KAMAISHI, Iwate Prefecture Tuvi Mahe was so busy preparing for the Kamaishi Seawaves’ season opener that he may have been the last person on the rugby team to learn about a disaster that hit his home country.
NTT victory helps put Top League s international flavor on display Sorry, but your browser needs Javascript to use this site. If you re not sure how to activate it, please refer to this site: https://www.enable-javascript.com/
NTT Communications Greig Laidlaw passes during his team s game against the Honda Heat on Saturday. | KYODO
KYODO Feb 20, 2021
Players from five different nations scored for NTT Communications on Saturday as the Shining Arcs opened the final Japan Rugby Top League season with a 41-13 win over Honda Heat.
New Zealand Maori representative Fletcher Smith crossed for the first try of the season in the sixth minute at Tokyo’s Yumenoshima Stadium and was followed over the line by former Scotland captain Greig Laidlaw, South Korean international Chang Yong-heung, former Wallaby flanker Liam Gill, and the Japanese pair of Atsushi Yumoto and Hiroyuki Mezaki.
Feb 19, 2021
The final edition of the Japan Rugby Top League kicks off Saturday with a plethora of world superstars on show and plenty to play for as the sport looks to make the transition from a corporate-run entity to a more professional competition from 2022.
Beginning next year, the top 25 teams in the nation 16 from the Top League and nine Top Challenge League sides will play in a new three-tier competition, and this year’s results will play a major role in determining which teams enter which division.
The season was originally slated to begin Jan. 16 but was postponed after multiple teams suffered COVID-19 outbreaks.
Jan 23, 2021
The Japan Rugby Football Union has revealed the revamped format and schedule for the 2021 Top League season.
The start of the campaign is now set for Feb. 20 and will run until April 11. A matchup between Toyota Verblitz and Toshiba Brave Lupus in Nagoya is the headliner among the first round of games.
The season was originally slated to begin Jan. 16, but was postponed after multiple teams experienced COVID-19 outbreaks. Earlier this week, the league announced the total number of positive cases was 68.
Speaking in an online news conference on Saturday, JRFU Chairman Kensuke Iwabuchi said 29 of the 68 players have now tested negative for the virus and have resumed practicing with their teams. He added that the majority of the remaining players are expected to return to rugby activities in the next week or so.