Toyota Verblitz head coach Steve Hansen announced his resignation and took aim at the standard of refereeing in Japan after his team’s loss to Honda Heat in the final round of the regular season. World Cup-winning Hansen has stepped down with his co-coach and fellow ex-All Blacks boss Ian Foster taking over as head coach in Aichi from next season. Former Wales coach Hansen, who won the World Cup in 2015 with New Zealand, was appointed as the team’s Director of Rugby in 2019 a

Black Rams Tokyo captain TJ Perenara faced his long-time former All Blacks colleague Aaron Smith for possibly the last time on Sunday as the latter’s Toyota Verblitz prevailed 40-28 to keep alive their play-off hopes. Perenara, 34, has been the driving force behind the Black Rams’ impressive season with Tabai Matson’s fourth-placed team on the verge of booking a play-off spot for the first time in the League One era. The 89-cap All Black, an ever-present for the Rams in his s

Generational rivals and World Cup winners Faf de Klerk and Aaron Smith are poised to face off for what could be the final time in their illustrious careers when Yokohama Canon Eagles host Toyota Verblitz on Saturday. South African stalwart De Klerk, 34, and All Blacks veteran Smith, 37, both start as the former's relegation-threatened Yokohama side look to make up ground on Steve Hansen’s Aichi outfit who are in eighth position. The fit-again Springboks ace, who joined his co

Toshiba Brave Lupus’ standout centre Rob Thompson has been ruled out for six weeks after sustaining a broken finger in Saturday’s loss to Black Rams Tokyo in Kagoshima. Palmerston North product Thompson, 34, who has been playing the best rugby of his career this season, played the full 80 minutes in the back-to-back champions’ fourth consecutive loss. RugbyJP.com understands that the former Highlanders and Māori All Blacks midfielder will undergo surgery this week and then f

Toyota Verblitz’s two-time World Player of The Year Pieter-Steph du Toit has been withdrawn from Japan Rugby League One to undergo surgery in South Africa. The 33-year-old has made three appearances this season in the second row for Steve Hansen and Ian Foster’s struggling side. Springboks great du Toit played his first club game in 587 days when he featured in their win against Franco Mostert’s Honda Heat on 13 December. The double World Cup winner got through 67 minutes aga

Two of Japan Rugby League One’s heavy-hitters collide in round two in a star-studded showdown between Steve Hansen’s Toyota Verblitz and ‘Brighton Miracle’ number 10-turned head coach Kosei Ono’s Suntory Sungoliath at the 49,970-capacity Ajinomoto Stadium on Saturday. The game will air live in the UK on Premier Sports from 5.25am (KO 5.30am) with English commentary. RugbyJP.com has four reasons why the anticipated clash, which has a habit of producing a nail-biting and high

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

Ex-Toyota Verblitz wing Joseph Manu and former Black Rams Tokyo number eight Nathan Hughes have both joined France's Top 14 giants Racing...

Toyotz Verblitz’s Pieter-Steph du Toit has been named in South Africa’s new-look starting line-up to face Italy in his first appearance...

World Player of The Year Pieter-Steph du Toit has returned to Japan and club duty with relegation candidates Toyota Verblitz but will not...

Welcome to the latest edition of RugbyJP.com ’s Gossip Column as we round-up all the latest news, transfer rumours, departures and...

World Player of The Year Pieter-Steph du Toit is set to return to Japan in mid-April as he steps up his recover from shoulder surgery....

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

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

World Rugby Player of The Year Pieter-Steph du Toit has been deregistered by Toyota Verblitz after undergoing shoulder surgery in South...

World Rugby Player of The Year Pieter-Steph du Toit has undergone shoulder surgery in South Africa and will be sidelined until at least...

World Cup-winning scrum-half Aaron Smith believes that his new Toyota Verblitz teammate Joseph Manu is an All Black in the making....

Kubota Spears fly-half Bernard Foley’s injury-time drop-goal sealed a dramatic come-from-behind win for the former League One champions...

Cash-rich Toyota Verblitz has signed Australia U20s captain Toby Macpherson on a season-long loan deal from Super Rugby Pacific side ACT...

New Zealand's impressive centre Rob Thompson has played in Japan since 2021 and won League One in 2024 with Toshiba Brave Lupus.