Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex lock Saimoni Vunilagi, a summer signing from Suntory Sungoliath, has tragically passed away at the age of 26 due to suspected heatstroke. Fiji-born Vunilagi, who joined Suntory after graduating from Daito Bunka University, showed symptoms of heatstroke after training with his new division two club Kyuden Voltex on Monday and was immediately transported to a hospital in Fukuoka City. © Suntory Sugoliath Despite the best efforts of the medial

League One champions Kobe Steelers have today confirmed the appointment of World Cup-winning All Black Andy Ellis as former head coach Dave Rennie’s successor in Hyogo. RugbyJP.com first heard that Ellis, 42, was being lined up for the job in April following the announcement of Rennie’s appointment as the new All Blacks head coach in March. The 2011 World Cup winner, who kicked the ball out to seal the All Blacks’ 8-7 win over France as the hosts lifted the Webb Ellis trophy

Former Kubota Spears fly-half Bernard Foley and ex-NEC Green Rockets scrum-half Nick Phipps have returned to the Waratahs, 12 years after leading the Australian club to its maiden Super Rugby title. Foley, 36, left Kubota Spears in the summer after seven seasons with the Funabashi-based side. He graced three League One finals and led Frans Ludeke’s team to title glory in 2023. The Sydney native, who spent a year with Black Rams Tokyo in the Top League from 2015-2016, made 88

RugbyJP.com has compiled a list of the three foreign Test stars (Category C players) at each of the 12 Division One clubs for the 2026-27 season. This list reflects current retained players and new signings and is subject to change. The clubs are listed below in alphabetical order: Black Rams Tokyo TJ Perenara, New Zealand (34 years old) Liam Gill, Australia (34) Paddy Ryan, Australia (37) Kobe Steelers - 2025-2026 Champions Brodie Retallick, New Zealand (35) Grant Williams,

Japan starlet Ryunosuke Ito’s first professional club will be Eddie Jones and Beauden Barrett’s ex-side Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath, RugbyJP.com can exclusively reveal. Meiji University fly-half Ito, 21, was a revelation for his country in the Nations Championship as he made his Test debut in the Brave Blossoms’ impressive season-opening win against Italy. The precocious Kanagawa native, who led his University side to All-Japan University Rugby Football Championship glory in Jan

All Blacks great and former Black Rams Tokyo centre Ma’a Nonu has extended his illustrious career by joining South African URC side the Sharks. Two-time World Cup winner Nonu, 44, made 12 appearances for Black Rams Tokyo in the 2011-2012 Top League (precursor to Japan Rugby League One) season, scoring six tries. Durban-based Sharks are coached by former Saitama Wild Knights full-back JP Pietersen and captained by ex-Munakata Sanix Blues (disbanded in 2022) centre André Esterh

All Blacks captain and League One winner Ardie Savea is eyeing a long-term post-Rugby World Cup return to reigning champions Kobe Steelers. Savea, 32, was appointed as his country’s new captain on a permanent basis as part of Dave Rennie’s first squad announcement in June, just three weeks after helping the former Kobe head coach to clinch his first League One title. The 2023 World Rugby Player of The Year, who started the All Blacks’ Nations Championship wins over France, It

North Queensland Cowboys centre Viliami Vailea is set to join League One division two side Hanazono Kintetsu Liners, according to Australian outlet The Daily Telegraph. Tongan Vailea, 23, a former rugby union standout at Aorere College in Auckland, New Zealand, made his National Rugby League (NRL) bow with New Zealand Warriors at the age of 18 in 2021. The 6ft 1in, 15st 6lb outside back scored eight tries in 17 appearances for The Warriors before joining Australian team North

Toshiba Brave Lupus has replaced their two-time League One-winning head coach Todd Blackadder, RugbyJP.com can exclusively reveal. Ex-All Blacks captain Blackadder, 54, led the club to consecutive league titles in 2024 and 2025 before a quarter-final exit in this year’s play-offs after an injury-plagued campaign. The former Crusaders head coach’s last public appearance was during an end-of-season press conference on 11 June. Toshiba’s general manager Masahiro Kunda will offic

Meiji University fly-half Ryunosuke Ito has shone for Japan in his three Nations Championship appearances as Brave Blossoms coach Eddie Jones has successfully unearthed his latest wonderkid. Ito caught the eye with an assured Japan debut as the hosts impressively beat Italy 27-10 at a sold out Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo in the opening round of the new tournament. © JRFU Fourth-year student Ito, 21, pulled the strings in a plucky Brave Blossoms display against Irela

Japan head coach Eddie Jones has revealed that French star Emmanuel Meafou turned down an approach to represent the Wallabies during the Australian’s short-lived second stint in charge of his country. Jones, 66, tried to entice the then-uncapped New Zealand-born lock Emmanuel Meafou, who grew up in Australia, to represent the Wallabies when he was reappointed to the Wallabies hotseat in 2023 for their ill-fated World Cup campaign. Meafou was already a starter at Top 14 giants

Italy scrum-half Stephen Varney said it would be a great honour to play his club rugby in Japan one day after playing at a sold out Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in his country’s Nations Championship loss in Tokyo. Carmarthen-born Varney, 25, a fluent Welsh speaker who qualifies for the Six Nations side through his Italian mother, played 60 minutes in Gli Azzurri’s 27-10 defeat as they were overpowered and and outplayed by their impressive hosts. The former Gloucester number n

Former Fijian Drua head coach Glen Jackson is set to join Japan’s coaching team, RugbyJP.com can exclusively reveal. Fielding, New Zealand-born Jackson, 50, left the Super Rugby side by mutual consent in April just weeks after stepping away from his role as an assistant to the Fijian national team under Mick Byrne. © Fijian Drua The former Saracens and Chiefs fly-half, who had a spell as a Test referee post-retirement, attended Japan’s impressive Nations Championship victory

Former Toshiba Brave Lupus prop and recent Japan call-up Vea Taumoefolau is aiming to secure a Super Rugby contract after landing a deal with NPC side Tasman. New Zealand-born Taumoefolau, 24, a two-time League One winner, sent shockwaves through the Japanese scene when he left Toshiba in March due to personal reasons. The Kyoto Sangyo University graduate, who also qualifies for Tonga on heritage grounds, recently returned to action for amateur club Stoke Rugby in Nelson, New

Japan captain Warner Dearns has revealed that he turned down an approach to switch allegiances to represent his native New Zealand after a title-winning Super Rugby campaign with the Hurricanes. Dearns, 24, who will win his 33rd cap for the Brave Blossoms in Saturday’s Nations Championship clash against Italy, confirmed that he was approached about the possibility of standing down from Test rugby for three years in order to become eligible for New Zealand. © JRFU The Toshiba

Japan has named Meiji University fly-half Ryunosuke Ito to make his Brave Blossoms debut against Italy in the opening round of the inaugural Nations Championship on Saturday. Ito, 21, shone against the Māori All Blacks last week despite the hosts suffering a second half collapse and being edged out 38-31 as Eddie Jones served the penultimate game of his suspension. The highly-rated youngster, whose older brother Kotaro, 24, plays at fly-half for Black Rams Tokyo, will play th

Yokohama Canon Eagles has unveiled 10 new signings including All Blacks Stephen Perofeta and Samipeni Finau. Leon MacDonald’s side has significantly bolstered their ranks for the 2026-2027 campaign after a lowly 10th-placed finish last season. The headline signings of Perofeta and Finau, who have effectively ended their All Blacks careers by moving to Japan, were possible after the departures of Springboks star Faf de Klerk, retiring Italian international Dino Lamb and ex-All

Springboks lock Ruan Nortjé has joined countryman Malcolm Marx at League One runners-up Kubota Spears, the Japanese club announced on Tuesday. The 6ft 7in second row, 27, arrives from URC side the Bulls and will link up with his new team following the conclusion of the Nations Championship in November. Nortjé, who has won 18 caps in the green and gold after making his Test debut in 2022 against Wales, was named on Monday in Rassie Erasmus’ side to face England in the opening

Crusaders captain and All Black David Havili will join two-time League One champions Toshiba Brave Lupus, RugbyJP.com understands. Havili, 31, has spent his entire Super Rugby career with the Christchurch-based powerhouse franchise and this year’s semi-finalists announced on Tuesday that he will be taking up a new opportunity in Japan. The 32-cap All Black finished the season strongly in red and black and is proud of the legacy he will leave behind at incoming head coach Scot

Kubota Spears full-back Shaun Stevenson has pledged his allegiance to Samoa for his return to Test rugby, RugbyJP.com can exclusively reveal. The 29-year-old full-back played the full 80 minutes in the League One final loss to Dave Rennie’s Kobe Steelers on 7 June despite picking up a leg injury 30 minutes into the first half. One-cap All Black Stevenson made 133 metres for Frans Ludeke’s back-to-back runners up – more than double second-placed Ardie Savea (65m) - and made fi