Japan Rugby League One 2025-2026 R4 Review
Round 4 of the Japan Rugby League One saw some big scores, hat-tricks and disciplinary issues, as the Saitama Wild Knights and Kubota Spears maintain their undefeated starts to the season in Division 1, and the Hanazono Kintetsu Liners and Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks do the same in Division 2.
Round 4 of the Japan Rugby League One saw some big scores, hat-tricks and disciplinary issues, as the Saitama Wild Knights and Kubota Spears maintain their undefeated starts to the season in Division 1, and the Hanazono Kintetsu Liners and Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks do the same in Division 2.
Division 1
Urayasu D-Rocks 28-22 Yokohama Canon Eagles
Graham Rowntree continued his impressive winning start to the Urayasu D-Rocks JRLO season as they climbed to fifth in the standings with their 28-22 win over Yokohama Canon Eagles, which also condemned Leon MacDonald’s Yokohama Canon Eagles to a fourth straight loss this season and 8 overall.
The D-Rocks win means they have won more games than last season, and Wallaby Samu Kerevi continued his impressive form with a try in the win from 60 meters out in his man-of-the-match performance.
The hosts were ahead 22-5 at the break before the visitors came back into the match well, with Liakimatagi Moli and Jesse Kriel scoring tries, but they couldn't make up the deficit. They were also the first of three losing teams on Saturday to finish with 22 points.
It is the club’s worst losing sequence for a decade, since they lost eight in a row in the 2014-15 season, and they face log leaders Saitama Wild Knights in the next round.
Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo 47-22 Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars
Three yellow cards and a hat-trick for Tjay Clarke saw the Toshiba Brave Lupus record a comfortable win over the Dynaboars, which sees the defending champions into 4th place while the losers slip down to 9th on the table.
Formerly of the (Wellington) Hurricanes, the 23-year-old Clarke was also yellow-carded in the win, so was mercurial flyhalf Richie Mounga and Dynabors Springbok centre Lukhanyo Am and Toshiba’s Tongan-born prop Vea Taumoefolau.
Rob Thompson, Rinpei Sakaki, and Clarke opened the scoring with three tries for the Brave Lupus, with James Grayson dotting down for the Dynaboars. Each side had another try through Hiroki Yamamoto for the winners and Seunghyok Lee for the losers.
The Dynaboars added further tries via a penalty try, and from Matt Vaega to make it 22-28, but the hosts pulled away with two more from Clarke and a second for Thompson.
Saitama Wild Knights 37-22 Shizuoka BlueRevs
The BlueRevs were the only side to have beaten the Wild Knights twice in the regular season since League One began, and they looked to be in contention again as they led 15-8 at the break. Ben Gunter scored for the hosts, with Semi Radradra and Sam Greene scoring tries for the visitors.
The game turned in the second half as the hosts raced to a try-scoring bonus point in their fourth win of the season under Head Coach Atsushi Kanazawa. Lisala Finau, Kumsu Lee, Liam Mitchell, Lachlan Boshier, Koki Takeyama all scored, but there was a late yellow card for Jack Cornelsen. The Wild Knights are joint top of the division, and the BlueRevs are 8th.
Tokyo Sungoliath 20-22 Kobelco Kobe Steelers
The match saw the most dramatic finish in Round 4 as the Kobelco Kobe Steelers snatched a 22-20 victory against the Tokyo Sungoliath.
The hosts were deprived of a win in the 80th minute when Springbok winger Cheslin Kolbe was judged offside attempting an interception - this resulted in Brave Blossoms international Seungsin Lee to kick the winning penalty goal, which was the team’s seventh win in a row away from home.
The hosts had led 17-14 at the break with tries coming from Harry Hockings, Kenta Kobayashi, and Kaleb Trask. Itsuki Kamimura and Brodie Retallick took four defenders to score for a third successive match for Kobelco Kobe Steelers.
Sungoliath’s Sam Cane was given two yellow cards and sent off in the loss, which sees the team in 6th place.
Toyota Verblitz 29-37 BlackRams Tokyo
BlackRams Tokyo came from behind to defeat Toyota Verblitz, as the hosts were ahead 29-10 at halftime. The result means the Verblitz are in 10th, and the Black Rams' second win this season climbs them to 7th.
The first half was notable for Mark Telea scoring his first tries for the club, two within four minutes.
The second half saw the BlackRams down to 13 players as both Josh Goodhue and Taira Main were yellow-carded, but the Verblitz were unable to score while their opponents had just 13 men on the field, and Steve Hansen’s men succumbed to a 37-29 defeat. Liam Gill and Yuki Ikeda scored tries for the victors in the second period.
The BlackRams scored the same number of points the last time these two met, when they were also victorious 37-7
Mie Honda Heat 21-45 Kubota Spears
The visitors took control of the game in the opening period, as Wallaby Bernard Foley, All Black Shaun Stevenson, Halatoa Vailea, Tyler Paul and Yota Kamimori scored tries as the Spears raced to a 31-0 lead.
They were 45-0 after an hour before the hosts scored the final three tries of the afternoon as consolation through Ryoma Nishimura, Tevita Ikanivere, and Dawid Kellerman.
The loss means the Heat’s winless run in the regular season is now 13 matches, and they are second bottom, while the Kubota Spears are joint top of the Division.
Division 2
Hanazono Kintetsu Liners 47-34 Hino Red Dolphins
Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks 26-21 RedHurricanes Osaka
Green Rockets Tokatsu 24-40 Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi
Hanazono Kintetsu Liners remain unbeaten in Division Two, and All Black centre Peter Umaga Jensen secured a brace of tries in their 47-34 win over Hino Red Dolphins - both of his tries within the opening ten minutes. Towa Taniguchi also scored a double in his team’s loss.
The Shimizu Koto Blue Sharks also maintained a perfect record after edging RedHurricanes Osaka 26-21.
Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi beat Green Rockets Tokatsu away from home - they also lost the last time they met. Josua Kerevi scored a double in his player of the match performance - matching the accolade his brother won in Division 1 with the D-Rocks. The win was also secured despite a red card for Taleni Seu.
Division 3
SAYAMA SECOM RUGGUTS 70-3 Yakult Levins Toda
SkyActivs Hiroshima 61-27 Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions
Le RIRO Fukuoka 20-18 Kurita Water Gush Akishima
Chase Tiatia ran in a hat-trick as Sayama Secom Rugguts smashed Yakult Levins Toda 70-3 - he also topped last year’s try-scoring rankings in Division Three with 14. Daniel Waite also scored a brace and finished with a haul of 30 points in the win as they are in second in the Division.
SkyActivs lead the division and were comfortable 61-27 winners in the Hiroshima Derby with Clynton Knox crossing for a first-half hat-trick.
Le RIRO Fukuoka picked up their second win, narrowly defeating Kurita Water Gush Akishima’s 20-18. Kai Yamamoto scored a brace for the defeated side, while Finau Makavaha scored twice for the winners.