JRLO Chairman Hails The League’s International Rugby Talent
Japan Rugby League One chairman Genichi Tamatsuka has hailed the performances of the international rugby players representing their countries in the Rugby Championship and Pacific Nations Cup tournaments in 2024 with the start of the new expanded JRLO 2024-2025 approaching in December.
The previous 2023-2024 JRLO season was its most successful, and some of the players from the Springboks, the Argentinean Pumas and the All Blacks have been commended for their performances.
Tamatsuka said of last season, “We saw that in this year’s final (2024) between champions Brave Lupus Tokyo and the Wild Knights, which attracted 57,000 people to the National Stadium, an increase of 13,000 on last year. That game, which featured some of the world’s best players, was so exciting, being won by Brave Lupus in the last moments, that hopefully many of those who came along will come back for more.”
Mie Heat backrower Pablo Matera helped Argentina to August’s historic 38-30 win over the All Blacks in Wellington, New Zealand and he achieved his 100th test for Argentina during a win over France.
There is a large South African contingent who will play in next season’s JRLO competition with seven of the squad involved in the double wins over New Zealand in Johannesburg and Cape Town.
Three other Springboks; Yokohama Eagles scrumhalf Faf de Klerk, Saitama Wild Knights second-rower Lood de Jager and his Mie Heat counterpart Francois Mostert, were unavailable for the series due to injury.
Australian winger Marika Koroibete (Wild Knights) is the only current Wallaby representative based in Japan, while the All Blacks utility back Beauden Barrett (Verblitz) and backrower Ardie Savea (Kobelco Kobe Steelers) played last season, while former captain Sam Cane is returning to Sungoliath for the 2024-25 campaign.
Scrumhalf TJ Perenara, who has previously played for Red Hurricanes Osaka, joins Black Rams Tokyo for the upcoming new season.
Mr Tamatsuka said, “The performance of the players is evidence of how the rising level of club play in Japan is providing perfect preparation for test players of all countries. Clubs in Japan Rugby League One are exceptional in how they manage their players physically while the competition schedule, which includes bye rounds, ensures the players are at their best for their clubs, but also ready to go when their countries’ call.”
In last year’s Rugby World Cup 2024 in Paris, 12 of the 30 players who started the match (40 per cent of the run-on teams) were playing in the JRLO.
JRLO Fuels World Champion Springboks
The league’s ‘footprint’ on the international test game is at its most prominent with the world champions the Springboks.
Players in the JRLO include Tokyo Sungoliath winger, Cheslin Kolbe, Eagles centre Jesse Kriel, Wild Knights Damien de Allende, Toyota Verblitz backrower Pieter Steph du Toit, Shizuoka Blue Revs backrower Kwagga Smith, Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay hooker Malcolm Marx.
Two new JRLO-bound Springboks are Uryasu D-Rocks backrower Jasper Wiese, and Bulls and Bok wing Kurt-Lee Arendse joining Mitsubishi Dyneboars.
You can see all the players who joined last season’s JRLO here.
Pacific Nations Cup 2024 – JRLO Representatives
Shimizu Blue Sharks backrower Murphy Taramai scored a try on debut during Samoa’s memorable win over Italy in July, and Kamaishi Seawaves second rower Benjamin Nee Nee is also with the Samoans who will play the Brave Blossoms in the semi-finals of the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2024 in September 2024.
Mr Tamatsuka explained, “The quality of these players, their career achievements, and ongoing hunger to perform are all things which excite fans in Japan. It is helping to lift the league’s playing standard, but also bringing more people with no previous background in rugby into our stadiums.”
The new look Brave Blossoms under Eddie Jones, are participating in the Pacific Nations Cup after recently sharing their series with the Maori All Blacks. and Mr Tamatsuka added, “A lot of the players are young and are learning, but you can see the benefit they are getting from the higher level of play in the league, as well as the teachings of the illustrious club coaches, and international stars that they play alongside in their teams.”
“With a coach of such skill and experience as Eddie has, and his understanding of Japanese players, the future for the Brave Blossoms is bright, and League One will continue to help drive that,” said the JRLO Chairman.
New Era Begins With JRLO Expansion for 2024-2025 Season
The JRLO welcomes three new teams for the new expanded season as 12 teams will make up Division One, with the second section expanded to eight teams, and sixs sides make up the third division.
Saitama-based SECOM RUGGUTs, Yakult Levins who represent Toda, and LeRIRO Fukuoka are joining the competition in the third division.
Chief Operating Officer Hajime Shoji said. “The interest in entering the league from clubs in Japan went well beyond the three who have. They are the clubs who best met our strict criteria to enter but there is certainly plenty of potential for further growth in the future.”
The fourth edition of Japan Rugby League One kicks off on December 21. The competition, which will this season feature a six-team playoffs series, runs through to the final in Tokyo on June 1, 2025.
JRLO News
- NTT Japan Rugby League One 2024-25.
- Japan Rugby League One 2023-2024 Season Sees Record-Breaking Crowd Attendance.
- Fumi Tanaka – Japanese Coaching Aspirations & His Views On The Development of Japanese Rugby
- Eddie Jones Commits To Developing Youth In New Era of Brave Blossoms at PNC 2024.