Latest news with #RichieMo'unga
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- NZ Herald
All Black Shannon Frizell eyes Rugby World Cup return alongside Richie Mo'unga
Richie Mo'unga might not be the only All Black returning to New Zealand next year to target a place in the World Cup squad, with another former influential figure likely to move home. Mo'unga is expected to return home next year after playing a third season for Japanese side Toshiba.
Kyodo News
2 days ago
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Rugby: Back-to-back League One champion Richie Mo'unga repeats as MVP
KYODO NEWS - 9 hours ago - 23:18 | Sports, Rugby, All Brave Lupus Tokyo flyhalf Richie Mo'unga collected his second straight Japan Rugby League One most valuable player award Monday, a day after leading the club to back-to-back championships. The 31-year-old former All Black excelled throughout a 2024-2025 season, culminating in a man-of-the-match performance Sunday as Brave Lupus secured the title with an 18-13 win against the Kubota Spears at Tokyo's National Stadium. He was among a league-best six Brave Lupus players who earned selection to the League One team of the season, joining the likes of No. 8 Michael Leitch and fullback Takuro Matsunaga. South Africa hooker Malcolm Marx and Tongan-born prop Opeti Helu were selected from runners-up Kubota. Shizuoka BlueRevs scrumhalf Shuntaro Kitamura received the rookie of the year award. Related coverage: Rugby: Bond between Mo'unga, Leitch underpinned Brave Lupus triumph Rugby: Brave Lupus outlast Spears for back-to-back League One titles Rugby: Brave Lupus aim to retain League One title in trademark style
Kyodo News
3 days ago
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Rugby: Back-to-back League One champion Richie Mo'unga repeats as MVP
KYODO NEWS - 10 minutes ago - 23:18 | Sports, Rugby, All Brave Lupus Tokyo flyhalf Richie Mo'unga collected his second straight Japan Rugby League One most valuable player award Monday, a day after leading the club to back-to-back championships. The 31-year-old former All Black excelled throughout a 2024-2025 season, culminating in a man-of-the-match performance Sunday as Brave Lupus secured the title with an 18-13 win against the Kubota Spears at Tokyo's National Stadium. He was among a league-best six Brave Lupus players who earned selection to the League One team of the season, joining the likes of No. 8 Michael Leitch and fullback Takuro Matsunaga. South Africa hooker Malcolm Marx and Tongan-born prop Opeti Helu were selected from runners-up Kubota. Shizuoka BlueRevs scrumhalf Shuntaro Kitamura received the rookie of the year award. Related coverage: Rugby: Bond between Mo'unga, Leitch underpinned Brave Lupus triumph Rugby: Brave Lupus outlast Spears for back-to-back League One titles Rugby: Brave Lupus aim to retain League One title in trademark style
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Former All Black Richie Mo'unga plays with broken hand, leads Brave Lupus to Japan League One title
Former All Blacks first-five Richie Mo'unga has played through the pain of a broken hand to help the Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo defend their Japan Rugby League One title. The 31-year-old produced a man-of-the-match performance, scoring a try and setting up their other as they beat the Kubota Spears Funabashi
Japan Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- Japan Today
Mo'unga shrugs off broken hand to lead Toshiba to Japan rugby title
Richie Mo'unga won the Japan Rugby League One title with Toshiba Brave Lupus on Sunday rugby union By Andrew McKIRDY Former All Black Richie Mo'unga shrugged off a broken hand to extend his remarkable title-winning streak after leading Toshiba Brave Lupus to their second straight Japanese championship on Sunday. The fly-half has finished every season in top-level domestic rugby since 2017 with a winner's medal and he picked up another as Toshiba beat Kubota Spears 18-13 in the Japan Rugby League One final. He had to do it the hard way after breaking his right hand in the closing stages of last week's semifinal win, with coach Todd Blackadder expecting his star man was "70-30" to miss the final. Mo'unga said he spent three days in an oxygen chamber in the build-up to the game and "knew all along that I was going to play. "I knew it wasn't impossible to play this weekend, and obviously a final, it's a no-brainer really," said the 31-year-old. "You want to give yourself the best chance to be part of something special." Mo'unga joined Toshiba on a three-year deal after helping New Zealand reach the 2023 World Cup final, where they lost to South Africa. He gave another playmaking masterclass in front of more than 50,000 fans at Tokyo's National Stadium. Mo'unga scored his team's first try with less than 10 minutes on the clock and set up their second with a crafty dummy early in the second half. He also scored eight points with his boot. Mo'unga won seven Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders in New Zealand and said he was "so grateful to be part of winning teams". "I try to tell some of the boys in our team not to take this moment for granted because a lot of people don't win, and a lot of people don't win back to back," he said. Mo'unga jinked through the opposition defense to open the scoring in the eighth minute. He also started the second half strongly, taking out a defender with a dummy before slipping the ball to Yuto Mori for Toshiba's second try. Mo'unga said the pain in his hand made "things just a little bit harder" but did not affect his game. "Once you get out there, you just play rugby and try not to think about it too much," he said. Toshiba's victory denied Kubota's Australian fly-half Bernard Foley and South African hooker Malcolm Marx a second title in Japan. Marx said he was not aware that Mo'unga was carrying an injury. "He's a great player, he showed that how he performed today even with a broken hand," said Marx. "It shows his resilience." Toshiba finished the regular season in first place, which earned them a bye into the play-off semifinals. Third-placed Kubota had to come through a quarterfinal and were looking to regain the title that they won in 2023. Toshiba coach Blackadder hailed Mo'unga's influence on his side, calling him the "ultimate team man". "At the start of the week, we weren't sure," he said of Mo'unga's injury. "It was 70-30 that he wouldn't be available and he just found a way." © 2025 AFP
