The JRLO season resumes in Division 1 and continues in Division 2 following The Cross Border Games, and all of the matches in round 7 are played on 17 February 2024.
Division One JRLO 2023-2024 – Round 7 Fixtures
Saturday 17th February 2024
8th placed Toyota Verblitz face the bottom of the log Mie Honda Heat to start off Division One on Saturday. Verblitz can still chase down a top-four finish but will need a string of wins to close in on the congested table and the teams above them, while Honda Heat will look to avoid a 7th straight loss in the Japanese top flight.
Pieter Steph du Toit has only appeared four times for Toyota Verblitz so far this season, but he’s set to wear the No.8 jersey for a third time against Mie Honda Heat this weekend.
The second match sees two teams who had contrasting performances in The Cross Border Rugby played over recent weeks, and log-leaders Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights will want to continue their winning ways against Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath.
The latter were beaten by the visiting Blues but chose to rest their international stars, Springbok Cheslin Kolbe and All Black Sam Cane. Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights recorded the only Japanese win by beating the Gallagher (Waikato) Chiefs.
Between them, Suntory and Panasonic have won 11 titles since a nationwide league was established in Japan.
Sungoliath has recalled Cane and Kolbe for this weekend’s game and the third-place side will want to stop the Wild Knight’s epic unbeaten run this season.
Marika Koroibete has been a key figure for the Knights and the Wallaby winger has mainly been used off the bench thus far, playing 226 of the available 480 minutes in the league. They also have Dylan Riley who is the equal top try-scorer in this year’s JRLO Division with six, and the centre has scored on each of the four occasions that the Wild Knights have met Sungoliath post-Covid.
- Toyota Verblitz v Mie Honda Heat; Aichi, 2pm
- Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights v Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath; Kumagaya, 2.30pm
Brief highlights of all JRLO matches will be available here.
All times shown are Japan local time.
Division Two JRLO 2023-2024 – Round 7 Fixtures
Saturday 17th February 2024
Kamaishi has a better away record recently and will be aiming to give DRocks – a side who thrashed them 92-19 last season – a stiffer contest in Tokyo in the only Division 2 match this weekend.
A win would be an upset as they sit bottom of the league with no wins, while the hosts have only lost once this campaign and are second in the division.
- Urayasu D-Rocks v Japan Steel Kamaishi Seawaves; Kanagawa, 2.30pm
Division Three returns on February 24 2024.
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!
The full fixture list for this JRLO season can be seen here.
JRLO 2023-2024
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- JRLO 2023-2024 Round 6 Preview Part 2
- NTT JRLO Season 2023-2024 – Who Is Involved?
- Rugby Life At JRLO Side Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay – Bernard Foley, Dane Coles & Liam Williams.
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