There are JRLO Round 15 matches in Division 1, Round 15 clashes in Division 3, and placement matchups in Division 2 this weekend with fixtures from 27-28 April 2024 – this is our 2023-2024 JRLO Round 15 Preview.
With Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath, Yokohama Canon Eagles, and favourites Saitama Wild Knights all booking the semifinal berths last weekend, you would think there are dead rubber fixtures this round – but this is the penultimate round before those play-offs take place and placings at both ends of the table still need to be decided.
JLRO Division Two and Three have matches on Saturday and Sunday.
For a number of sides, it might be the last time home fans see some of their players in action, with a number of internationals set to wrap up their time at the end of the JRLO season and some local heroes retiring such as Fumiaki Tanaka (feature photo).
Division One JRLO 2023-2024 – Round 15 Fixtures
Saturday April 27 2024
Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo visit Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars and the hosts have lost their last five matches in the league and will be desperate for points to avoid the Replacement Battle. Australian coach Peter Hewat, who has been linked with a move to English club Leicester Tigers, saw his side concede 31 of the last 40 points in their loss to Kintetsu last week.
A bright spot for Black Rams has been Australian Isaac Lucas, who has the most carries (197) of any player in Division One, from which he has evaded 81 defenders (also a chart-topping stat). The uncapped 25-year-old is one of only three players to have carried the ball for more than 1000
metres, alongside Shizuoka’s Malo Tuitama, and Kobe’s Kenta Matsunaga.
The Dynaboars have enjoyed their most successful season in JRLO with five wins this season – if they win they will consign Ricoh Black Rams to the Replacement Battle and avoid those matches themselves so it’s all to play for.
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo and Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath are both in the semifinals but play for bragging rights in the capital at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium.
Toshiba Brave Lupus NZ flyhalf Richie Mo’unga is away on bereavement leave, so Hayata Nakao Nakao starts at number 10 in the All Blacks’ absence.
Even though Sungoliath is without injured All Black backrower Sam Cane and Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe, they qualified for their third consecutive semi-final.
Kobelco Kobe Steelers face Shizuoka Blue Revs and Kobe’s coach Dave Rennie will hope for a win to cement fifth, an improvement on the ninth the club achieved last year, and not bad for his first season in charge. Shizuoka are unbeaten in the last five and are in 8th place in the Division.
Canon Eagles take on Toyota Verblitz away from home, with the Verblitz side mauled by runaway leaders Wild Knights last week, enduring a 33-point defeat. The best Verblitz can hope for this season is a fifth-place finish in Division 1, while Canon Eagles will hope to jump to 3rd and avoid playing Wild Knights in the playoffs.
For the Canon Eagles, last weekend, they saw the return of Jesse Kriel, won the match against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars and booked their semi-final spot.
Hanazono Kintetsu Liners achieved their first win of the season last weekend and will play the aforementioned favourites Panasonic Wild Knights, but are unlikely to keep that win run going as they have lost their last 13 matches against them by an average losing margin of 31 points.
Outgoing champions Kubota will be disappointed they won’t defend their title, with coach Frans Ludeke also linked with a move to the URC, and he has rarely been able to field the international trio of Wales fullback Liam Williams, Wallaby flyhalf Bernard Foley and All Black hooker Dane Coles this campaign, with the latter absent again this weekend.
- Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars v Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo; at Sagamihara, 12pm
- Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo v Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath; at Tokyo, 12.05pmSaitama
- Panasonic Wild Knights v Hanazono Kintetsu Liners; at Kumagaya, 2.30pm
- Kobelco Kobe Steelers v Shizuoka Blue Revs; at Osaka, 2.30pm
- Toyota Verblitz v Yokohama Canon Eagles; at Nagoya, 2.30pm
- Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay v Mie Honda Heat; at Tokyo, 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
Sunday 28th April 2024
Wayne Pivac’s NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu are at home to Toyota Industries Corporation Shuttles Aichi and the former Welsh coach will be reminding his players that a win over the Shuttles would set up a ranking showdown against Urayasu to determine who takes on Division One’s bottom-placed side.
The other Placement game sees Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex play Japan Steel Kamaishi Seawaves – the latter will be confirmed to play Division Three’s third-placed side should they lose.
- Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex v Japan Steel Kamaishi Seawaves; at Fukuoka, 12pm
- NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu v Toyota Industries Corporation Shuttles Aichi; at Kashiwa, 2.30pm
Division 3 JRLO 2023-2024 – Round 14 Fixtures
Seven points separate Kurita Water Gush Akishima from third place currently occupied by Mazda SkyActivs Hiroshima – so Water Gush Akishima will need to secure a win over Chugoku Red Regulions on the road to climb the Divison 3 ladder.
The hosts will be seeking only their second win of the season but have not been an easy side to beat, and plenty points are needed to secure a win.
Recently division crowned champions, Hino Red Dolphins face aSkyActivs outfit that can confirm their place in the Replacement Battle with a win over the champs. However, Hino is unbeaten this season and has won the last five against the SkyActivs at an average margin of 39 per win!
- Saturday April 27 – Chugoku Red Regulions v Kurita Water Gush Akishima; at Hiroshima, 2pm
- Sunday April 28 – Mazda SkyActivs Hiroshima v Hino Red Dolphins; at Yamaguchi, 2pm
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!
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 13 Preview.
- JRLO 2023-2024 Round 12 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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