Latest news with #ToshibaBraveLupusTokyo
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
Asahi Shimbun
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Asahi Shimbun
RUGBY/ League One to increase playing time for ‘Japanese'
Michael Leitch, middle, holds a trophy while he celebrates with his teammates after Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo won the 2023-24 Japan Rugby League One Play-offs Final in May 2024. (Asahi Shimbun file photo) The top-tier rugby union tournament will likely change its rules to give 'Japanese players" more time on the pitch. According to sources, the Japan Rugby League One will implement new rules regarding player registration, starting from the season that begins in 2026. Nevertheless, the ambiguity of defining 'Japanese players' and the uncertainty of how the new rules will affect the strength and development of the Japanese national team remain. FEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR JAPAN-BORN PLAYERS Currently, players on League One teams are divided into three categories. Category A is primarily for players who are eligible to be selected for the Japanese national team, and Category B for players who are expected to be eligible for selection to the national team. Lastly, Category C is primarily for players who have represented other countries or regions. Of these player registration categories, Category A will be subdivided starting with the 2026-27 season, sources said. Under the current League One rules, a team can register a player in Category A even if he was not born in Japan, as long as he meets certain conditions, such as being continuously registered with a Japanese team for four years. As a result, players from other countries, such as those who came to Japan from college, have made up the mainstay of each team, and there have been few opportunities for Japan-born players to play in games. As an example, of the 30 players who started last season's League One Play-offs Final, Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo v.s. Saitama Wild Knights, about half were from other countries. LIMITS ON PLAYERS ON PITCH Under the new system, Category A will be divided into 'A1' and 'A2.' A1 players must have lived in Japan for at least six years out of the nine years of compulsory education, which is six years of elementary school and three years of junior high school, or one of their parents or grandparents must have been born in Japan. A2 players must have been continuously registered with a Japanese team for four years, with the exception that A2 players can be registered as A1 if they have played 30 or more games as a member of the Japanese national team. Under the current rules, each team must have at least 11 Category A players on the pitch at the same time during a match. In contrast, under the new system, teams will have to have at least eight A1 players on the field at the same time. This means that some of the players registered in Category A this season will be registered as Category A2 two seasons from now, and their playing opportunities are expected to decrease. Furthermore, under the new system, each team must limit the number of players on the field other than Category A1 to no more than seven at the same time; of which no more than three are in Category C. STATUS QUO SEEN AS UNTENABLE A League One official said that one of the reasons behind the rule change was a concern that 'some (Japanese-born) players have become hesitant to choose to play in the League One as their post-university career path.' A League One team executive showed understanding for the rule change, saying, 'If the current situation where many players come from overseas continues, one day it may be said, 'Rugby is not something that Japanese people play.'' During the discussions about the new system, some officials mentioned that the annual salaries of players from overseas who are aiming for Category A status tend to skyrocket. Some also said that there are too many players from overseas and that made the game less exciting. CASE OF MICHAEL LEITCH On the other hand, there are those who are concerned that the 'diversity' of rugby, which has accepted a wide range of players, will be undermined. Under the new system, even players from overseas who have acquired Japanese citizenship will be treated as A2 if they do not meet the requirements. Foreign-born players have played a very important role in the Japanese rugby world. The best example is Michael Leitch of the Brave Lupus, who was born in New Zealand. Leitch has earned 87 caps, the second most in Japan's national team history, and was captain of the Brave Blossoms team that finished in the top 8 for the first time at the 2019 Rugby World Cup held in Japan. He came to Japan when he was 15, graduated from a high school and university and has acquired Japanese nationality. Leitch is currently a Category A player. He did not receive a 'compulsory education' in Japan. However, he falls under the exception rule of 'having played at least 30 games for Japan,' and will therefore be in the Category A1 under the new system. CASE OF WARNER DEARNS Warner Dearns is also from New Zealand, playing for the Brave Lupus as a Category A player. Dearns graduated from a Japanese high school although he did not have a compulsory Japanese education and has been a core member of the Brave Blossoms in recent years including the 2023 World Cup in France. Dearns has played 21 games for Japan at this point, so if his caps do not exceed 30 by the start of the 2026-27 League One season, he will become a Category A2 player under the new system. SEEKING A BALANCE In rugby, players can represent a country based on their link to the rugby union, not necessarily their country of birth or citizenship. Under the new League One system, however, players from overseas who have acquired Japanese nationality will be treated as A2 if they do not meet the requirements. This leads some to question if it is a violation of human rights to treat them differently even though they are Japanese. If the change makes it more difficult to play in League One, young overseas players with potential, such as Leitch in the past, possibly will not choose to come to Japan. There are many unknowns, such as how the strength of the Japanese national team would be impacted. 'There are many players from overseas who play with strong feelings for Japan,' a League One official said. 'On the other hand, we need to increase the playing opportunities for Japanese players. It is difficult to find a balance.'
