2024-2025 JRLO Round 9 Preview

Our 2024-2025 JRLO Round 9 Preview with games being played from February 22-23 in Japan across all three Japan Rugby League One divisions – this also marks the halfway mark in the Division 1 season.

Results Round 8

Division 1

• Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo 43-33 Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath 33
• Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay 25-20 Kobelco Kobe Steelers
• Blue Revs 33-23 Toyota Verblitz
• Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo 44-22 Urayasu D-Rocks
• Mie Honda Heat 38-37 Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars
• Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights 51-36 Yokohama Canon Eagles

Division One JRLO 2024-2025 – Round 9 Fixtures

Saturday 22 February 2025 – All times shown are Japan local time.

• Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo v Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo; at Tokyo, 12pm
• Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay v Shizuoka Blue Revs; at Tokyo, 12pm
• Kobelco Kobe Steelers v Toyota Verblitz; at Osaka, 2.30pm
• Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights v Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars; at Saitama, 2.30pm

The defending champions, Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, head to face Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo away from home with Black Rams skipper TJ Perenara looking to continue his outstanding form since joining from the NZ Hurricanes. He will face former ex-All Black teammates Richie Mo’unga and Shannon Frizell for the first time since his return to Japan.

Shizuoka Blue Revs have notched up four wins away from home, and six in total this season, and will look to continue their excellent form as they travel to Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay in a third versus fourth clash on Saturday. Blue Revs Springbok skipper Kwagga Smith has been a key cog in the team’s performances (and not just this season as he has been the recipient of the Player’s Player award at each of the JRLO first two end-of-season awards.) The side also features this season’s leading try-scorer in winger Malo Tuitama and the exciting addition of Valynce Te Whare with 4 tries in his debut campaign.

The Spears will be no pushover as they have only lost once this season in a two-point defeat to leaders Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights. The return of key players such as hooker Malcolm Marx and Bernard Foley has made a difference in 2024-2025.

Former All Black coaches Steve Hansen and Ian Foster come up against the former Wallaby boss Dave Rennie when Kobelco Kobe Steelers meet Toyota Verblitz. Former Wallaby captain Micheal Hooper starts for Toyota Verblitz and scrumhalf Aaron Smith is on the bench. For Kobe, Sam Cane starts but Chelsin Kolbe, McMahon & Matsushima are not included once again.

Log-leaders Wild Knights host the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars and they have a great record over the visitors but will need to contain Kurt-lee Arendse as the bok wing has scored six tries in 8 appearances in his debut JRLO season but his coach Glenn Delaney will need to see his side get more wins to challenge for a playoff spot.

Sunday 23 February 2025 – All times shown are Japan local time.

• Mie Honda Heat v Yokohama Canon Eagles; at Mie, 12pm
• Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath v Urayasu D-Rocks; at Yamanashi, 1.05pm

Yokohama Canon Eagle heads to face Mie Honda Heat in Suzuka with the hosts having surprisingly beat Sagamihara Dynaboars last weekend 38-37 which would have pleased Mie’s Head Coach, former Canada and Italy coach Kieran Crowley. The side had not won since the end of December but remained in playoff contention – although the gap to the end-of-season Replacement Battle is also too close for comfort.

The fifth-placed Eagles will need to secure a win themselves in the tightly contested jostle in the division and other results could see them drop out of the top 6 if they dont secure a win on the road.

Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath will host and, for the first time play, the newly promoted Urayasu D-Rocks in Osaka with both sides having inconsistent seasons thus far. Israel Folau last played at the start of January for the D-Rocks and is absent once again.

Brief highlights of all JRLO matches will be available here.

Division 2 JRLO 2024-2025 – Round 6 Fixtures

Saturday 22 February 2025 – All times shown are Japan local time.

• Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex v Hanazono Kintetsu Liners; at Nagasaki, 12pm
• Red Hurricanes Osaka v Hino Red Dolphins; at Osaka, 1pm
• NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu v Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks; at Chiba, 2.30pm

The fourth-placed Kintetsu run out for their first game since the start of February and will look to topple the hosts, Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex, when the sides meet at Nagasaki –  Kyuden Voltex sit one point above the Kintetsu Liners on the points table in Division 2.

Red Hurricanes Osaka’s unbeaten run came to an end against Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex a couple of weekends ago and they will look to return to winning ways against Hino Red Dolphins who have only one win under their belt – the Osaka outfit can retake the lead on the log if they are victorious.

The Green Rockets host Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks and the matchup sees international flyhalves square up with All Black and Samoa international Lima Sopoaga facing Welsh-capped Rhys Patchell who comes off the Shimizu bench.

Division 3 JRLO 2024-2025 – Round 7 Fixtures

Saturday 22 February 2025 – All times shown are Japan local time.

• Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions v Yakult Levins Toda; at Hiroshima, 12pm
• Kurita Water Gush Akishima v Mazda SkyActivs Hiroshima; at Tokyo 1pm

Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions won the Hiroshima derby last week and are looking to back it up with a win as they host Yakult Levins – the last time they met, Red Regulions were 26-20 victors.

Wycliff Palu’s Kurita Water Gush Akishima have recorded three consecutive wins and host Mazda SkyActivs Hiroshima who themselves lost for the first time last weekend. When these two last met in the opening game of the season, the SkyActivs heavily defeated Water Gush 57-13 at home and history shows it should be a scoring contest, with the previous four matches between them racking up an aggregate of 262 points.

Sunday 23 February 2025 – All times shown are Japan local time

• LeRIRO Fukuoka v Sayama Secom Rugguts; at Fukuoka, 12pm

Second-placed Sayama Secom Rugguts were on the losing end last week 40-33 to Kurita Water Gush Akishima but a win over LeRIRO Fukuoka could see them take advantage of results on Saturday – the hosts LeRIRO Fukuoka are still looking for a first 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 Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay vs Shizuoka Blue Revs; at Tokyo, 12pm).
• 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.

Japan Rugby League One News

• 2024-2025 JRLO Round 8 Preview
• 2024-2025 JRLO Round 7 Preview.
• 2024-2025 JRLO Round 6 Preview.
• Fans Guide To The NTT Japan Rugby League One 2024-25 Season.