JRLO Global Footprint Shows In National Team Selections

The JRLO (Japan Rugby League One) has seen dozens of its players selected by national Test teams as the international season is upon us, indicating the global footprint of the rugby union tournament.

Photo Credit – JRLO –  Franco Mosters in JRLO with Mie Honda Heat

Both championship-winning Ardie Savea and Anton Leinert-Brown with Kobelco Kobe Steelers have been selected by the All Blacks by Dave Rennie, with Savea the first All Blacks captain to be selected from Japanese club rugby.

The news came within days of Brave Blossoms skipper Warner Dearns winning the Super Rugby Pacific title with the  (Wellington) Hurricanes, and as many as nine players selected by the Springboks for the inaugural Nations Championship who played in this year’s JRLO, and two others confirmed to be Japan-bound next season.

Photo Credit: JRLO / Kobelco Kobe Steelers

JRLO Chairman Genichi Tamatsuka: “It’s quite remarkable how quickly the influence of League One has grown”

The Japan Rugby League One Chairman said, “Five years ago, when we started, one of the goals was to promote rugby in Japan to the world, but who could have believed League One’s profile as a home for the game’s elite could grow so quickly?

It’s a credit to the clubs and the programmes they run, the coaching and support they provide the players to excel and develop their careers, but also to all who are associated with the league itself.”

He added, “We have a dedicated staff who work incredibly hard. The global recognition the league is receiving, through the international selection of players, reflects their work too, in putting together, in conjunction with the clubs, an elite competition that is making its mark on the world stage.

Players want to come and experience Japan, and our public wants to see them, which is reinforced by the fact that each of our last three finals have attracted crowds above 50,000.”

Warner Dearns Success in Super Rugby Pacific

Photo Credit – Super Rugby Pacific

Warner Dearns became just the fourth player to do the League One/Super Rugby career double. Other players to have done so are Toshiba teammate and serial title-winner Richie Mo’unga (Crusaders), and the duo from Kobelco Kobe Steelers; Brodie Retallick (Chiefs) and Savea (Hurricanes).

It was a third title that the 24-year-old Dearns has won in as many seasons and is will play with the Brave Blossoms in the Nations Championship.

JRLO Chairman Genichi Tamatsuka explained, “Watching Warner stand out among the elite of New Zealand and Australia was thrilling to observe, but it was also a great reinforcement of the playing trajectory of League One, showing that our top players can hold their own in any company.”

Tokyo Sungoliath scrumhalf Naoto Saito also won the French Top 14 with champions Toulouse previously, and he returns to the JRLO next season. Toulouse chase consecutive titles when they face Montpellier in this weekend’s final in Paris.

League One Managing Director Hajime Shoji said “The fact that Warner can be so successful in Super Rugby, and that the All Black and Springbok teams that have been announced in the last few days contain 11 players who featured in League One this season shows just how competitive our league and teams are. The next step for us is some form of international cross-border competition, which is something that we believe has huge potential for the future.”

Selected All Blacks in JRLO

• Ardie Savea – Kobelco Kobe Steelers
• Anton Leinert-Brown – Kobelco Kobe Steelers

Springboks in the JRLO

Photo Credit – JRLO – Cheslin Kolbe – JRLO 2026 with Tokyo Sungoliath

• Lood de Jager (Saitama Wild Knights)
• Pieter-Steph du Toit (Toyota Verblitz)
• Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears)
• Franco Mostert (Mie Honda Heat)
• Jasper Wiese (Urayasu D-Rocks)
• Damian de Allende (Saitama Wild Knights)
• Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Sungoliath) – joining the Stomers next season
• Jesse Kriel (Yokohama Canon Eagles)
• Manie Libbok (Hanazono Kintetsu Liners)

Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks) & Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks) join the JRLO for the 2026-2027 season and are in the Bok team. Both Lukhanyo Am (DynaBoars) and Faf de Klerk (Canon Eagles) also played last weekend in the matches against Zimbabwe and the Barbarians, and the scrumhalf will play for the Baabaas this weekend against Wales.

Selected Fiji players in JRLO

Two Fiji players were selected for the Nations Championship 2026.

• Semi Radradra – SHIZUOKA BlueRevs
• Tevita Ikanivere – Mie Honda Heat

Selected Samoa players in JRLO

Three JRLO players were selected by Samoa for the Nations Cup 2026.

• Samuel Slade – SECOM Sayam Rugguts
• Peter Umaga-Jensen – Hanazono Kintetsu Liners
• Benjamin Nee-Nee – Kamaishi Seawaves

Selected Tonga players in Japan

One Tongan player who competes in Japan was selected for the Nations Cup 2026.

• Sione Tuipulotu – Maruwa Momotarus

Photo Credit- JRLO – Peter Umaga-Jensen with Hanazono Kintetsu Liners

Japan Rugby News 2026

• Kobelco Kobe Steelers Win First Japan Rugby League One Title
• Brave Blossoms 2026 Home Tests and Venues Confirmed.
• Lukhanyo Am – I Would Encourage Players To Come and Play in the Japan Rugby League One
• Kobelco Kobe Steelers Head Coach Dave Rennie Lands All Blacks Head Coach Job