseda had a PG opportunity in front of the goal post in enemy territory. Waseda’s CTB Yoshimura converted it to make the final score 34-19 in favor of Waseda.

Waseda will now face Meiji University in the quarterfinals of the University Championships on December 25. Can Waseda University humiliate Meiji and advance to the semi-finals of the championship?

Despite the loss in this match, Toyo University added a new record to the University Championship and the history of their alma mater, not only returning to the first division of the Kanto University League group for the first time in 29 years, but also making their first appearance in the University Championship. Their success must have touched the hearts of many rugby fans, not just those associated with Toyo University. We hope to see them again on the championship stage next season. Thank you for Toyo University Rugby Club.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

(Author: Azul,, December 10, 2022)

The third round of the National University Rugby Championship will begin on December 11. The schools competing in this season’s championship are as follows.

＊ Kanto University Rivalry Rugby Group　A  Top 5 Schools:.

Teikyo University, Meiji University, Waseda University, Keio University, Tsukuba University

＊Kanto University League group Top 3 schools :

Tokai University, Ryutsu Keizai University, Toyo University

＊Kansai University A League Top 3

Kyoto Sangyo University, Tenri University, Doshisha University

＊Kyushu Student Rugby League 1st

Fukuoka Institute of Technology

＊Hokkaido Tohoku Regional Representative 1 school

Hachinohe Gakuin University

＊Tokai, Hokuriku, Chugoku-Shikoku area representative 1 school:

IPU University of the Pacific Rim

Prospects for this year’s University Championships:  

It will be interesting to see if last season’s university champion, Teikyo University, can win the championship again. In all of their matches in the Kanto University Rivalry Rugby Group　A, they were unbeatable in every match, and won all of their games.

The first candidate for the upset is Kyoto Sangyo University, which played the only game last season that was a close match with Teikyo University. The level of each game in this year’s Kansai League was high, so expectations are high.

The results of the first and second rounds of this season’s University Championship were as follows:

1st round: Fukuoka Institute of Technology vs. Hachinohe Gakuin University: 57-0

(Fukuoka Institute of Technology won and advanced to the second round.)

2nd round; IPU University of the Pacific Rim vs Fukuoka Institute of Technology: 25-31

(Fukuoka Institute of Technology won and advanced to the third round.)

The difference between the schools in each league is determined by the results of past university championships. In last year’s championship, two schools from Kanto University Rivalry Rugby Group　A made it to the finals, so this season’s university championship has qualified the most schools, five.

Let’s take a look at the pairings for the third round of the championship.

(1) 12/11 Doshisha University vs Fukuoka Institute of Technology

(Venue: Hanazono Rugby Ground – Kansai League 3rd vs. 2nd round winner)

Highlights of this match:

Doshisha University had a bad first half of the season, losing to lower-ranked opponents, and at one point looked like they were out of the running for the championship. If Doshisha University wins this game, they will face Teikyo University, whom they completely defeated last year, but they are likely to have a better game against Teikyo University this season as they have improved in the second half of the season.

First, however, will they be able to dispatch Fukuoka Institute of Technology, who have advanced past the second round.

(2) 12/11 Tenri University vs Tsukuba University

(Venue: Hanazono Rugby Ground – Kansai League 2nd vs Kanto University Rivalry Group 5th)

Highlights of this match:.

Tenri University, the university champion from the year before last, showed a nearly even match against Kyoto Sangyo University, the champion of the Kansai region this season. Tenri University will be looking to improve on last season’s result. If Tsukuba University can match Tenri in the FW game, a good match can be expected. However, if Tenri can push Tsukuba in set pieces, Tsukuba will have a hard time.

(3) 12/11 Waseda University vs Toyo University

(Venue: Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground – Kanto University Rivalry Rugby Group　A 3^rd vs Kanto University League Group 3rd)

Highlights of this match:

This is expected to be one of the most interesting matches of the day. The key to the match will be the lineout, and whether Waseda can attack the wall created by Toyo University’s 211cm lock, HUYZEN. Also, will Waseda be able to stop the rush of Toyo University’s powerful FW, led by its international students? Waseda will be taking countermeasures well in advance of the match, so this will be a match not to be missed from the early stages.

(4) 12/11 Ryutsu Keizai University vs Keio University

(Venue: Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground –

Kanto University Rivalry Rugby Group　A 4th

vs Kanto University League Group 2nd)

Highlights of this match:

The focus of this match will be on whether Keio can hold off the powerful attack of Ryutsu Keizai University’s FW, as no team in the Kanto University Rugby Group has attacked with a powerful international student this season. However, Keio did manage to stave off some of Teikyo University’s powerful FW in last week’s match, so we expect a close match.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

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