Yasumoto Sasaki recorded a game-high three quarterback sacks as the X League champion Asahi Beer Club Silver Star defeated the collegiate representative Kwansei Gakuin Fighters 33-17 in the Rice Bowl on Monday at the Tokyo Dome.
The Silver Star captured their first all-Japan national title since 1994 and third overall. Kwansei Gakuin dropped to an 0-4 record in the Rice Bowl, in which the company league representatives hold a 9-8 overall lead against the collegiate champions and are 7-1 in the last eight seasons.
"It was a long road to come over here," said Asahi head coach Toshiaki Abe, who also coached the national team in last year's World Cup victory. "This title is significant because I and some of my players sacrificed a lot of time to win the World Cup last year. My team still won the title and I'm very proud of that."