The 2025-26 Japan Rugby League One season opened with both intensity and accuracy jumping to a new level. Breakdown speed, kicking quality, defensive reset – not just one element, but the total performance over 80 minutes is being converted directly into league points.
Div.1 Snapshot: Unbeaten Leaders and a Mid-Table Traffic Jam
As of 2026-01-20 16:00 (JST), Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay and Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights are running side by side on 24 points, both unbeaten. Their attacking and defensive structures have clicked into place early. Kobe and Brave Lupus Tokyo are also adding to their totals, and the title race is starting to look like “two giants plus challengers”.
| Pos | Team | Played | W-D-L | Pts | Points diff. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo Bay | 5 | 5-0-0 | 24 | 139 |
| 2 | Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights | 5 | 5-0-0 | 24 | 138 |
| 3 | Kobelco Kobe Steelers | 5 | 4-0-1 | 20 | 68 |
| 4 | Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo | 5 | 4-0-1 | 19 | 16 |
| 5 | Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath | 5 | 3-0-2 | 15 | -14 |
| 6 | Urayasu D-Rocks | 5 | 3-0-2 | 12 | -7 |
| 7 | Shizuoka Blue Revs | 5 | 2-0-3 | 10 | -9 |
| 8 | Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo | 5 | 2-0-3 | 8 | -70 |
| 9 | Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars | 5 | 1-0-4 | 5 | -62 |
| 10 | Toyota Verblitz | 5 | 1-0-4 | 4 | -64 |
| 11 | Mie Honda Heat | 5 | 0-0-5 | 2 | -59 |
| 12 | Yokohama Canon Eagles | 5 | 0-0-5 | 2 | -76 |
What We’ve Seen So Far: Teams That “Collect” Points and Teams That Let Them Slip
In these opening rounds, the visible gap is whether a team can “pick up points in tight games”. Management of bonus points, how the bench is used in the final 20 minutes, and discipline at the breakdown and in defence are all showing up directly in the standings.
The middle of the table is tightly packed, with one result enough to shuffle positions in a “traffic jam” of teams. At the bottom, performances are often competitive, but league points are hard to come by. From here on, depth and the ability to handle consecutive tough fixtures will be the key to any fightback.
What Comes Next: Head-to-Head Clashes and the Art of Taking Points
Of course, the direct clashes between the top clubs will be crucial, but the big question is whether mid-table sides can steal points off the leaders. League points are not only about “winning” – they also depend on how you win, and how you lose. Over the next few rounds, the outlines of the playoff picture will start to take shape surprisingly early.
References: Official standings (League One) / Live standings (dmenu Sports)
