2026–27 Japan Rugby League One – Division 1
Rugby union competition in Japan
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The 2026–27 Japan Rugby League One – Division 1 (Japanese: NTTジャパンラグビー リーグワン2026–27), known as the NTT 2026–27 Japan Rugby League One for sponsorship reasons, is the sixth season of the Japan Rugby League One (JRLO) and the 23rd season in top-flight Japanese rugby. The season schedule was released in early July 2026, with the season scheduled to begin on 12 December, with the season to conclude in a play-off final on 6 June 2027.[1] The competition consists of twelve teams. The team composition remained unchanged from the previous season with the two teams in the relegation zone (Sagamihara DynaBoars,[2] Urayasu D-Rocks)[3] defeating their Division 2 opponents in the relegation play-offs.
| 2026–27 Japan Rugby League One – D1 | |
|---|---|
| Countries |  Japan |
| Number of teams | 12 |
| Date | 12 December 2026 – 6 June 2027 |
| Matches played | 114[a] |
| Official website | |
| league-one | |
The Kobe Steelers are the defending champions, having defeated the Kubota Spears in the final 22–13 at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo.[4][5] It was their third title in top-flight Japanese rugby, and their first since the inception of the JRLO in 2022.[6]
Background
Format
Unlike the previous seasons of the Japan Rugby League One – Division 1, the 2026–27 had removed the conference system format,[1] which had been in place since the inaugural 2022 season.[7]
Teams and personnel
Personnel
Personnel changes
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Location of the 2026–27 Japan Rugby League teams (Greater Tokyo Area)
|
International players
In the Japan Rugby League One, Category C players are internationally Test-capped players who are not eligible to represent Japan. There are three that are allowed in each teams matchday squad.[13][14]
Ladder
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | TB | LB | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Rams Tokyo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualification to semi-finals |
| 2 | Kobe Steelers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Kubota Spears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualification to quarter-finals |
| 4 | Sagamihara DynaBoars | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | Saitama Wild Knights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | Shizuoka Blue Revs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Tochigi Honda Heat | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Tokyo Sungoliath | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 9 | Toshiba Brave Lupus | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | Toyota Verblitz | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | Urayasu D-Rocks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualification to relegation play-offs |
| 12 | Yokohama Canon Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fixtures
The season fixtures are yet to be released.
Promotion/Relegation play-offs
The relegation play-offs dates have yet to be announced.
Overview
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TBD | TBD | |||
| TBD | TBD |
Play-offs
The season play-offs are scheduled for May and June 2027.[1]
| Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
| 22 May | ||||||||||
| 29 May | ||||||||||
| 6 June – Tokyo | ||||||||||
| 30 May | ||||||||||
| 23 May | ||||||||||
| Third place match | ||||||||||
| 7 June | ||||||||||
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Third place match
Final
Notes
- Does not include the promotion and relegation play-offs.[1]