The Japan Rugby League One (JRLO) will be able to boast a Rugby World Cup 2023 winner will be playing the 2023-2024 season, regardless of who wins the title between South Africa and New Zealand in Paris on Saturday 28th October.
The JRLO said that, “more players who are enrolled for the upcoming season of the league will start in the 2023 RWC final than will from either the next instalment of Super Rugby or the various Northern Hemisphere competitions.”
- 12 of the starting 30 players (40 per cent) will be JRLO-based, with Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs) also on the South African bench.
- Six players each from New Zealand and South Africa are in the starting XV lineups.
- Springboks in JRLO (7) – Franco Mostert (Mie Honda Heat), Pieter Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz), Faf de Klerk (Yokohama, Canon Eagles), Damien de Allende (Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights), Jesse Kriel (Yokohama Canon Eagles), Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath), Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka Blue Revs).
- All Blacks in JRLO (6) – Brodie Retallick (Kobelco Kobe Steelers), Shannon Frizell (Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo), Ardie Savea (Kobelco Kobe Steelers), Aaron Smith (Toyota Verblitz), Richie Mo’ounga (Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo), Beauden Barrett (Toyota Verblitz).
- Five other players in the two matchday squads on Saturday have played in the JRLO recently; Handre Pollard (NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes), Eben Etzebeth (NTT DoCoMo Red Hurricanes), Sam Whitelock (Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights), Damien McKenzie (Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath) and RG Syman (Mie Honda Heat).
Image Credit: JRLO – 13 of the 46 players in the RWC 2023 Final will be in the JRLO in the 2023-2024 season
Japan Rugby League One Genichi Tamatsuka said, “Japan Rugby League One was only setup two years ago, with the vision of further developing the club game in our country while providing a springboard to showcase the best of our league on the international stage.”
He added, “To already have more players in the starting teams of a Rugby World Cup final than any other competition in the world is a massive honour.”
JRLO 2023-2024 Season
The third season of Japan Rugby League One kicks off on December 9, 2023. JRLO chief operating officer, Hajime Shoji, says the competitive performance by the Japan Brave Blossoms in France, alongside the influx of World Cup competitors from other countries, should ensure a highly competitive and exciting league.
“It has taken us just two years to exceed one million in attendance for our league, we had 42,000 at last season’s final, and that public enthusiasm [for rugby] carried over to the Rugby World Cup where Japan had great support from fans at the tournament, but also watching at home.”
Shoji added, “I am confident the level of interest in our league at home, but also overseas, is going to continue to grow, especially as we have 24 foreign players from seven different countries who participated at the Rugby World Cup now joining Japan Rugby League One clubs.”
The already impressive coaching ranks in the Japanese league have also been bolstered for the new season:
- Six Nations-winning Wales coach Wayne Pivac has joined the NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu.
- Former Australia coach Dave Rennie is at the Kobelco Kobe Steelers.
- Outgoing Italy coach Kieran Crowley will be at Mie Honda Heat.
Mr Shoji said of the coaching talent in the JRLO, “The input of such elite foreign coaches and players at clubs is having a huge influence on developing Japanese players for the exciting opportunities that are ahead of the Japan team.”
Some of the current JRLO coaches are also being linked to the vacant Japan Men’s Head Coach role now that Jamie Joseph is returning to New Zealand.
Rugby Tournament News
- Rugby World Cup 2023 – The Final
- Rugby World Cup 2027 – What Changes Have Been Made?
- Is The New Aligned Rugby Calendar Good For The Sport.
- New Pacific Nations Cup.
Trending Now
The Best Social 2024 Rugby Tournaments In Asia
