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Sunwolves could find home in new JRFU backed Japanese rugby league

(Photo by Steve Haag/Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Japan‘s stock as a rugby-playing nation has been on the rise since their historic win over South Africa in Brighton at the 2015 Rugby World Cup and the Japanese Rugby Football Union (JRFU) seem keen to build on that.

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The nation is set to host the upcoming RWC later this year, with the tournament kicking off in September when Japan take on Russia at the Tokyo Stadium.

Japan, who are also in a group with Ireland, Scotland and Samoa, will be hoping that by hosting the tournament, not only does the country receive the economic benefits that staging an event of this magnitude can bring, but that it also provides a surge in popularity for the sport in the country.

To coincide with that, JRFU vice president Katsuyuki Kiyomiya has proposed a new professional league in the country that would begin in 2021 and be based around the 12 venues that are set to be utilised at the RWC later this year.

The 12 stadiums cover the length and breadth of the country and with the smallest of the 12, the Kamaishi Recovery Memorial Stadium, still able to hold 16, 187, there is plenty of scope to cater for larger crowds than the Top League sides currently attract.

The competition, which would begin in September and end in January or February, would keep the Japanese top flight running in conjunction with the nation’s fellow northern hemisphere competitions, albeit with a considerably shorter season.

Kiyomiya, who was a coach at Suntory Sungoliath and Yamaha Júbilo before becoming VP at the JRFU earlier this year, has reportedly spoken to a number of current Top League clubs and that “six to eight” were in agreement with the proposal.

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There has been a swell in player movement to the Top League of late, with plenty of Super Rugby franchises, particularly those in South Africa and Australia, struggling to retain their players in the face of better wages and the relatively short season on offer in Japan. Should this proposal go through and the RWC provides the surge in interest for the sport that the JRFU are hoping for, this new competition would likely enjoy an even bigger financial disparity with the southern hemisphere nations than the Top League currently offers.

The new league could also be the salvation of the Sunwolves, with the Super Rugby side currently gearing up for its final season in the southern hemisphere competition, with SANZAAR having decided to move on without them following the conclusion of the 2020 season.

Watch: RugbyPass’ guide to all the adventures and entertainment on offer in Japan later this year

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R
RedWarrior 29 minutes ago
Three-way race to be number one in World Rugby men's rankings

IF SA and NZ win then its 1,2,3 SA/NZ/IRL Otherwise as you were. This is largely irrelevant beyond bragging rights.


As I have pointed out elsewhere the practical use of the Rankings is to determine the seedings bands for the RWC draw. The draw takes place early 2026 and hopefully the rankings will be taken from then.


Important to be in the top 6, the top 12. (and likely the top 4).

This is because there are now 6 groups in the RWC 2027.

If you are in top 6 you are in Seeding Band 1. That means none of the other top 6 will be in your group.

Seeding Band 2 are teams from 7-12, who will have a top 6 team but no other 7-12 team.

After England's defeat by NZ there is clear water between NZ in 3rd, France in 4th and England in 5th. England are desperate for top4, ill come back and explain why later.

Lets look at Seeding Band 1 and 6th place. If you make 6th, no top 6 team is in your group, you are top dog. If you win your group, you won't be facing a top 6 team in your 1/8th final, you will be facing a weaker team. If you fail to make 6th place you WILL have a top 6 team in your group and if you don't win your group you WILL (probably) meet a top 6 in the 1/8 final. That's massive.


Its Argentina holding 6th now. Assuming England hold 5th, then its a 4 horse race for 6th. Argentina, Scotland, Italy and ...Australia. (ranked 6,7,8,9)

Australia play the Lions in NH summer 2025 they are running out of time to get up to 6th for their own RWC. They MUST make a move now. They must beat Wales and they really must beat Scotland to gain points and take points off them. Could they surprise England or Ireland? England may be the better bet but Schmidt knows Ireland so well having masterminded their downfall in France.

Another one to watch is Italy V Argentina. Italy are ambitious and they will want to start pushing the likes of Argentina. If they win this they are still in the hunt. Well worth a watch either way.


Top4: I think the top 6 will be seeded, all the way through from the draw. If thats the case then the top 4 will be seeded to avoid each other until the semi. Good for more certainty around ticket sales etc. That's a possible reason why England want in there. You're not in there you are hitting a top 4 team in a QF. That's an extra 50:50 match you can do without and avoid by being top 4.


Lets look at what Seeding bands might look like with todays rankings:


Seeding Band 1

IRE/SA/NZ/FRA/ENG/ARG

Seeding Band 2

SCO/ITA/AUS/FIJ/WAL/GEO


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: FIJI

1/8 final opponent GEORGIA

Prognosis: advance to 1/4 and potentially beyond


Sample Aussie strongest pool opponent and 1/8th final opponent if NOT in top 6

Strongest pool opponent: SOUTH AFRICA

1/8 final opponent NEW ZEALAND

Prognosis: You know the prognosis


I am pretty sure this is not lost on Joe Schmidt?


Keep in mind when enjoying the matches.

1 Go to comments
G
GS 1 hour ago
Are the All Blacks doomed to a 70% flatline?

The key is realising this AB side is not what they are now but what they will be in 2025/26.


You can already see a Power bench forming, and I would highlight that people watch the AB XV game vs Munster and watch Fabian Holland - he, in the next 24 months, will be WC and bring some huge physicality to the team.


Then, aligned with Peter Lakai, probably at 7, another WC talent, the AB pack by 2026 will probably both be starting and on the bench - be rated as No 1 or 2 packs in the world.


Then, there is the usual WC talent around the backline, and the missing link is Mo'unga. Unlike in last year's WC, the coming forward pack for the ABs, is similar to the Bok pack, It will be packed full of power, and the key to this is a realitively young pack.


So I think we will lose to Ireland and France in the coming weeks, but watch out as this pack builds into - I mean, look at the tight five and loose forwards that are coming for the ABs - De Groot, Lomax, Williams, Tosi, Taylor, Ofa T, Samson T, Aumua, Patrick T, Barrett, Vai, Fabian H, Setiti, Lakai, Savea, Frizzell (understand they are attempting to get him and Mo'unga back), Blackadder, Papalii and bar Barrett, Savea, Patrick T, Taylor - pretty young in international terms.


Huge front row starting and on bench, Power locks and usual class in loose forwards - only missing ingredient is a WC 10 and with Mo'unga back probably in 2026, these ABs are trending in a very healthy direction.

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