Rugby
New rugby league to feature two-conference top flight with 12 teams
by Kaz Nagatsuka
The Japan Rugby Football Union hopes a larger first division will result in higher-quality matches when the new league kicks off in January 2022.
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Rugby
On Tuesday, the JFRU said 24 players and staff at Canon Eagles, 13 from Toyota Verblitz, and seven from Suntory Sungoliath tested positive in preseason screening.
Rugby
Top League cancels two games due to COVID-19 cases among three teams
The JRFU said a total of 44 players and staff tested positive for the virus, including 24 from Canon Eagles, 13 from Toyota Verblitz, and seven from Suntory Sungoliath.
Rugby Jan 10, 2021
Concerns over a highly transmissible strain of the coronavirus could prevent French rugby teams from traveling to the United Kingdom.
Rugby Jan 8, 2021
Rugby officials concerned Women's Six Nations may not be completed
England's Rugby Football Union has expressed concerns over whether the organizers of the women's Six Nations can successfully stage the tournament amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Several women's Six Nations fixtures were canceled last year due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, with England the only team ...
Rugby Jan 8, 2021
Up to 17,000 may attend national university rugby final next week
The Japan Rugby Football Union plans to hold the final of the national university championship as scheduled next week in Tokyo with up to around 17,000 spectators, a source with knowledge of the matter said Thursday. The Japanese capital and three neighboring prefectures are subject ...
Rugby Jan 6, 2021
Beauden Barrett looking forward to Sungoliath challenge
by Kaz Nagatsuka
The All Blacks star drew unprecedented media attention to his Wednesday unveiling ahead of the 2021 Top League season's Jan. 16 kickoff.
Rugby Dec 16, 2020
Ayumu Goromaru says upcoming retirement part of plan that began after college
by Kaz Nagatsuka
The former Japan national team star fullback said he always planned to retire the year he turned 35.
Rugby Dec 15, 2020
England faces contrasting RWC challenges from Argentina and Japan
England should go into the 2023 World Cup confident but wary after being grouped with Argentina and Japan, plus probably another Pacific island nation, in a pool coach Eddie Jones has described as the most contrasting of the four in terms of style. Although the ...
Rugby Dec 15, 2020
Japan seeks top-level competition ahead of 2023 reunion with Eddie Jones
The Brave Blossoms head coach wants to recreate the preparations that led to Japan's quarterfinal run on home soil in 2019.
Rugby Dec 14, 2020
Brave Blossoms to face England and Argentina at 2023 Rugby World Cup
Japan was drawn against an England coached by Eddie Jones, who masterminded Japan's stunning upset of South Africa at the 2015 World Cup.
Rugby Dec 13, 2020
'Blossoming' Kotaro Matsushima bags hat trick in win over Bristol
Clermont coach Franck Azema praised "blossoming" Kotaro Matsushima after the Japan fullback scored a hat trick of tries as the Top 14 giant opened their European Champions Cup campaign with a 51-38 bonus-point win at Bristol on Saturday. Matsushima's tries took his season tally to ...