New All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie and former World Player of The Year Ardie Savea signed off from Japanese rugby by leading Kobe Steelers to the League One title as they beat Kubota Spears 22-13 on Sunday. All Black-laden Kobe, who were led by talismanic captain and player of the match Brodie Retallick, proved to be too strong for Frans Ludeke’s Kubota side who were missing World Player of The Year Malcolm Marx who was ruled out with a biceps injury. © JRLO Kubota have n

Kobe Steelers loose-forward Ardie Savea is eyeing League One glory against Kubota Spears on Sunday but admits his former club Moana Pasifika are still in his thoughts as uncertainty continues to surround the Super Rugby franchise's future. The 2023 World Rugby Player of the Year starts at openside flanker for Dave Rennie's side who are gracing the League One final for the first time. Table-topping Kobe, who are led by free-scoring captain Brodie Retallick, will face Bernard F

Springboks superstar Cheslin Kolbe will return to his former club the Stormers this summer after Suntory Sungoliath announced today that he will depart after completing his third season in Japan. The competition’s top points scorer wrestled with the decision of whether to stay in Japan but, having played rugby outside of South Africa since 2017, has opted to make an early return to his homeland. RugbyJP.com understands that Kolbe, who left the Stormers in 2017 to play in the

World Cup-winning former All Blacks head coach Sir Graham Henry believes that New Zealand Rugby (NZR) should take a flexible approach regarding the eligibility of Japan-based Richie Mo’unga, Shannon Frizell and Brodie Retallick this summer. Henry, 79, was this week appointed as a NZR selector as new head coach Dave Rennie announced the legendary coach’s return to the All Blacks fold during his press conference in Auckland on Tuesday. The former Wales boss has had several shor

Blacks Rams Tokyo’s World Cup-winning captain TJ Perenara lauded Suntory Sungoliath full-back Cheslin Kolbe as one of the best players in the world ahead of their League One quarter-final next week. Perenara, who was speaking at the Japan Rugby League One (JRLO) Play-Offs Media Conference in Akihabara, Tokyo, on Thursday afternoon, identified the Springboks superstar - who finished the regular season as the top points scorer - as the greatest threat posed by their Tokyo rival

Yokohama Canon Eagles scrum-half Faf de Klerk’s sensational first half hat-trick helped the basement outfit to stun Dave Rennie’s leaders Kobe Steelers 38-29 and move out of the relegation play-off zone. The 34-year-old double World Cup winner marked his return from an ankle injury by helping Leon MacDonald’s lowly side to a surprise win away at Honda Heat a week ago. Yokohama’s fit-again Springboks star inspired his team to consecutive wins for the first time this season wit

Kobe Steelers fly-half Bryn Gatland believes his teammate and club captain Brodie Retallick is the best lock in the world. In-form Gatland, 30, who has matured in Japan into being a highly consistent and accurate playmaker, has scored 83 points this season for the new division one leaders. The former Chiefs fly-half, who was one of new All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie’s first signings at the club in June 2023, was full of praise for the 2015 World Cup winner as talk of a ret

Newly-appointed All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie will remain with League One title contenders Kobe Steelers until the end of the season in June. Ex-Wallabies head coach Rennie, who led Kobe to a 78-19 win over Urayasu D-Rocks on Saturday, was unveiled by New Zealand Rugby (NZR) on Wednesday. The Upper Hutt native has signed on until the end of the 2027 World Cup in Australia where the All Blacks will face Australia, Chile and Hong Kong China in the group stage. An NZR press

League One title contenders Kobe Steelers have confirmed reports that defence coach Peter Murchie will join Wales’ national team at the end of the season. Dave Rennie’s once-beaten Kobe side handed Saitama Wild Knights their first loss of the campaign on Saturday to move second in the table at the halfway stage of the campaign. BBC Wales’ Gareth Griffiths reported on Sunday that Wales, whose head coach Steve Tandy has also been handling defensive duties, were set to move for

Japan head coach Eddie Jones believes that the All Blacks should try to lure Kobe Steelers captain Brodie Retallick back to Test rugby this summer. Retallick, 34, who won the last of his 109 caps for his country in the 2023 World Cup final, is nearing the end of his three-year contract in Japan. The 2014 World Player of The Year has been in inspired form for Dave Rennie’s title candidates Kobe and is the top scorer in division one with nine tries in eight games. The former Ch

Kobe Steelers head coach Dave Rennie and All Blacks centre Anton Lienert-Brown were full of praise for Japanese starlet Shunsuke Uenobo after their nail-biting 34-33 win against champions Toshiba Brave Lupus on Sunday. Highly-rated full-back Uenobo, 22, followed up on his sensational Player of The Match-winning debut from a week ago by playing the full 80 minutes as Kobe battled to a hard-fought win in Tokyo to keep pressure on leaders Saitama Wild Knights. The Tenri Universi

The fifth Japan Rugby League One season kicks off next week with a wave of new and returning stars such as Semi Radradra, Manie Libbok and Ardie Savea set to light up the competition. Fiji’s Olympic sevens champion Radradra is a new signing for title contenders Shizuoka Blue Revs while World Cup winner and Springboks star Libbok has joined second division side Kintetsu Liners. New Zealand’s 2023 World Player of The Year Savea has returned for a second spell at star-laden Kobe

Kobe Steelers has officially announced the arrival of All Blacks and Chiefs centre Anton Lienert-Brown on a one-year contract. The...

Former Kobe Steelers head coach Gary Gold is set to be appointed as Japan’s new defence coach. The South African led Kobe to the top of...

League One champions Toshiba Brave Lupus defeated Kobe Steelers 31-3 in the semi-final to advance to next Sunday’s final at the National...

Dave Rennie’s play-off contenders Kobe Steelers fought back from a 14-point deficit to narrowly defeat Black Rams Tokyo 27-24 at...

Former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper will make his League One return for Toyota Verblitz on Saturday after being named in their...

Tongan number eight Lui Naeata starred in Japan for Kobe, Red Hurricanes and Toyota Shuttles. The Japan-qualified 30-year-old has joined...

Best of All Blacks great Dan Carter in Japan. The Kobe Steelers fly-half won the Top League and the MVP award in his first season in...