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New All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie to stay with Kobe until June
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

Mark Pickering
Mar 43 min read


Kobe Steelers confirm defence coach’s departure to join Wales
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

Mark Pickering
Feb 242 min read


Eddie Jones: New Zealand should bring back Retallick
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

Mark Pickering
Feb 172 min read


Rennie and Lienert-Brown hail new Japanese starlet
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

Mark Pickering
Feb 162 min read


7 newly-qualified foreign stars who could debut for Japan in 2026
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

Mark Pickering
Dec 1, 20255 min read


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

Mark Pickering
Jul 23, 20252 min read


Gary Gold set to be appointed as Japan’s defence coach
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...

Mark Pickering
Jun 20, 20251 min read


Clinical champions Toshiba overpower Kobe to advance to the final
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...

Mark Pickering
May 24, 20252 min read


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

Mark Pickering
Mar 30, 20254 min read


Michael Hooper - I'll bring energy and enjoyment to Toyota
Former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper will make his League One return for Toyota Verblitz on Saturday after being named in their...

Mark Pickering
Feb 21, 20252 min read


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

Mark Pickering
Nov 14, 20241 min read


VIDEO - Best of Dan Carter in Japan
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...

Mark Pickering
Oct 12, 20241 min read
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