Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Richie Mo'unga reacts to winning eighth club title in as many years

Richie Mounga of Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo celebrates with teammates. Photo by Koki Nagahama/Getty Images

Another year, another trophy for former Crusaders and All Blacks star Richie Mo’unga, who won the final of Japan’s Rugby League One over the weekend with Toshiba Brave Lupus.

ADVERTISEMENT

The win makes it eight straight years with a club title for the seven-time Super Rugby champion, currently on a three-year deal with the Tokyo club.

Making the feat even more impressive is the perfect record of their final opponents in the 2023/24 season. The Panasonic Wild Knights, boasting premier talents from Japan, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, won all 16 of their games in the group stages, including dispatching Toshiba 36-24 in March.

Video Spacer
Video Spacer

Mo’unga began his post-match interview by acknowledging his opponents.

“First and foremost I just want to thank Panasonic for an awesome match tonight,” the playmaker said on the broadcast. “You guys have been the standout and the benchmark of this competition. You are an awesome team and we thank you for the competition. You really brought out the best in us tonight.”

Having further cemented his status as one of rugby’s greatest-ever club players, Mo’unga knows better than anyone what it takes to lift the silverware at the end of the season.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Toshiba’s an awesome club, with people who just really care about the organisation and a lot of hard work goes into putting this rugby team out there and full credit to everyone at this club, a club that wanted this championship so bad and I’m glad to have been part of it and experience this with the boys today.

“I’m just over the moon, I’m just happy. To see the work that these boys have put in throughout the whole year, to have a vision at the start of the year and to love it out and for it to come to fruition tonight is really unbelievable, that’s why we play the game of rugby, for moments like this and I’m glad I can taste it here in Japan with Toshiba today.”

Related

With the match serving as a final outing for iconic hooker Shota Horie, Mo’unga again acknowledged his competitors and the legacy of one of Japan’s finest.

ADVERTISEMENT

“As I said, Panasonic have been heavyweights of this competition for a long time and we knew it was going to be a huge challenge facing these guys, they’re a well-oiled machine, well coached, and have X-factor right across the park.

“And to (Shota) Horie san, in my short time here I’ve known that you’ve given a lot to Japan rugby and Panasonic. It’s going to be sad for a lot of people in the stands to see you leave. But you’re leaving as a legend and someone who’s put Japanese rugby in a better place, so arigato gozaimasu (thank you).”

ADVERTISEMENT

South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

Argentina vs Australia | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

Saitama Wildknights vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League 2024/25 | Full Match Replay

The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

Boks Office | Episode 40 | The Steven Kitshoff Special

Perry Baker in the house | HSBC Life on Tour | Los Angeles

Confidence knocks and finding your people | Flo Williams | Rugby Rising Locker Room

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

S
Solenn Bonnet 3 days ago
Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

WhatsApp.. +15617263697

website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

Telegram.. +15617263697

0 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Irish-qualified ex-England U20 centre Piers O'Conor in URC switch Irish-qualified ex-England U20 centre Piers O'Conor in URC switch
Search