Month: January 2025

 (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	NZ 5caps
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.

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Stop the war.

Peace to Ukraine

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊