Latest news with #WarnerDearns
Kyodo News
2 days ago
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Rugby: Brave Lupus aim to retain League One title in trademark style
KYODO NEWS - 9 hours ago - 20:51 | Sports, Rugby, All Defending champions Brave Lupus Tokyo are unlikely to part from their tried-and-tested game plan when they battle the Kubota Spears in the Japan Rugby League One final, lock Warner Dearns indicated Friday. Speaking ahead of Sunday's championship decider at Tokyo's National Stadium, Japan international Dearns said they would continue emphasizing the expansive, attacking rugby that yielded a league-best 741 points on their way to first place in the regular season. "We're a team that moves the ball," Dearns said. "If we can attack with the style that we have honed, we can win." The Todd Blackadder-coached team will also be confident of their defensive resilience after stopping the Kobe Steelers from scoring a try in a 31-3 semifinal rout last weekend. Their attacking movement has been underpinned by the playmaking of former All Black flyhalf Richie Mo'unga, the reigning League One MVP, who heads into the final on the back of a man-of-the-match performance against Kobe. Captain and No. 8 Michael Leitch and fullback Takuro Matsunaga are among the other linchpins in a Brave Lupus starting XV who will enter as favorites after winning as underdogs last year against the Saitama Wild Knights in front of some 56,000 at the Tokyo Olympic venue. "The cheering was so loud, it felt like the ground was shaking," Matsunaga said. "It won't come as a surprise this time around, so I will be able to enjoy it." After finishing the season third, the Frans Ludeke-coached Spears have had to contend with an extra round of playoff rugby, followed by a grueling semifinal win against Saitama. The 2022-2023 champions will aim to continue their strong defensive play, exemplified by hard-tackling South African hooker Malcolm Marx, who was at the forefront of both playoff wins. Scrumhalf Shinobu Fujiwara will also look for another big performance after scoring a brace of tries last weekend against a Saitama side that was expected to advance to their fourth straight League One final. "I want to read the situation quickly and perform at my best without rushing things," Fujiwara said. Related coverage: Rugby: Spears hold off Sungoliath to reach League One semis Japan Rugby League One to give domestic players more time on pitch Rugby: Sam Cane leads playoff-chasing Sungoliath to vital win over Toyota
The Mainichi
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Rugby: Brave Lupus aim to retain League One title in trademark style
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Defending champions Brave Lupus Tokyo are unlikely to part from their tried-and-tested game plan when they battle the Kubota Spears in the Japan Rugby League One final, lock Warner Dearns indicated Friday. Speaking ahead of Sunday's championship decider at Tokyo's National Stadium, Japan international Dearns said they would continue emphasizing the expansive, attacking rugby that yielded a league-best 741 points on their way to first place in the regular season. "We're a team that moves the ball," Dearns said. "If we can attack with the style that we have honed, we can win." The Todd Blackadder-coached team will also be confident of their defensive resilience after stopping the Kobe Steelers from scoring a try in a 31-3 semifinal rout last weekend. Their attacking movement has been underpinned by the playmaking of former All Black flyhalf Richie Mo'unga, the reigning League One MVP, who heads into the final on the back of a man-of-the-match performance against Kobe. Captain and No. 8 Michael Leitch and fullback Takuro Matsunaga are among the other linchpins in a Brave Lupus starting XV who will enter as favorites after winning as underdogs last year against the Saitama Wild Knights in front of some 56,000 at the Tokyo Olympic venue. "The cheering was so loud, it felt like the ground was shaking," Matsunaga said. "It won't come as a surprise this time around, so I will be able to enjoy it." After finishing the season third, the Frans Ludeke-coached Spears have had to contend with an extra round of playoff rugby, followed by a grueling semifinal win against Saitama. The 2022-2023 champions will aim to continue their strong defensive play, exemplified by hard-tackling South African hooker Malcolm Marx, who was at the forefront of both playoff wins. Scrumhalf Shinobu Fujiwara will also look for another big performance after scoring a brace of tries last weekend against a Saitama side that was expected to advance to their fourth straight League One final. "I want to read the situation quickly and perform at my best without rushing things," Fujiwara said.
Kyodo News
3 days ago
- Sport
- Kyodo News
Rugby: Brave Lupus aim to retain League One title in trademark style
KYODO NEWS - 7 minutes ago - 20:51 | Sports, Rugby, All Defending champions Brave Lupus Tokyo are unlikely to part from their tried-and-tested game plan when they battle the Kubota Spears in the Japan Rugby League One final, lock Warner Dearns indicated Friday. Speaking ahead of Sunday's championship decider at Tokyo's National Stadium, Japan international Dearns said they would continue emphasizing the expansive, attacking rugby that yielded a league-best 741 points on their way to first place in the regular season. "We're a team that moves the ball," Dearns said. "If we can attack with the style that we have honed, we can win." The Todd Blackadder-coached team will also be confident of their defensive resilience after stopping the Kobe Steelers from scoring a try in a 31-3 semifinal rout last weekend. Their attacking movement has been underpinned by the playmaking of former All Black flyhalf Richie Mo'unga, the reigning League One MVP, who heads into the final on the back of a man-of-the-match performance against Kobe. Captain and No. 8 Michael Leitch and fullback Takuro Matsunaga are among the other linchpins in a Brave Lupus starting XV who will enter as favorites after winning as underdogs last year against the Saitama Wild Knights in front of some 56,000 at the Tokyo Olympic venue. "The cheering was so loud, it felt like the ground was shaking," Matsunaga said. "It won't come as a surprise this time around, so I will be able to enjoy it." After finishing the season third, the Frans Ludeke-coached Spears have had to contend with an extra round of playoff rugby, followed by a grueling semifinal win against Saitama. The 2022-2023 champions will aim to continue their strong defensive play, exemplified by hard-tackling South African hooker Malcolm Marx, who was at the forefront of both playoff wins. Scrumhalf Shinobu Fujiwara will also look for another big performance after scoring a brace of tries last weekend against a Saitama side that was expected to advance to their fourth straight League One final. "I want to read the situation quickly and perform at my best without rushing things," Fujiwara said. Related coverage: Rugby: Spears hold off Sungoliath to reach League One semis Japan Rugby League One to give domestic players more time on pitch Rugby: Sam Cane leads playoff-chasing Sungoliath to vital win over Toyota
Japan Today
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Japan Today
Japan rugby tightens eligibility rules on foreign-born players
Rugby player Warner Dearns was born in New Zealand but represents the Japan national team rugby union Japanese rugby chiefs on Tuesday announced a shake-up of eligibility rules aiming to give local players more time on the pitch but casting doubt over the future of naturalized internationals. Foreign-born players have played a prominent role for Japan's national team, who stunned South Africa at the 2015 World Cup and reached the quarterfinals on home soil four years later. But Japan Rugby League One said domestic clubs will have to field at least eight players who were raised in the country from the 2026-27 season. Exceptions will be made for players who have more than 30 caps for Japan. The league said the change was needed to encourage more Japan-born players to pursue professional careers. More than half of the players who started last season's Japanese championship final were born overseas. They included former Japan captain Michael Leitch, who has won 87 caps since making his international debut in 2008. Leitch was born in New Zealand but moved to Japan at the age of 15 to attend high school as part of an exchange program. Under the current rules, Japanese clubs must field at least 11 players eligible to be selected for the country's national team. This group can include foreign-born players who have been continuously registered with a Japanese club for four years. Under the new rules, a new category will be created for players who spent at least six years in the Japanese education system before going to high school. Teams must field at least eight of these players at any one time, squeezing out foreign-born Japan internationals who do not meet the criteria. Were the rule to come into force today, several current Japan internationals including center Dylan Riley and lock Warner Dearns would miss out. © 2025 AFP
