There are JRLO Round 14 matches in Division 1, Round 14 clashes in Division 3, and placement matchups in Division 2 this weekend with fixtures from 19-21 April 2024.
Division One JRLO 2023-2024 – Round 14 Fixtures
Friday April 19 2024
Blue Revs are among the Division 1 sides who still hold a mathematical chance of qualifying for the semifinal playoffs. They will need a maximum haul against third-placed Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath on Friday night which is no easy feat.
The hosts will also be looking to secure their playoff place, and the last time these two met, Suntory won 29-25. A win on Friday will see them join the Wild Knights and Brave Lupus in the final four, plus one more TBC.
Suntory are still without Sam Cane while Cheslin Kolbe looks to be rested and won’t be adding t his three tries in his past 9 games.
- Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath v Shizuoka Blue Revs; at Tokyo, 7pm
Saturday April 20 2024
Rikiya Matsuda has been marshalling the Panasonic Wild Knights at flyhalf, racking up 169 points thus far, just three behind the competition leader, Kobelco Kobe Steelers’ Bryn Gatland. The 37-cap Brave Blossom has been a vital cog in their undefeated season thus far, which has also seen the former champions achieve an average winning margin of 30.9 points!
On Saturday, they head to Aichi and face Toyota Verblitz looking to secure a third unbeaten regular season in four years – which is remarkable considering the new influx of talent into the JRLO.
Toyota Verblitz – JLRO 2024
The hosts are still looking for a slim chance of making the playoffs though and their ranks include All Blacks Barrett and scrumhalf Aaron Smith, Springbok backrower Pieter Steph du Toit and
Brave Blossoms backrower and captain Kazuki Himeno.
Verblitz was also in the news this week as Ian Foster will be joining Steve Hansen at the club next season and will joined by New Zealand-born Australian rugby league star Joseph Manu.
Springbok centre Jesse Kriel is back from a broken bone in his right thumb that was sustained in mid-January for the Yokohama Canon Eagles but will be on the bench against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars. Fellow Springbok Rohan Janse van Rensburg will start after joining mid-season as cover.
It looks unlikely that Springbok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk, who had midseason surgery on his knee, will be back before the season is finished in Japan.
- Toyota Verblitz v Saitama Panasonic Willd Knights; at Aichi, 2.30pm
- Yokohama Canon Eagles v Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars; at Tokyo, 2.30pm
Sunday April 21 2024
Warner Dearns has been a star for Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo and his matchup against Francois
Mostert on Sunday when they visit Mie Honda Heat will be one to watch. If Brave Lupus wins and reach the playoffs to face the Wild Knights, another Bok will be waiting in the form of second rower, Lood de Jager.
Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay’s draw last week means they will need all of the good fortune to make the playoffs and defend their title. They face Kobe on Sunday, but even a win won’t be enough to necessarily keep Frans Ludeke’s side in the title chase. The hosts have beaten Kobelco Kobe Steelers on the past 5 occasions but even if they secure a 6th win on the bounce, other results will determine their fate.
Kobe themselves will probably miss out, and this season’s addition of coach Dave Rennie, All Blacks Ardie Savea & Brodie Retallick, and flyhalf Bryn Gatland, might not be enough to see them claim the title last won in 2018.
The final match of the day sees Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo and Hanazono Kintetsu Liners meet but both will have their sights on getting through the Replacement Battle at the end of the regular season.
- Mie Honda Heat v Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo; at Suzuka, 12.10pm
- Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay v Kobelco Kobe Steelers; at Hokkaido, 1pm
- Hanazono Kintetsu Liners v Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo; at Osaka, 2.30pm
Brief highlights of all JRLO matches will be available here.
All times shown are Japan local time.
Division 2 JRLO 2023-2024 – Placement Fixtures
The three-way grading rounds begin in Division 2 this weekend – in what is a confusing system – these will determine the ranking of the Division One opponents the division’s three highest finishers will face, as well as the bottom three who will need to defend their Division 2 status against the challenger from Division Three.
Red Hurricanes Osaka host Japan Steel Kamaishi Seawaves on Friday, which will help decide the safety of the bottom three of the division.
On Saturday, Urayasu D-Rocks and Toyota Industries Corporation Shuttles Aichi face off at Chiba with the hosts having the smallest of edges over recent meetings and they can again call on Israel Folau who has made his comeback.
- Friday April 19 – Red Hurricanes Osaka v Japan Steel Kamaishi Seawaves; at Osaka, 7pm
- Saturday April 20 – Urayasu D-Rocks v Toyota Industries Corporation Shuttle Aichi; at Chiba, 2.30pm
Division 3 JRLO 2023-2024 – Round 13 Fixtures
Hino Red Dolphins could wrap up the Division title if they beat Kurita Water Gush Akishima away from home. The hosts are chasing log points as they are currently in fourth but a third-place finish is needed to compete in the Replacement Battle.
Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks has a small mathematical chance of catching the log leaders but results would very much have to go their way. They will also need to gain maximum points when they play Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions on Sunday.
Neither of the top two sides will face a Replacement Battle series, and Hino will be chasing an undefeated season on their quest to win the division.
- Saturday April 20 – Kurita Water Gush Akishima v Hino Red Dolphins; at Kanagawa, 1pm
- Sunday April 21 – Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks v Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions; at Kanagawa, 1pm
How To Watch JRLO
Matches from the JRLO can be seen in Africa on ESPN Africa, as well as in New Zealand via TVNZ, and in some regions on World Rugby’s global rugbypass.com website.
At the start of 2024, the Japan Rugby League One also announced to fans in Asia that they will be able to watch on Malaysian TV streaming provider, Astro, with matches on Astro SuperSport channel!
From this weekend (22nd March 2024), some fixtures will also now be streamed on RugbyPassTV but won’t be available in certain territories.
The full fixture list for this JRLO season can be seen here.
Japan Rugby League One 2023-2024
- JRLO 2023-2024 Round 12 Preview.
- JRLO 2023-2024 Round 11 Preview.
- Ardie Savea – Playing Rugby In The JRLO Has Been A Blessing.
- Rugby Life At JRLO Side Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay – Bernard Foley, Dane Coles & Liam Williams.
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