JRFU executive pushes for Top League sides' inclusion in new Southern Hemisphere tournament
If Japan's national rugby team is to grow stronger in the long term, the country's top clubs must compete against the best from the Southern Hemisphere, according to Japan Rugby Football Union Director Yuichiro Fujii. Fujii, who is tasked with strengthening the Brave Blossoms ahead ...
New Zealand plans to cut South Africa, Argentina from Super Rugby
New Zealand is pushing for a new Super Rugby competition that would exclude South Africa and Argentina but include a Pacific Islands team and an undetermined number of Australian teams. A statement from New Zealand Rugby on Friday indicated it will break from Super Rugby’s ...
Sunwolves bosses express pride, regret at end of Super Rugby tenure
Sunwolves CEO Yuji Watase and head coach Naoya Okubo emphasized the contributions that the team made during its five years in the Southern Hemisphere competition.
Sunwolves' time in Super Rugby over as team's bid to join tourney in Australia fails
Japan's Super Rugby team had been attempting to join a competition hosted by Rugby Australia.
The Sunwolves could still compete in an upcoming tournament in Australia with that country's Super Rugby sides, CEO Yuji Watase said in a statement released Saturday. In the statement on the club's website, Watase said Rugby Australia was negotiating with the Australian government to find ...
Japan's Sunwolves are aiming to participate in a tournament between Super Rugby teams in Australia that is scheduled to start in July. The Sunwolves' final season in Super Rugby was cut short in March, when the new coronavirus pandemic forced the suspension of the competition ...
Super Rugby side Queensland Reds have suspended Wallabies lock Izack Rodda and two other players for declining to accept pay cuts that were agreed to by the players' union amid a shutdown of the season due to the coronavirus outbreak. Rodda, fullback Isaac Lucas and ...
New Zealand's Super Rugby players will begin what coaches have deemed to be a "second preseason" on Monday as they return to training following a relaxation of health and travel restrictions imposed after the novel coronavirus pandemic. Southern hemisphere rugby's governing body SANZAAR postponed the ...
Former New Zealand head coach and current England defense chief John Mitchell believes some good may come for rugby union from the coronavirus if it creates "greater professionalism" thanks to a concentration of talent at fewer clubs worldwide, including Super Rugby. Even before COVID-19 forced ...
New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has formed a committee with the country's five Super Rugby teams to review operating models and plot a way forward for the domestic game amid a shutdown in global sport brought by the coronavirus. Super Rugby, which also includes teams from ...
Wallaby Matt Toomua calls for rethink of 'outdated' Super Rugby
Wallabies flyhalf Matt Toomua has joined calls for a rethink of the Super Rugby competition once the sport restarts after the coronavirus shutdown. The Melbourne Rebels back believes the competition, which features 15 teams across Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Japan, needs to ...
Odd decisions, big questions amidst crises in Japanese rugby
With rugby seemingly done for the season, it is time to look back on a crazy few months that have seen Japanese rugby go from the highs of the 2019 Rugby World Cup to a state of confusion in which even a former Brave ...
