The JRLO 2023-2024 Round 7 (part 2) is played from 24-25 February 2024 and sees a return to action in all three top-flight Divisions in Japan.
Division One JRLO 2023-2024 – Round 7 Fixtures
Saturday 24th February 2024
In the opening match, Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars (6th) host Shizuoka Blue Revs (9th). Last season, the game was locked up at 27-all with the Blue Revs winning the return fixture 30-20, thanks largely to a red card for Dynaboars backrower Jackson Hemopo. If Shizuoka Blue Revs win, they could enter the top four if Canon loses.
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo (2nd) host Yokohama Canon Eagles (5th), as the semi-finalists from the previous two years try and stake a claim on semi-final credentials.
Canon have potentially lost Springboks, scrumhalf Faf de Klerk and centre Jesse Kriel, for the season, while Toshiba’s have off-season NZ recruits Richie Mo’unga and Shannon Frizell have taken them to another level. Mo’unga is fourth on the individual point-scoring charts, while Frizell has scored half a dozen tries this season.
The Eagles are set to start newly arrived Springbok midfield back Rohan Janse Van Rensburg in this fixture.
In the final match on Saturday in Osaka, winless Hanazono Kintetsu Liners (11th) and Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay (7th) face off.
Out all of this season due to injury, Springbok & Kubota Spears Malcolm Marx scored a first-half hattrick during Kubota’s 77-12 win in this opening game last season. On the return fixture, Haruto Kida also scored a half hattrick (and 4 in total) when Kubota won 55-17.
Kida notched up 17 tries last season and the 24-year-old winger has only crossed a brace so far in the 2023-2024 campaign – so alarm bells may be ringing for the Kintetsu side which has leaked 283 points at an average of 47 per game!
- Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars v Shizuoka Blue Revs; at Sagamihara, 2pm
- Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo v Yokohama Canon Eagles at Tokyo; 2.05pm
- Hanazono Kintetsu Liners v Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay at Osaka, 2.30pm
Sunday February 25 2024
The only Division 1 Sunday match, neither Kobelco Kobe Steelers (8th) nor Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo (10th) featured in The Cross Border Rugby, so this will be the first competitive outing for both sides since January 27!
Black Rams Australian coach Peter Hewat will be hoping his side can spring into life as they did last season, managing to win four of the last eight to edge away from the bottom three and the relegation Replacement Battle.
- Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo v Kobelco Kobe Steelers at Tokyo, 1pm
Brief highlights of all JRLO matches will be available here.
All times shown are Japan local time.
Image Credit JRLO
Division Two JRLO 2023-2024 – Round 6 Fixtures
Saturday 24th February 2024
This is the final Round Six Division Two match, and Wayne Pivac’s NEC Green Rockets (3rd) make their first appearance for nearly three weeks to face Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex (5th), whose last outing was a heavy loss to Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi, five weeks ago!
If NEC Green Rockets win away, they will join the top two sides with identical five-win, one-loss records thus far.
- Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex v NEC Green Rockets at Kagoshima, 1pm
Image Credit JRLO
Division Three JRLO 2023-2024 – Round 7 Fixtures
Saturday 24th February 2024
Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks will be seeking to repeat their 38-20 win over Kurita Water Gush Akishima the last time they played, and the home side are bolstered with the return of flyhalf Lima Sopoaga. It will be the dual New Zealand/Samoa international first match since just before Christmas in 2023.
- Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks v Kurita Water Gush Akishima at Tokyo, 1pm
Sunday February 25 2024
The second Hiroshima Derby of the year sees the Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions
bid for a double over Mazda SkyActivs, and they play at home.
- Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions v Mazda SkyActivs Hiroshima at Hiroshima, 3pm
Image Credit JRLO
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
- JRLO 2023-2024 Round 7 Preview Part 1
- 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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