League One
Japan Rugby League One is the premier Rugby competition in Japan featuring 26 teams across 3 divisions. The Toshiba Brave Lupus won the 2025 season for the 2nd consecutive year. Toyota Shokki Shuttles won Division 2 while Mazda Skyactivs won Division 3.
Radradra joins Blue Revs
The Japanese League One has added another superstar of the game to their competition in Flying Fijians Centre and Olympic Gold Medallist Semi Radradra.
Its been known for the past few months he would be leaving Lyon for Japan and it was finally revealed today that he would be joining the Shizuoka Blue Revs.
Already on the Blue-Revs roster is Radradra's former Bristol teammate Charles Piutau and fellow Fijian Vueti Tupou.
Three Fijians in Japan XV forward pack
Japan XV have named their lineup to take on the Maori All-Blacks this Saturday. The lineup includes 3 Fijians in Dynaboars Lock Epeneri Uluiviti alongside Waisake Raratubua of the Steelers in his first representative match and at Flanker breakout player Vueti Tupou from the Blue Revs. It is also his first rep jersey at senior level.
It is just reward particularly for Raratubua and Tupou who both were exceptional this season. Both players only in their 2nd seasons have gone from strength to strength.
They both played 19 matches this season and coincidentally both scored 8 tries as well.
Player Updates
Seta Tamanivalu made his return to the Flying Fijians outfit after 3 years. He started at Centre against Tonga and scored Fiji’s opening try in the 12th minute after some great lead-up work by Ponipate Loganimasi and Tuidraki Samusamuvodre.
He took the role of power-back and carried with purpose into a a physical Tongan defence.
His chip kick in the 2nd half led to Taniela Rakuro scoring his first test try and also showed great hands in Kalaveti Ravouvou’s try.
Tamanivalu made 6 carries for 49 metres in total.
Flying Fijians skipper Tevita Ikanivere led the Flying Fijians to victory in their opening Pacific Nations Cup match against Tonga.
He scored a try in the 62nd minute after some beautiful lead-up play from Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula and Ponipate Loganimasi.
He was met with some stiff defence all game, restricting him to only 20 metres from 8 carries, with 6 tackles and was accurate at lineout.
Former Brive backrower Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco will return to Japan after signing with the Kyuden Voltex for the upcoming League One season, quashing rumours of him joining an English club.
Kyuden finished 6th in Division 2 this year, narrowly missing out on the relegation matches.
Semi Radradra could be missing from Fiji’s first PNC match against Tonga at the end of this month.
As reported by Fiji Village, the former Lyon Centre is preparing to leave for Japan to join his new club Shizuoka and will require scans to determine his availability for the Flying Fijians.
