NEWSWORTHY
The Kobe Kobelco Steelers claimed their second Japan Rugby Top League title Saturday with a 55-5 drubbing of Suntory Sungoliath at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground. The game also doubled as the All-Japan Championship final and saw Kobe — whose only previous league win came ...
Matt Giteau's Suntory Sungoliath and Dan Carter's Kobe Kobelco Steelers will play for the Japan Rugby Top League crown after winning their respective semifinals Saturday in Tokyo and Osaka. Giteau kicked a 42-meter penalty in the fifth minute of sudden-death extra time — just the ...
Suntory Sungoliath will play Yamaha Jubilo for a spot in the Japan Rugby Top League final after both sides won hard-fought quarterfinals on Saturday. Suntory held on by the skin of its teeth to beat the Kubota Spears 28-26 at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground, ...
Seven squads secure playoff berths on pivotal day in Top League
Seven teams confirmed their places in the playoffs to determine the Japan Rugby Top League champion Saturday as the pool stage reached its penultimate round. Yamaha Jubilo, the Panasonic Wild Knights, Ricoh Black Rams and Kubota Spears will all progress from the White Conference, while ...
Steelers' Dan Carter shines in victorious Top League debut against Sungoliath
Dan Carter made his Japan Rugby Top League debut in stunning fashion Friday night as he led the Kobe Kobelco Steelers to a 36-20 defeat of two-time defending champion Suntory Sungoliath. In front of a packed Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground, the three-time World Player ...
Two-time defending Top League champion Suntory Sungoliath beat NTT Communications Shining Arcs 20-18 Friday at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground to make it two straight wins to start the new season. But for the second week running the champs were forced to dig very deep ...
Abbreviated Top League hoping to build hype ahead of 2019 Rugby World Cup
With the Rugby World Cup only a year away, the Top League is hoping to help develop players and draw attention to the domestic game over the upcoming 2018-19 season. In order to allocate more time for the Sunwolves of Super Rugby as well as ...
The Top League claimed an impressive double scalp over Super Rugby on Sunday as NEC Green Rockets and Suntory Sungoliath beat the Waratahs and Brumbies, respectively, at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground. Two tries from Rio Olympian Teruya Goto and a key defensive play from ...
Australian rugby legend George Smith will no longer play for Suntory Sungoliath after the club said Thursday it had canceled the player's contract for his alleged assault of a taxi driver late last year. The 37-year-old flanker was arrested on Dec. 31 on suspicion of ...
Suntory Sungoliath fullback Kotaro Matsushima won the Japan Rugby Top League's Most Valuable Player Award on Sunday. "I'm so happy to receive this award. Being picked when there are so many outstanding players is an honor," said the 24-year-old Matsushima, whose club recently won its ...
Rugby legend George Smith released from police custody; indictment decision pending
Australian rugby legend George Smith, who was arrested for allegedly assaulting a taxi driver on New Year's Eve after refusing to pay his fare, has been released with a prosecutors' decision on whether to indict him pending. The Tachikawa branch of the Tokyo District Court ...
Suntory Sungoliath were crowned Top League champions for the fifth time on Saturday thanks to a 12-8 win over Panasonic Wild Knights at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground. "That was the best we have played all season," said Suntory coach Keisuke Sawaki, whose side not ...
