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 Steelers.

While the impressive roster of international Test stars will capture the column inches overseas there's always an intriguing sub-plot at this time of year which Japanese fans are gripped by.

League One clubs have now released their provisional squad lists for the 2025-2026 season with Brave Blossoms supporters paying particular attention to the classification of long-term foreign players who have moved into Category A and are therefore eligible for Japan on residency grounds.

Uncapped players move from Category B classification (players with the potential to represent Japan) to Category A (eligible for Japan) when they reach their fifth year in Japan.

RugbyJP has picked out a group of seven such players who are newly-qualified for Japan and could be on Eddie Jones’ radar in 2026.

Lachlan Boshier - Flanker, 31, Saitama Wild Knights Height/Weight: 191cm / 104kg Born: New Plymouth, New Zealand 

Ex-New Zealand u20s international Boshier has been a key player for Saitama since arriving in Japan in 2022 when he helped the Kumagaya outfit win the inaugural League One title.

The New Plymouth native’s form at the Chiefs in 2020 – when he was regarded by many as the country’s best openside flanker – saw him picked to represent North Island in an All Blacks selection match but he was ruled out of the game.

Boshier, who has made 59 appearances for Saitama, is an elite breakdown specialist with tremendous workrate and leadership qualities. He made 208 tackles last season (seventh-highest). 

Boshier is a genuine Test match contender for 2026 and could join teammates Kenji Sato, Ben Gunter, Jack Cornelsen, Dylan Riley and Tomoki Osada in the Brave Blossoms fold.

Jacob Pierce – Lock, 28, Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo Height/Weight: 201cm / 106kg Born: Auckland, New Zealand  

Towering lock Pierce, who grew up in Yamaguchi, Shizuoka and Kanagawa while his father Scott was playing in Japan, has formed an excellent partnership with Japan’s new captain Warner Dearns at champions Toshiba which could be carried through to the Test arena.

The two-metre tall former Blues second-row has strong set-piece fundamentals, has a ball-carrying impact and is an intelligent footballer. Playing under ex-All Blacks lock Todd Blackadder has also been a significant factor in his growth.

Pierce has played 57 games for the Fuchu-based club.

Gerard Cowley-Tuioti - Lock, 33, Kobe Steelers Height/Weight: 197cm / 115kg Born: Auckland, New Zealand 

Like Pierce, seasoned lock Cowley-Tuioti also had stints with North Harbour and the Blues before coming to Japan.

The hard-working second row contributed six tries last term as Dave Rennie’s side finished third and brings physicality in contact, a mature lineout presence, and a dependable work ethic.

He won 73 lineouts last term (fifth-highest number in division one) and has made 49 appearances for Kobe, with many coming alongside All Blacks legend and club captain Brodie Retallick.

Otere Black - Fly-half, 30, Urayasu D-Rocks Height/Weight: 185cm / 86kg Born: Palmerston North, New Zealand  

Ex- New Zealand U20s and Māori All Blacks international Black is one of the most experienced and tactically astute 10s in Japan.

Black tasted domestic success with Manawatu in 2014 ITM Cup Championship and impressively deputised for an injured Beauden Barrett as he helped the Hurricanes to Super Rugby glory in 2016.

The calculated utility-back, who can also play at full-back and cover the midfield, was the Blues’ starting fly-half when they won the 2021 Super Rugby Trans-Tasman competition. 

Black was praised for his composure, game management and assured kicking but missed out on an All Blacks call-up and, with Barrett back in contention, decided to take up an offer from cash-rich Urayasu.

His cool and collected demeanour has helped to stabilise Urayasu’s backline and to ensure that they retained their spot in Japan’s top-flight last season.

Black, who has made 47 appearances for the club, has all the attributes that suit Japan’s structure-heavy style under Eddie Jones.

Tiaan Falcon - Fly-half/Fullback, 28, Toyota Verblitz Height/Weight: 181cm / 90kg From: Penrith, Australia 

Third generation player Falcon is a highly-regarded and versatile backline operator with excellent distribution and a strong skillset.

He followed in the footsteps of his grandfather Ray and father Gordon when he made his Hawke's Bay debut in 2016.

Falcon more than lived up to the family name when he introduced himself to the world by guiding the New Zealand u20s to the 2017 World Rugby u20 Championship title as he finished as the top points scorer in Georgia (69).

After injuries limited his playing time at the Chiefs, the Australia and New Zealand-qualified playmaker signed an initial two-year deal with Toyota Verblitz in 2020.

Falcon has established himself as a fan favourite at Toyota and, with 39 games under his belt in division one, could slot into multiple backline roles for Japan, particularly as further cover at 10 and 15.

Vince Aso – Centre, 30, Saitama Wild Knights Height/Weight: 185cm / 90kg Born: Auckland, New Zealand 

Former New Zealand u20’s international Aso, who has Samoan roots, scored 14 tries for the Hurricanes in his break Super Rugby season in 2017. Aso excelled when paired in the midfield with All Black Ngani Laumape and Willis Halaholo who went on to play for Wales and Tonga.

Known for his physical prowess, the destructive centre was lured to Japan in 2021 by Robbie Deans who he first played under for for the Barbarians in 2017.

Aso, who has accumulated 51 games for the League One powerhouses, is comfortable as a centre or on the wing and typically makes a strong impact as a replacement for Saitama with a noted contribution of seven tries in 16 appearances last season.

Brothers Akira and Reiko Ioane are his cousins  

Dawid Kellerman - Centre, 25, Honda Heat Height/Weight: 185cm / 97kg Born: Western Cape, South Africa  

Ex-South Africa u20s international Kellerman has developed into a strong outside-centre and an ever-present for Honda Heat.

The Western Province product, who also spent time with the Bulls, joined Honda for the final Top League season in 2022 and has already made 38 appearances.

Kellerman offers strong running lines, defensive toughness, and, with age on his side, has time to develop and mature. Japan lacks depth in their midfield with a tremendous workload placed on outside-centre Dylan Riley.

He could be a player Eddie Jones will take a closer look at in 2026 to see if he could grow into a midfield role for the Brave Blossoms. 

Stay tuned to RugbyJP.com for all the build-up to the 2025-2026 League One season