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2022–23 Japan Rugby League One – Division 1

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2022–23 Japan Rugby League One – D1
Countries Japan
Number of teams12
Date17 December 2022 – 20 May 2023
ChampionsSpears Tokyo Bay
Runners-upSaitama Wild Knights
PromotedHanazono Liners
Sagamihara DynaBoars
RelegatedGreen Rockets Tokatsu
Matches played106
Attendance647,420
(average 6,108 per match)
Highest attendance41,794 (Saitama Wild Knights vs. Spears Tokyo Bay, 20 May 2023)
Top point scorer Bernard Foley (173)
Top try scorer Seiya Ozaki (18)
Official website
league-one.jp/en
← 2022

The 2022–23 Japan Rugby League One – Division 1 season was the twentieth top flight league season played from December 2022 through to May 2023,[1] in the newly rebranded Japan Rugby League One. The competition consisted of twelve teams, including two promoted teams from Division 2, Sagamihara Dynaboars and Hanazono Liners.[1]

Format

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The format and schedule was announced on 16 September 2022. It consisted of a round-robin fixture, before entering into a knockout style play-off for the final four teams. It featured two conferences (A, B). Teams in each conference played the teams in their respective conference twice (one at home, one away), and six matches against all the teams in the other conference, three being at home and three away. Each team played a total of sixteen seasonal fixtures, plus additional play-off matches, including relegation play-offs.[2]

Teams and personnel

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Ladder

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Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Saitama Wild Knights 16 15 0 1 539 270 +269 69 32 6 0 66 Qualification for Play-off Semi-finals
2 Spears Tokyo Bay (C) 16 14 1 1 636 340 +296 84 47 7 0 65
3 Tokyo Sungoliath 16 12 0 4 529 325 +204 72 39 5 2 55
4 Yokohama Eagles 16 10 2 4 588 321 +267 84 43 7 3 54
5 Brave Lupus Tokyo 16 10 0 6 558 394 +164 75 52 6 2 48
6 Toyota Verblitz 16 8 0 8 468 449 +19 62 59 2 3 37
7 Black Rams Tokyo 16 6 0 10 414 384 +30 56 43 2 4 30
8 Shizuoka Blue Revs 16 5 2 9 404 403 +1 55 48 3 3 30
9 Kobe Steelers 16 5 0 11 470 569 −99 66 74 3 2 25
10 Sagamihara DynaBoars (O) 16 4 1 11 360 609 −249 45 80 1 1 20 Qualification for relegation play-offs
11 Green Rockets Tokatsu (R) 16 3 0 13 295 640 −345 45 94 1 1 14
12 Hanazono Liners (O) 16 1 0 15 297 854 −557 41 129 0 1 5
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: [citation needed]
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Number of wins; 3) Point difference
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner(s); (R) Relegated

Fixtures

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Each team were to play five teams twice and six teams once for a total of sixteen home and away matches.[9]

Home \ Away BRT GRT HKL KKS KSP MSD SWK SBR SUN TBL TV YCE
Black Rams Tokyo 64–10 41–26 8–34 17–38 15–19 7–18 10–12 34–36
Green Rockets Tokatsu 7–54 36–34 33–43 17–59 0–45 7–32 20–49 17–45
Hanazono Liners 26–43 34–33 12–77 29–38 14–34 10–51 24–62 7–74
Kobe Steelers 59–26 58–36 14–23 10–48 32–29 19–39 21–38 26–52
Spears Tokyo Bay 40–38 40–7 55–17 25–21 60–22 39–24 46–27 15–5
Sagamihara DynaBoars 21–31 26–33 30–49 29–61 27–27 23–19 27–25 21–41
Saitama Wild Knights 25–12 41–6 30–15 40–5 25–44 22–19 34–19 21–19
Shizuoka Blue Revs 22–34 21–0 27–40 30–20 14–15 17–25 29–37 27–37
Tokyo Sungoliath 50–19 64–12 25–17 18–31 51–13 29–41 20–27 32–23
Brave Lupus Tokyo 17–7 60–14 51–12 52–19 22–34 29–16 34–40 63–25
Toyota Verblitz 25–29 21–18 34–44 53–5 10–19 31–26 18–19 7–39
Yokohama Eagles 34–13 36–12 64–12 39–30 27–27 22–22 9–11 59–48
Updated to match(es) played on 23 April 2023. Source: league-one.jp
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Promotion/Relegation play-offs

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The relegation play-offs took place between 5 May and 14 May 2023.[2]

Overview

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Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
(D1) Sagamihara DynaBoars 102 - 35 Shuttles Aichi (D2) 59 - 21 43 - 14
(D1) Green Rockets Tokatsu 41 - 47 Mie Heat (D2) 29 - 34 12 - 13
(D1) Hanazono Liners 92 - 36 Urayasu D-Rocks (D2) 36 - 14 56 - 22

Matches

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All times Japan Standard Time (JST) (UTC+9)

Sagamihara DynaBoars v Shuttles Aichi

6 May 2023
14:30 JST (UTC+9)
Shuttles Aichi21-59Sagamihara DynaBoars
Try: Go Nakano 27' c
Joe Kamana 51' c
Talifolofola Tangipa 71' c
Con: Tim Swiel (3/3) 28' 52' 72'
ReportTry: Honeti Taumohaapai (2) 5' m 10' c
Masataka Tsuruya 13' c
Kota Iwamura (2) 19' c 35' c
Tomoaki Ishii 29' c
Walt Steenkamp 47' c
Satoshi Koizumi 66' m
Ryoto Shibata 80' c
Con: Matt To'omua (7/9) 12' 15' 20' 31' 48' 77' 80+2'
Paloma Mizuho Stadium
Attendance: 2266
14 May 2023
14:30 JST (UTC+9)
Sagamihara DynaBoars43-14Shuttles Aichi
Try: Masataka Tsuruya 3' c
Yusuke Sakamoto (2) 13' m 20' c
Nozomi Nara 36' m
Curtis Rona 56' c
Yoshimitsu Yasue 76' m
Matt To'omua 80+1' c
Con: Matt To'omua (3/6) 4' 22' 57'
Heiden Bedwell-Curtis (1/1) 80+2'
ReportTry: Go Nakano 27' c
James Mollentze 52' c
Con: Josh Matavesi (1/1) 27'
James Mollentze (1/1) 53'
TBC
Attendance: 1406


Green Rockets Tokatsu v Mie Heat

5 May 2023
12:00 JST (UTC+9)
Mie Heat34-29Green Rockets Tokatsu
Try: Yoshikazu Fujita 2' c
Ryo Furuta 15' c
Matthys Basson 39' c
Viliami Afu Kaipouli 71' c
Con: Kaleb Trask (4/4) 3' 16' 40' 72'
Pen: Kaleb Trask (2/2) 27' 29'
ReportTry: Teruya Goto (2) 31' m 61' m
Nick Phipps 46' c
Lomano Lemeki 54' c
Aseri Masivou 80' m
Con: Taisetsu Kanai (2/4) 47' 55'
Lomano Lemeki (0/1)
Mie Suzuka Sports Garden
Attendance: 3128
13 May 2022
12:00 JST (UTC+9)
Green Rockets Tokatsu12-13Mie Heat
Try: Kavaia Tagivetaua 47' m
Lomano Lemeki 70' c
Con: Taisetsu Kanai (0/1)
Lomano Lemeki (1/1) 71'
ReportTry: Dawid Kellerman 28' c
Con: Kaleb Trask (1/1) 29'
Pen: Kaleb Trask (2/2) 13' 63'
Kashiwanoha Stadium
Attendance: 2018


Hanazono Liners v Urayasu D-Rocks

13 May 2022
12:00 JST (UTC+9)
Hanazono Liners56-21Urayasu D-Rocks
Try: Sanaila Waqa 5' c
Siosaia Fifita (3) 10' m 63' m 68' m
Will Genia 25' m
Semisi Masirewa 34' c
Quade Cooper 61' c
Kensho Kawamura 72' c
Tsuyoshi Murata 74' m
Con: Semisi Masirewa (2/5) 6' 35'
Will Genia (1/1) 62'
Jackson Garden-Bachop (1/2) 73'
Waimana Riedlinger-Kapa (0/1)
Pen: Semisi Masirewa (1/1) 23'
ReportTry: Takuhei Yasuda 31' c
Kai Ishii 40+2' c
Penalty Try 44'

Con: Hayden Cripps (2/2) 32' 40+3'
Hanazono Rugby Stadium
Attendance: 5459

Season play-offs

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Bracket

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
13 May – Aoyama (Tokyo)
 
 
Saitama Wild Knights51
 
20 May – Shinjuku (Tokyo)
 
Yokohama Eagles20
 
Saitama Wild Knights15
 
14 May – Aoyama (Tokyo)
 
Spears Tokyo Bay17
 
Spears Tokyo Bay24
 
 
Tokyo Sungoliath18
 
Third place
 
 
19 May – Aoyama (Tokyo)
 
 
Yokohama Eagles26
 
 
Tokyo Sungoliath20

Semi-finals

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13 May 2023
14:35 JST (UTC+9)
Saitama Wild Knights51-20Yokohama Eagles
Try: Marika Koroibete (3) 42' c 53' c 71' m
Dylan Riley 57' c
Shota Horie 76' c
Con: Rikiya Matsuda (3/3) 43' 54' 58'
Takuya Yamasawa (1/2) 78'
Pen: Rikiya Matsuda (5/5) 18' 23' 29' 40+2' 43'
Drop: Rikiya Matsuda 35'
ReportTry: Sione Halasili 14' c
Inoke Burua 20' c
Con: Yu Tamura (2/2) 15' 22'
Pen: Junpei Ogura (1/1) 51'
Drop: Yu Tamura 38'
Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium
Attendance: 16,237
14 May 2022
14:00 JST (UTC+9)
Spears Tokyo Bay24-18Tokyo Sungoliath
Try: Yota Kamimori 24' c
Malcolm Marx 56' c
Bernard Foley 77' c
Con: Bernard Foley (3/3) 25' 57' 78'
Pen: Bernard Foley (1/3) 47'
ReportTry: Tevita Li 30' c
Aaron Cruden 80' m
Con: Aaron Cruden (1/2) 31'
Pen: Aaron Cruden (2/4) 16' 54'
Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium
Attendance: 13,065

3rd Place Playoff

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19 May 2023
19:00 JST (UTC+9)
Yokohama Eagles26-20Tokyo Sungoliath
Try: Chihito Matsui (2) 15' c 66' c
Faf de Klerk 46' m
Sione Halasili 57' c
Con: Yu Tamura (1/2) 17'
Junpei Ogura (2/2) 58' 68'
Pen: SP Marais (1/1) 79'
ReportTry: Taiga Ozaki 4' m
Naoki Ozawa 30' c
Shunta Nakamura 61' m
Con: Aaron Cruden (1/3) 31'
Pen: Aaron Cruden (1/1) 20'
Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium
Attendance: 8,270

Final

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20 May 2023
14:35 JST (UTC+9)
Saitama Wild Knights15 - 17Spears Tokyo Bay
Try: Shota Horie 58' c
Tomoki Osada 65' m
Con: Takuya Yamasawa (1/2) 59'
Pen: Rikiya Matsuda (1/2) 34'
ReportTry: Haruto Kida 69' m
Con: Bernard Foley (0/1)
Pen: Harumichi Tatekawa (0/1)
Bernard Foley (3/4) 20' 26' 38'
Japan National Stadium
Attendance: 41,794
FB 15 Ryuji Noguchi
RW 14 Tomoki Osada
OC 13 Dylan Riley
IC 12 Damian de Allende
LW 11 Marika Koroibete
FH 10 Rikiya Matsuda
SH 9 Keisuke Uchida
N8 8 Jack Cornelsen
OF 7 Lachlan Boshier
BF 6 Shota Fukui
RL 5 Lood de Jager
LL 4 Mark Abbott
TP 3 Asaeli Ai Valu
HK 2 Atsushi Sakate (c)
LP 1 Keita Inagaki
Substitutions:
HK 16 Shota Horie
PR 17 Craig Millar
PR 18 Shohei Hirano
LK 19 Liam Mitchell
FL 20 Itsuki Onishi
SH 21 Taiki Koyama
FH 22 Takuya Yamasawa
CE 23 Koki Takeyama
Coach:
Robbie Deans
FB 15 Gerhard van den Heever
RW 14 Koga Nezuka
OC 13 Ryan Crotty
IC 12 Harumichi Tatekawa (c)
LW 11 Haruto Kida
FH 10 Bernard Foley
SH 9 Kazuhiro Taniguchi
N8 8 Faulua Makisi
OF 7 Takeo Suenaga
BF 6 Finau Tupa
RL 5 Ruan Botha
LL 4 Yuki Aoki
TP 3 Kengo Kitagawa
HK 2 Malcolm Marx
LP 1 Yota Kamimori
Substitutions:
HK 16 Schalk Erasmus
PR 17 Kazuki Kato
PR 18 Opeti Helu
LK 19 Uwe Helu
FL 20 Masaya Tamaki
SH 21 Shinobu Fujiwara
FH 22 Sione Teaupa
CE 23 Halatoa Vailea
Coach:
Frans Ludeke

References

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  1. ^ a b "NTTジャパンラグビー リーグワン2022-23、ディビジョンおよびカンファレンス編成 (更新)" [NTT Japan Rugby League One 2022–23, Divisional and Conference Organisation (Updated)]. league-one.jp (in Japanese). Japan Rugby League One. 1 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b "NTTジャパンラグビー リーグワン2022-23 大会日程決定のお知らせ" [Announcement of NTT Japan Rugby League One 2022–23 Tournament Schedule]. league-one.jp (in Japanese). League One. 16 September 2022. Archived from the original on 17 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  3. ^ Cully, Paul (24 August 2022). "Highlanders appoint Dave Dillon as new defence coach". Stuff.
  4. ^ "Former All Blacks midfielder Ngani Laumape finds a new home at Kobe Steelers". Stuff. 24 August 2022.
  5. ^ Meikle, Hayden (2 June 2022). "Mission accomplished. Next mission? Watch this space..." Otago Daily Times.
  6. ^ "Glenn Delaney – Head Coach: "Causing a frenzy"". Mitsubishi Dynaboars. Archived from the original on 6 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  7. ^ Doran, Christy (30 March 2022). "'We can make a dominant team': Ambitious Force sign Cron to turn them into title contenders". Fox Sports Australia.
  8. ^ Meikle, Hayden (9 August 2022). "Former Otago coaches take roles with club in Japan". Otago Daily Times.
  9. ^ "Schedule and Results". Japan Rugby League One. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
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