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.