(Written by Azul: October 28, 2024)
This time, I went to Kiryu Stadium in Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, to watch the official Kanto University Rugby League match between Tokai University (1st) and Toyo University (4th).
About Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture, the population is about 100,000 and it is located about 150 km away from the center of Tokyo. It took me about 3 hours by train from Tokyo Station.
This day’s stadium was Mori Engineering Kiryu Stadium. The stadium seats 692 spectators, which is not very many. I don’t think it meets the standards for professional sports such as soccer and rugby. Today’s game was an amateur college rugby match, so there was no problem in terms of entertainment. By the way, the ticket price was 2,000 yen for all unreserved seats.
When I went to the venue, I found that the actual spectators were mostly alumni of both universities who had some kind of relationship with the rugby clubs, according to the conversation at the venue.
General rugby fans who have no particular connection with both universities are considered to be in the minority.
Let me introduce the two schools that played the matches on the day.
First, let us talk about Tokai University, which is ranked first in the Kanto University League group.
Tokai University, the champion of the Kanto University Rugby League group, is currently on a six-game winning streak in the league. In the National University Rugby Championships, they have been runners-up three times, and in the University Championships, they have been regular semifinalists. According to pre-match predictions in sports newspapers and other media, Tokai University was expected to win the game on the day of the match.
However, Tokai University’s FWs were smaller than usual this season. The only foreign student registered in the starting lineup FW member that day was No.8 FONUA, who plays the role of breaking through the opponent’s defensive network.
Tokai University’s scoring pattern this season is running rugby, in which the BK plays a central role and develops wide left and right to score points.
Today’s starting lineup is as follows.
| Tokai University | |||||
| No. | Name | height | weight | age | |
| 1 | Chihiro HOSHIDA | 176cm | 108kg | 20 | |
| 2 | Kosuke SHIMOE | 173cm | 101kg | 23 | |
| 3 | Kosuke SUGIURA | 177cm | 110kg | 20 | |
| 4 | Yuga KAWASE | 187cm | 97kg | 22 | |
| 5 | Noriyasu OHARA | 178cm | 95kg | 21 | |
| 6 | Kaito MIYAMAE | 175cm | 92kg | 20 | |
| 7 | Hikaru OMORI | 180cm | 96kg | 22 | |
| 8 | Caston FONUA | 185m | 100kg | 20 | |
| 9 | Towa TSUJI | 174m | 80kg | 21 | |
| 10 | Mei URAMOTO | 175cm | 78kg | 19 | |
| 11 | Yuta OKAMURA | 176cm | 85kg | 22 | |
| 12 | Towa KONDO | 180cm | 90kg | 22 | Captain |
| 13 | Koki KITAMURA | 172cm | 80kg | 21 | |
| 14 | Yamato HORITA | 176cm | 81kg | 19 | |
| 15 | Conrad SEVENSTER | 196cm | 98kg | 21 | |
** Player to watch **
Conrad SEVENSTER. 196cm, 98kg, 21 years old. Position = FB. from South Africa. He is a big man of about 2m in height who stands out among the regular players of Tokai University this season, who have become a bit small in stature. His physique and atmosphere remind me of Australia’s Israel FORAU, who was considered the strongest FB in the world.
SEVENSTER has been a regular player for Tokai University since last season, and his speed and ability to break through have increased. As an example, the 50m dash data in the player’s directory has been reduced from 6.7 seconds last season to 6.1 seconds. Furthermore, the distance of touch kicks has increased dramatically. His physical growth has been remarkable, and we look forward to his future success. If he gains game experience at a higher level, he can be considered a gem of a player who can be expected to perform well on the international stage. He will be a key player in Tokai University’s scoring this season.
Next, I would like to introduce Toyo University Rugby Club.
In 2021, the team was promoted from the second division of the Kanto University Rugby League group to the first division for the first time in 22 years. And in 2023, in the first division of the league, they finished in third place and made their first appearance in the University Championship. 2024 season results were as follows,
September 7 ：vs. Daito Bunka University: 20-26 ●
September 15 ：vs Hosei University: 52-43 〇
October 6 ：vs Ryutsu Keizai University: 27-24 〇
In their first match, the team suffered a loss, but after two more wins, they faced the top-ranked Tokai University on the day of the match.
In order to qualify for the University Championship, they will need to grab a victory, even if it is against No. 1-ranked Tokai University. Toyo University’s play style is that each player puts his body on the line at key points and connects the ball, and the FW and BK attack as a team attracts spectators. One of their weaknesses is that they lose a little too many scores, and many games turn into point-scoring battles. With an eye on the University Championship, it is hoped that the team will develop its day defense as the season deepens.
This day’s starters were 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 | Matariki CHANNINGS | 195cm | 125kg | 22 | |
| 5 | Juan OOSTHUYZEN | 211cm | 132kg | 22 | |
| 6 | Shu UEDA | 186cm | 100kg | 21 | |
| 7 | Miu Austin MORIYAMA | 181cm | 108kg | 21 | |
| 8 | Daichi KURIHARA | 192m | 102kg | 21 | |
| 9 | Asahi IKUTA | 165m | 72kg | 18 | |
| 10 | Shinsuke AMO | 174cm | 83kg | 21 | |
| 11 | Kodai SATO | 172cm | 82kg | 21 | |
| 12 | Adam TAMATI | 185cm | 97kg | 21 | |
| 13 | Shion ASAO | 174cm | 83kg | 20 | |
| 14 | Yohei BOND | 180cm | 87kg | 22 | |
| 15 | Kohaku SAKAMOTO | 168cm | 72kg | 19 | |
** Player to watch **
Shinsuke AMO. 174 cm, 83 kg, 21 years old. He is a graduate of Tokushima Prefectural Joto High School. He is the leader of Toyo University’s attack. He plays physical defense and quickly finds holes in the opponent’s defensive network and tries to break through on his own. When the SO receives the ball in attack, he moves the entire BK line away from the opposing defensive line and deploys it. Since this season, he has also taken on the role of placekicker, and his accuracy is improving with each game, making him the team’s leading scorer.
Following the singing of the school anthems of both schools, the game began.
9 minutes into the first half:
FB SEVENSTAR, the point getter for Tokai University, kicked conspicuously and kicked a touch kick deep into the enemy territory at once. This season, Tokai University has been challenging the game with their BK’s ability to develop. Among them, FB SEVENSTAR, with his height of 196 cm and weight of 98 kg, reminds me of Van Den Heaver, a former Japanese FB from South Africa. As Toyo University continued to attack in the enemy territory, FB SEVENSTAR caught the ball near the halfway line and counter-attacked from there, cutting through the opponent’s defensive network and scoring the first try in the middle left of the enemy’s in-goal, despite being tangled up with the opponent’s defense on the way.
The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and Tokai University scored the first points to make the score 7-0.
19 minutes into the first half:
Toyo University was quick to follow up on attacks and made steady gains at the point of contact with the opposing defense. Toyo University got into the enemy territory, and after a penalty kick opportunity, they advanced just in front of the in-goal of the enemy. Here, Toyo University secured the ball in their own lineout, and from there they attacked in succession. Toyo University’s 211cm tall giant lock OOSTHUYZEN broke through the opponent’s defensive net, and from there, he connected with CTB TAMATI via an offload pass, and TAMATI scored a try in the left center of the enemy in-goal.
28th minutes into the first half:
Toyo University had a penalty kick opportunity after a foul by the opposing team in their own territory. After a lineout deep in enemy territory, Toyo University secured the ball, formed a maul, and advanced nearly 15 meters to score a try by hooker KOIZUMI in the middle right of the enemy in-goal.
The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 7-14, Toyo University leading by 7 points.
39 minutes into the first half:
At this point in the half, Tokai University found it difficult to score as they were bounced back by the Toyo University defense just before the in-goal.
Toyo University then spent more and more time playing in the enemy territory, and in the midst of this, Toyo University’s FW got behind the enemy defense from a dense battle, and finally prop KASAMAKI, who followed up, scored a try right in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal.
The photo above shows Toyo University celebrating their try.
The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 7-21.
41 minutes into the first half:
Toward the end of the first half, Tokai University attacked deep into the enemy territory and made a series of attacks, mainly by BK players, to create a numerical advantage, and WTB HOTTA scored a try in the left center of the enemy in-goal.
The conversion goal after the try was also successful, and the score was 14-21. Tokai University scored one more try at the end of the first half to give the visitors hope for a second half comeback.
After watching the match, I noticed that this season Tokai University is oriented toward developmental rugby mainly by the BKs. This was a bit surprising because Tokai University usually pushes with strong physicality, centering on foreign students. However, since they have won all their games so far, it is too early to say whether their team strength has declined this year or not.
Now, let’s start the second half.
10 minutes into the second half:
While Tokai University was unable to make gains in the attacking phase, Toyo University gained the upper hand in the contact phase and steadily made progress in the enemy territory. After a series of line breaks just before the enemy in-goal, No.8 KURIHARA finally scored a try by diving into the enemy in-goal and finishing just under the goal post.
The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 14-28.
With Toyo University scoring the first points of the second half, the game began to turn in Toyo University’s favor.
17 minutes into the second half:
Tokai University repeatedly entered the enemy’s territory and created chances, but repeated mistakes in the dense battle and kick handling prevented any play that would lead to a score. Toyo University began to dominate the ball more and more. Toyo University gradually moved forward with a series of attacks near the enemy 22m line, and finally hooker KOIZUMI scored a try in the middle left of the enemy’s in-goal.
The conversion goal after the try failed, and the score was 14-33.
24 minutes into the second half:
Tokai University had a bad day in the FW game. They were outpushed in the scrums at set plays, and were also heavily outpaced by Toyo University in the maul attack in a tight battle.
However, Tokai University’s FWs showed their mettle at this time of the game. From the enemy 10-meter line, they formed a maul and advanced more than 10 meters at a stretch. The FWs attacked relentlessly on the flanks in a tight battle, and lock OOHARA scored a try in the middle of the enemy’s in-goal on the left.
After the try, the conversion goal failed, and the score was 19-33.
Tokai University showed that they could also score in the FW game, changing their focus from a tactical strategy that focused solely on backs’ deployment. Then, would Tokai University be able to regain their footing from this point on?
30 minutes into the second half:
Tokai University came back to life through the spirited play of their FWs. After a series of penalties, Toyo University kicked the ball deep into their own territory, but FB SEVENSTAR counter-attacked, connecting with WTB and flanker, and finally FB SEVENSTAR re-received the ball and scored a try in the enemy’s in-goal. FB SEVENSTAR.
The conversion goal after the try was also successful, making the score 26-33, and Tokai University was within 7 points.
The tide of the game turned in Tokai University’s favor toward the end of the game.
Tokai University attacked continuously in the enemy’s territory, but Toyo University, showing their determination to win, continued to prevent their opponents from making big gains. A fierce battle ensued between the two sides, and both props, CTB and SO were replaced by Toyo University.
46 minutes into the second half:
With less than one minute remaining, Tokai University drew an infringement from their opponents in a scrum, giving them a penalty kick opportunity. Here, Tokai University’s SO Uramoto kicked deep into the enemy territory, resulting in a own ball lineout just in front of the enemy’s in-goal. This was the last chance for Tokai University. Tokai University secured the ball from the lineout, and advanced with a maul. However, in the ensuing densely contested battle, Toyo University regained possession of the ball. From this point on, Toyo University dominated the ball, and in the end, Toyo University advanced and kicked the ball out to end the game.
For Toyo University, this was a big win for their bid for the University Championship, while Tokai University fell from the top of the standings with the loss of the day. However, it was a good match worth watching.
The final score was 33 points for Toyo University and 26 points for Tokai University, confirming Toyo University’s victory.
The Kanto University League will now enter the second half of the season, and the fierce competition will continue for the right to participate in the University Championship, which is awarded to the top three schools.
We hope to see more exciting matches like the one that took place this day.
