NTT Japan Rugby League One 2024-25 Season Concludes As Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo Do the Double

Over the weekend, the Japan Rugby League One 2024-25 season concluded as Michael Leitch’s Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo became the first side to defend their Japan Rugby League One Division 1 title after beating Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay 18-13.

Division 1

In front of a crowd of 50,009 at the National Stadium in Tokyo, All Black flyhalf Richie Mo’unga collected a second League One championship, to accompany his seven Super Rugby titles he won with the Crusaders, and he was awarded his 4th consecutive Man of the Match as he racked up 13 of his side’s 18 points. The final saw the talisman score his 11th try of the season.

The five-point margin of victory continued the trend of closely contested League One finals. Since the reformatted competition began, the previous gaps in the Dovoson 1 championship finale have been six, two and four, respectively.

It was a seventh star and title for the Todd Blackadder-coached club, since a round robin format was first introduced in Japan with the advent of the league’s forerunner, Top League, in 2003.

Photo Credit – JRLO – POTM Richie Mo’anga

Blackadder said, “I want to thank Kubota, as that was a heck of a final, and I’m happy we could come through that. We knew their set piece would be massive, and they are a really strong defensive team, but we had to play our style, and we did that today. Winning back-to-back shows our growth, and we’ve stayed in the battle every game, and this season, the JRLO Division 1 has never been more competitive.”

On Saturday, Kobelco Kobe Steelers beat the Wild Knights 22-17 on a damp Tokyo afternoon to claim third this season, with another former All Black, Brodie Retallick, claiming the player of the match.

JRLO Division 1 Final Attendances:

• 2022: Suntory v Saitama – 33,604 
• 2023: Saitama v Kubota – 41,794 
• 2024: Saitama v Kubota – 56,486  
• 2025: Toshiba v Kubota –  51,009

Photo Credit – JRLO

The Replacement Battles 2025

In both Divisions Two and Three, the higher-seeded sides won all four Replacement Battles over the weekend, so Urayasu D-Rocks and Mie Honda Heat will both stay in Division 1 next season.

Wallaby midfielder Samu Kerevi (14 tries from 16 appearances) helped his Urayasu D-Rocks beat Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi 27-21, for a five-point victory in the series. It was England fly-half Freddie Burns’ final game in Japan with the losing side.

Mie Honda Heat saw off the challenge of Kintetsu Liners and ended the Japanese club careers of Wallaby veterans, Quade Cooper and Will Genia. The side which included Pablo Matera (Man-of-the-match) and Franco Moster, who both scored tries in the second leg, won the two matches 29-25 and 29-19.

Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves remain in Division Two as they beat Mazda SkyActivs Hiroshima 51-24, which was enough to overcome the 19-point deficit after losing the 1st leg 33-14.

Sayama Secom Rugguts will also play Division Three next season, but did well against Shimizu Corporation Koto Blue Sharks, losing 31-28 to lose the two-game series by five points. Rugguts’ fullback, Chase Tiatia, scored 16 tries in his first season in the JRLO.

Division 2

• Winners – Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi
• Outstanding Head Coach Award – Yoichi Tokuno – Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi
• MVP – Freddy Burns – Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi (also the most points and most tries in Div 2)
• Player of the Season – Freddy Burns – Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi
• Fair Play Award – Hanazono Kintetsu Liners

Photo Credit – JRLO

Division 3

• Winners – Mazda SkyActive Hiroshima
• Outstanding Head Coach Award – Damien Karauna (Mazda SkyActive Hiroshima)
• MVP – Tomoko Ashida – Mazda SkyActive Hiroshima
• Player of the Season – Chase Tiatia – Sayama Secom Rugguts
• Fair Play Award – Mazda SkyActive Hiroshima

Photo Credit – JRLO

Japanese Rugby News 2025

• JAPAN XV 2025 Squad Announced for NZU, HKCR and Māori All Blacks Fixtures.
• Japan Sakura Fifteens and Brave Blossoms 2025 Domestic Fixtures Announced.
• New JRLO Player Eligibility Rules For 2026/2027 Season – What Do They Actually Mean?
• Details For Japan Sakura 15s Taiyo Life JAPAN RUGBY CHALLENGE SERIES 2025 Against Spain Confirmed.