2024-2025 JRLO Round 6 Preview

rugbyasia247 Posted On January 31, 2025

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Our 2024-2025 JRLO Round 6 Preview sees fixtures played in all 3 divisions following a weekend of byes last week in Division 1 – with Round 6 played from February 1-2 in Japan.

The Japan National Women’s Rugby Football Championship 2025 final will also kick off on Sunday, February 2 as Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix defends their title against Mie PEARLS at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo.

Feature Photo Credit – Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay

Results Round 5

Division 1

Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay 26-18 Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo
Shizuoka Blue Revs 34-18 Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo
Yokohama Canon Eagles 47-21 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars
Kobelco Kobe Steelers 50-22 Urayasu D-Rocks
Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath 27-19 Mie Honda Heat
Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights 38-22 Toyota Verblitz

Division 2

Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi 42-0 NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu
Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex 30-25 Hino Red Dolphins
Red Hurricanes Osaka 38-19, Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks

Division 3

Kurita Water Gush Akishima 64-26 LeRIRO Fukuoka
Mazda SkyActivs Hiroshima 45-13 Yakult Levins Toda
Sayama Secom Rugguts 54-15 Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions
Mazda SkyActivs Hiroshima 66-5 Le RIRO Fukuoka (Jan 25)

Division One JRLO 2024-2025 – Round 6 Fixtures

Saturday 1 February 2025 – All times shown are Japan local time.

Kobelco Kobe Steelers v Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo; at Hyogo, 12pm
Shizuoka Blue Revs v Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath; at Shizuoka, 2pm
Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights v Urayasu D-Rocks; at Saitama, 2.30pm
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars v Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay; at Kanagawa, 2.30pm
Toyota Verblitz v Yokohama Canon Eagles; at Aichi, 2.30pm

In Round 5, Kobelco Kobe Steelers won for the first time in three rounds – and they host the Black Rams who have lost three games on the bounce. The Black Rams under Coach Tabai Matson had been ahead at halftime in three
of their four losses to date so they hope to correct that.

NZ Brodie Retallick captains for Kobe, with fellow Kiwi Bryn Gatland at flyhalf and a dangerous centre pairing of Tim Lafaele and Michael Little. Internationals George Turner (Scotland) and Ngani Laumape (NZ) are in the reserves.

Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath coach Kosei Ono won his first match this campaign in the last round but they travel to Yamaha Stadium to tackle the competition’s surprise team this season – Shizuoka Blue Revs -on Saturday. The Kwagga Smith-led side finished 8th in the past three JRLO seasons but are now third on the log, and in their last fixture beat the defending champions Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo to end their 13-match unbeaten streak.

Although Sungoliath have not lost in the last 14 matches they have played against the Blue Revs they know they face a different side this season but will want to keep that streak going to close in on the last qualifying position which they are three points adrift of. However, they travel without Springbok Cheslin Kolbe, All Black Sam Cane or fullback Kotaro Matsushima.

The unbeaten Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, who have lost at home just once since the league began, face the Division 1 bottom side Urayasu D-Rocks who travel to Kumagaya for the first time in three. The hosts also have Springbok second rower Lood de Jager who made his on-field return last round after a shoulder injury sustained in last year’s final, while the Brave Blossoms in the side include Ben Gunter & Jack Cornelson among others.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars newly announced signing following the partnership with UK-based Leicester Tigers, former England Under-20 captain Lewis Chessum, starts on the bench against Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay who themselves hand a start to All Black Shaun Stevenson at fullback. The Dynaboars have already equalled the number of home wins (2) they achieved last season – with Bok Kurt-Lee Arendse starting at fullback – so there could be some exciting last-line defence and attacks from the 15s.

Toyota Verblitz (9th) host the inform Yokohama Canon Eagles (4th) as the visitors Boks (Faf de Klerk and Jesse Kriel) have been vital as part of a razor-sharp attack that has notched up 140 points in the last 3 rounds. Kriel will face the improving and hyped Joseph Manu in the Verblitz midfield. Verblitz is without new signing Michael Hooper, while Kazuki Himeno and Aaron Smith also don’t feature.

Sunday 2 February 2025 – All times shown are Japan local time.

Mie Honda Heat v Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo; at Mie, 12.10pm

Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo travels to Mie Honda Heat and look to avenge a first loss in 14 games in the last round – with the hosts looking to break a run of three consecutive defeats this season. Mie Honda Heat has internationals Franco Mostert (SA), Pablo Matera (Argentina) and Tom Banks (Australia) starting. Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo NZ flyhalf Richie Mo’unga starts.

Brief highlights of all JRLO matches will be available here.

Division 2 JRLO 2024-2025 – Round 6 Fixtures

Saturday 1 February 2025 – All times shown are Japan local time.

Hino Red Dolphins v Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves; at Tokyo, 1pm

Hino Red Dolphins are winless and play Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves at home in the only fixture in Division Two. The Seawaves lost late in the last match and if they do lose again, will drop to the bottom of the Division.

Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks will play Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi on February 8, and Red Hurricanes Osaka face Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex on February 9 to complete the round in the Division

Division 3 JRLO 2024-2025 – Round 6 Fixtures

Saturday 1 February 2025 – All times shown are Japan local time.

Kurita Water Gush Akishima v Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions; at Kanagawa, 12pm

Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions head away to Kurita Water Gush Akishima on Saturday in Division Three, and the visitors will look to avoid back-to-back defeats – if they do win it would be their 3rd of the season and their best return for a campaign since the league started four years ago. Water Gush finally won their first game of the season at Le RIRO Fukuoka’s in the last round.

Sunday 2 February 2025 – All times shown are Japan local time.

Yakult Levins Toda v Sayama Secom Regguts; at Gunma, 12pm

4th placed Toda on Sunday host second-placed Sayama and the Yakult Levins Toda side are pushing for a third win this season.

How To Watch JRLO 2024-2025

This is what has been confirmed so far for streaming services of the JRLO 2024-2025 season:

Japanese-based broadcasters are listed as showing select matches.
One match per round will be shown on RugbyPass (this weekend it’s the Mie Honda Heat v Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo on Sunday).
Matches can be seen in Taiwan via ELTA TV with one match per round.
In sub-Saharan Africa, ESPN Africa will show two games a week, both live and on-demand.

The full fixture list for this JRLO season can be seen here.