The JRLO 2023-2024 Round 8 for Divisions 1 and 3 and Round 7 for Division 2 will be played from 1-3 March 2024 – this is the first full schedule of matches since the end of January when the league paused for 2024 The Cross Border Rugby.
Division One JRLO 2023-2024 – Round 8 Fixtures
Friday 1st March 2024
In danger of falling out of contention for the semifinals, Yokohama Canon Eagles will be looking for a big result as they play bottom-placed Mie Honda Heat in a Friday night fixture. A win would end a run of two defeats against Kobelco Kobe Steelers and Toshiba Brave Lupus, which now places them 7th on the Division 1 table.
- Mie Honda Heat v Yokohama Canon Eagles; at Tokyo, 7pm
Saturday 2nd March 2024
Richie Mo’unga (56 NZ tests) and Shannon Frizell (33 NZ tests) feature in a Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo side coached by the 12-test All Black and former New Zealand captain, Todd Blackadder as they head to Hanazono Kintetsu Liners who have Australian former test players Quade Cooper (84 tests) and Will Genia (110 tests) in their side.
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo are on a run of seven wins and will expect to extend that at Hanazono Kintetsu Liners who are winless this season.
Although runaway log leaders in JRLO Division 1, Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights (and six-time
champions of Japan), face Shizuoka Blue Revs this weekend, they are the one team they have struggled against. Robbie Deans prepares for the trip to Yamaha Stadium, where they have had two narrow wins on their most recent visits, never mind the surprise 44-25 loss the Blue Revs inflicted at Kumagaya last season, ending the Wild Knight’s unbelievable 47-game undefeated run.
There is extra motivation for Shizuoka too as they are knocking on the door of the top four and a semi-final spot and will want to close the gap on the seven teams currently ranked above them on the JRLO championship ladder.
Suntory are at home and will be expected to beat a Black Rams outfit in Saturday’s final match in Division 1. The Black Rams have struggled to score tries (second least in the division) combined with poor discipline have made it a tough season thus far.
- Hanazono Kintetsu Liners v Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo; at Osaka, 12pm
- Shizuoka Blue Revs v Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights; at Shizuoka, 2pm
- Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath v Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo; at Tokyo, 2.05pm
Sunday 3rd March 2024
Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay welcome Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars to Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium – last time out Kubota beat Mitsubishi 60-22 with 11 tries scored in the match.
Osaka will be seeing some serious rugby test experience this weekend. There are a combined 554 tests on show over the weekend with 453 test caps between Beauden Barrett & Aaron Smith (Toyota Verblitz), Ngane Laumape, Ardie Savea (Kobe) and Brodie Retallick (Kobelco Kobe Steelers) as they face off on Sunday.
Add in Verblitz Director of Rugby (Rugby World Cup-winning All Black coach Steve Hansen), and Kobe’s two-time Super Rugby-winning ex-Chiefs coach Dave Rennie experience and it should be a great clash.
Toyota Verblitz and Kobelco Kobe Steelers are fifth and sixth on the table and level on points, so the game will be a tight contest.
- Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay v Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars; at Tokyo, 2.30pm
- Kobelco Kobe Steelers v Toyota Verblitz; at Osaka, 2.30pm
Brief highlights of all JRLO matches will be available here.
All times shown are Japan local time.
Division 2 JRLO 2023-2024 – Round 7 Fixtures
Saturday 2nd March 2024
Second-placed Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi head to second-bottom Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex with a win for the visitors taking them to the top of the Division 2 table, at least for 24 hours.
- Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex v Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi; at Fukuoka, 2.30pm
Sunday 3rd March 2024
The opening Sunday Division 2 fixture sees Kamaishi’s Reconstruction Stadium (which was built in the aftermath of the combined earthquake and tsunami that tragically hit the region in 2011) and hosted two matches at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, see The Seawaves host a match at home for the first time since Christmas eve 2023. Their home record does not read well in the JRLO however, with no wins from seven matches (one draw).
Their opponents are an in-form NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu who will look to add to the 323 points (at an average of 46.1) that Japan Steel Kamaishi Seawaves have conceded at home.
Fourth-placed Red Hurricanes Osaka are coached by former Wallaby Matt Cockbain and face top-of-the-table Urayasu D-Rocks at home. The visitors are coached by South African Johan Ackerman at as the pair clash on Sunday in the Division 2 NTT derby.
Red Hurricanes started the campaign with two wins, but have since gone four games without a W. Receiving four cards in six matches, the Red Hurricanes need to shore up their discipline to get a positive result over the weekend.
D-Rocks will at kick-off know whether the top spot on the standings is on the line, with the Shuttles playing the Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex a day earlier.
- Japan Steel Kamaishi Seawaves v NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu; at Kamaishi, 12pm
- Red Hurricanes Osaka v Urayasu D-Rocks; at Osaka, 1pm
Division 3 JRLO 2023-2024 – Round 8 Fixtures
Saturday 2nd March 2024
Mazda SkyActivs visit Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks and will be chasing second spot on the log if they win on Saturday, but there are only two points separating the teams on the competition standings.
Both sides scored wins last time out (for both – their third this season) but the Blue Sharks are boosted by the return of All Black and Samoa international flyhalf Lima Sopoaga, albeit from the bench.
Table-topping Hino Red Dolphins have not played since February 11 2024, and host bottom-placed Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions at Tokyo’s AGF Field. Hino are unbeaten in five matches and they have added three try-scoring bonus points, while the visitors have one win from six.
- Mazda SkyActivs Hiroshima v Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks; at Hiroshima, 1pm
- Hino Red Dolphins v Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions; at Tokyo, 1pm
The full fixture list for this JRLO season can be seen here.
JRLO 2023-2024
- JRLO 2023-2024 Round 7 Preview Part 2.
- JRLO 2023-2024 Round 7 Preview Part 1
- 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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