Blockbuster start to new Japan Rugby League One Season

Defending champions Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo host Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights on opening weekend in a
blockbuster start to the fifth edition of Japan Rugby League One, which kicks off on December 13.
Hunting their third straight title, the Michael Leitch-led outfit were pitted against last season’s fourth-placed
side as part of the schedule for the 2025-26 season which was unveiled in Tokyo today.
The match reprises the pulsating title decider between the pair two seasons ago, when the Wild Knights had
a try ruled out for a forward pass in the dying moments as Brave Lupus hung on to claim their first title since
2010 after a 24-20 win.
The seven-time-Super Rugby-winning Crusaders flyhalf Richie Mo’unga will again spearhead the Brave
Lupus challenge, having battled through with a broken hand to lead his side to an 18-13 win over Kubota
Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay in last season's championship game.
The All Black, who has won League One twice in as many attempts, is one of a plethora of international stars
who will feature in the new season, with more big names expected to be announced by clubs before the
competition gets underway.
Among the stars already pencilled in is ex-World Rugby Player of the Year Ardie Savea, who returns to
Kobelco Kobe Steelers after making 15 appearances for the Kansai-based outfit two seasons ago.
The 31-year-old, who was recently crowned as Super Rugby Pacific’s inaugural Player of the Season after a
stellar season for Moana Pasifika, will be joined at Kobe by test teammate Anton Lienert-Brown, with the All
Black centre having replaced Ngane Laumape in Dave Rennie’s side.
The much-improved Kobe, who beat Saitama in the third-placed playoff, open against last season’s beaten
finalists.
Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx, who led Kubota to the title in the league’s second season, as well as last
year’s final, will again don orange, with several of his international teammates also returning to Japan,
including the Yokohama Canon Eagles pair of scrumhalf Faf de Klerk and centre Jesse Kriel.

They will have a new boss, with former All Black assistant and Blues boss Leon MacDonald taking up the
reins for his first stint in Japan as a coach, having previously appeared for each of Yamaha (now Shizuoka
Blue Revs) and Hanazono Kintetsu Liners during his playing career.
Yokohama begin their campaign at home to Shizuoka Blue Revs who – having collectively won just 16 games
through the competition’s first three years – won 14 last time during a golden run which swept the side to a
fourth-placed regular season finish, and a maiden appearance in the finals series.
The Blue Revs were eventually stopped by Kobe, who ran out 35-20 winners when the pair met on the
opening weekend of the playoffs.
With last season’s six-team finals format having been retained, there will be 114 matches in Division One,
comprising 108 in the regular season, followed by six in the playoffs.
Divisions Two and Three remain unchanged, with eight and six teams respectively, also beginning on
December 13.
The second-tier features 56 matches, with 45 in Division Three.
Regular season play in both sections will be followed by a two-legged promotion/relegation Replacement
Battle.