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

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

Lyon-bound prop Opeti Helu said his dream is still to play for Japan at the Rugby World Cup in Australia next year after his switch from Kubota Spears to the Top 14 side was announced on Monday afternoon. Tonga-born former number eight Helu, 27, won his two caps for the Brave Blossoms in 2024, and revealed that he discussed his opportunity to play in France’s top tier with Japan head coach Eddie Jones before inking a one-year deal with Karim Ghezal’s team. “Eddie called me an

Japan prop Opeti Helu has signed for Top 14 side Lyon, his club Kubota Spears has announced today. Tonga-born Helu, 27, has spent seven years with the Funabashi side having joined in 2019 following a successful two-month trial. The hulking 6ft 3in, 127kg tight-head, who famously sidestepped All Blacks fly-half Damian McKenzie to score on his Brave Blossoms debut in 2024, has attracted a host of suitors this season and has opted to ink a deal with Karim Ghezal’s French side wh

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

Kubota Spears overpowered defending champions Toshiba Brave Lupus 26-3 in the League One quarter-finals as Richie Mo’unga’s bid for an unprecedented 'three-peat' was ended by Bernard Foley and Malcolm Marx’s 2023 winners. In an absorbing encounter at Tokyo’s Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Frans Ludeke’s Kubota outmuscled their opponents up front and starved them off possession for long periods of the game to go some way to avenging last year’s loss in the final. Ex-Wallabies f

Toshiba Brave Lupus fly-half Richie Mo’unga is confident that the back-to-back champions can keep their ‘three-peat’ dream alive when they face Kubota Spears in Sunday’s quarter-final. Two-time MVP Mo’unga, 31, who will return to New Zealand when his three-year deal finishes in June, spoke to the media at the club’s headquarters in Fuchu as Todd Blackadder’s side prepare to face Frans Ludeke’s Kubota in a rematch of last year’s final. Champions Toshiba had a wildly inconsiste

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

Ex-Kubota Spears full-back Liam Williams has returned to URC side Scarlets in a mentorship role to nurture to the club’s new generation of young backs. Williams, 35, called time on his illustrious career in March due to a persistent knee injury. The 93-cap Welsh legend won the Pro12 Grand Final with the Scarlets in 2017 before joining English giants Saracens who he helped to win both the Premiership title and the European Rugby Champions Cup in 2019. After a short stay with C

Former Japan captain Lappies Labuschagne will make his 50th League One appearance and 100th Kubota Spears appearance when he makes his long-awaited first-team return against Mitsubishi Dynaboars on Saturday. Labuschagne, 37, has overcome a number of injury setbacks to return to League One duty for the first time since their loss to Toshiba Brave Lupus in last year’s final. His career has gone in a completely different direction to what he envisaged growing up but he has embra

Toshiba Brave Lupus’ Richie Mo’unga scored an injury-time match-winning try to hand unbeaten leaders Kubota Spears their first loss of the campaign. The hotly-anticipated rematch of last year’s final delivered a tightly-contested, high-quality game which was a great advert for Japan Rugby League One. Todd Blackadder’s back-to-back champions Toshiba, who were inspired to their second consecutive title last year by Player of The Match Mo’unga against Kubota, produced their best

Kubota Spears scrum-half Bryn Hall has tipped Toshiba Brave Lupus fly-half Richie Mo-unga to return to Japan after his third tilt at a...

Toshiba Brave Lupus made history as the first team to win back-to-back League One titles as they defeated Kubota Spears 18-13 at the...

Former League One champions Kubota Spears defeated the competition’s inaugural winners Saitama Wild Knights to book a place in next...

Kintetsu Liners’ forwards coach and World Cup-winning Wallabies legend Toutai Kefu will coach the First Nations and Pasifika XV...

Former Kubota Spears full-back Liam Williams will be a free agent this summer after his short-term contract with Saracens expires. The...

Former Kubota Spears full-back Liam Williams will miss Wales’ two-match tour to Japan this summer, RugbyJP.com can reveal. Williams, 34,...

Former League One champions Kubota Spears underlined their title credentials with a ruthless 42-14 demolition of Black Rams Tokyo at...

1. Michael Hooper returns for Toyota Verblitz Ex-Australia captain Michael Hooper returns to top-flight 15-a-side action for the first...