Japanese Rugby
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Here we go ...
Two Top League rugby matches scheduled for this weekend have been cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreaks at three of the clubs involved, the Japanese Rugby Football Union (JRFU) said on Tuesday. A total of 44 players and staff tested positive for the virus, including 13 at Toyota Verblitz, seven at Suntory Sungoliath and 24 at Canon Eagles, forcing the cancellation of their opening matches of the 2021 season. Toyota Verblitz and former New Zealand captain Kieran Read had been due to face compatriot Beauden Barrett’s Suntory Sungoliath while Ricoh Black Rams were to play Canon Eagles.
Kieran Read and Beauden Barrett denied Japanese reunion as two Top League matches cancelled
Two Top League matches scheduled for this weekend have been cancelled due to COVID-19 outbreaks at three of the clubs involved.
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Media release Japan RFU:
Japan Rugby Top League 2021: Changes Tournament Format and Delays Opening Round
The Japan Rugby Top League has today announced its decision to change the format of its 2021 season and delay the opening round due to the coronavirus pandemic. As of today, 18 new positive cases have been identified among players and staff of JRTL teams (3 cases at NEC Green Rockets, 10 cases at Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers and 5 cases at Toshiba Brave Lupus). The league has judged that under the current circumstances it would be difficult to provide a safe and secure environment to conduct the tournament for players and other parties. The 2021 season will now be held in an alternative format with a delayed opening round based on Section 2 and 3 of Article 25 “Requirements for League Completion” of the Japan Rugby Top League Regulations. Details of the alternative format and the revised schedule, including the opening round are currently being arranged with the relevant parties and will be announced once confirmed, with the revised tournament expected to start in early to mid-February. -
The Japan RFU have announced the format of the new domestic competition that begins in 2022.
New Rugby League Tournament Format Confirmed25 participating teams NEC Green Rockets, NTT Communications ShiningArcs, NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes, Kamaishi Sheawaves RFC, Canon Eagles, Kyushu Electric Power Kyuden Voltex, Kintetsu Liners, Kubota Spears, Kurita Water RFC Water Gush, Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers, Coca-Cola Red Sparks, Suntory Sungoliath, Shimizu Rugby Football Club Team Blue Sharks, Chugoku Electric Power Red Regulions, Toshiba Brave Lupus, Toyota Verblitz, Toyota Industries Corporation Shuttles, Panasonic Wild Knights, Hino Red Dolphins, Honda HEAT, Mazda Blue Zoomers, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars, Munakata Sanix Blues, Yamaha Jubilo, Ricoh Black Rams (in Japanese alphabetical order)New league’s structure at its start The new league will consist of three divisions and be operated as an open league with yearly promotion/relegation between the divisions.
I copied and pasted the first bit of the media release, because it refers to matches against teams from overseas' leagues. I'd be keen to know which overseas' leagues and teams they are referring to. The competition is supposed to start in January 2022 and finish in May (21 weeks), so I can't see it being Super Rugby (teams) ... -
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@duluth I think Suntory would trouble anyone's backline but I have questions over the tight fives I've seen, and whether their lineouts or scrums are consistently big enough or strong enough to stand up to Super teams.
The standard is good, but geared towards pace and what looks like very dry tracks.
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Live on Sky Sport 1, this weekend:
Sat. 6/3 @ 3.55pm: Kubota Spears (with Ryan Crotty) v NTT Shining Arcs (with Jimmy Tupou; Fletcher Smith not in the 23)
Sat 6/3 @ 5.55pm: Suntory Sungoliath (with BB, Beauden Barrett, Tevita Li and - on the bench - Richard Judd) v Sanix Blues (with Jarred Adams, Dan Pryor and - on the bench - Jason Emery)
Usually, they broadcast one game on Saturday and one on Sunday, but I think they changed that because the Crusaders v Hurricanes game has been moved to Sunday afternoon.
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@stargazer said in Japan Top League:
Live on Sky Sport 1, this weekend:
Sat. 6/3 @ 3.55pm: Kubota Spears (with Ryan Crotty) v NTT Shining Arcs (with Jimmy Tupou; Fletcher Smith not in the 23)
Sat 6/3 @ 5.55pm: Suntory Sungoliath (with BB, Beauden Barrett, Tevita Li and - on the bench - Richard Judd) v Sanix Blues (with Jarred Adams, Dan Pryor and - on the bench - Jason Emery)
Usually, they broadcast one game on Saturday and one on Sunday, but I think they changed that because the Crusaders v Hurricanes game has been moved to Sunday afternoon.
Who's BB?
Japan are only allowed two foreigners at a time on the field, which is a good rule for them. Funny tho, when they do it it is great for Japan rugby, SR teams doing it is being anti Pacific island rugby
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Hmmm I wonder what they envisage for those cross competition matches? I wonder if our season could include games against their top sides, plus the Australian sides? Is there room in the season for an 8 round SRA season plus a bye and a final then another 8 rounds vs Australian and TL teams, a bye and finals? Nah that's around 21 weeks, and the domestic comps wouldn't align.
On a related note, the teams in the game this arvo had at least two locks under 1.90m and the front rowers were mostly around 110kg so the TL sides would be a bit under sized to be competitive.
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@shark A lot of the games I have watched, admittedly they were mostly those featuring Beauden Barrett's team, have been hopelessly one sided with winning margins about the sixty point mark. That would probably equate to something over one hundred in Super Rugby New Zealand. In laymens terms that's something like watching Auckland administering a pants down thrashing of a mid week North Otago team devoid of a lot of their (North Otago) first choice players who were unable to get time of work.
About the only think going for it would be the opportunity for the Chiefs to have a win and the TV revenues )which would probably the the most important component anyway). With that money I suppose we could accept it but that would probably involve a lot of the second tier players in NZ and Aust (do they still have any?) being used to try and strengthen the Japanese Company Teams.
