JAPAN · PROFESSIONAL RUGBY · 2026/27
Rugby in Japan
Japan’s premier professional domestic rugby competition is NTT Japan Rugby League One. The 2026–27 season begins in December with 12 Division 1 clubs, 108 regular-season fixtures and a six-team championship play-off.
Explore Japanese rugby competitions
Start with Division 1, which has the full verified 2026–27 schedule and a pre-season table. Other divisions can be added after the main competition.
NTT Japan Rugby League One — Division 1
12 clubs, 18 rounds and all 108 official fixtures. Season begins 12 December 2026; pre-season standings are zero for every team.
Division 2 and Division 3
The professional pyramid also contains an eight-team Division 2 and a seven-team Division 3 in 2026–27. Dedicated RugbyOrbit Match Centres for these tiers have not yet been published.
How professional rugby works in Japan
Japan Rugby League One is a nationwide professional club competition with 27 teams in three divisions. Division 1 has 12 teams, Division 2 eight, and Division 3 seven for the 2026–27 season.
Division 1 has abandoned its conference split. Each team faces all 11 opponents, playing seven of them twice and four once, for 18 matches each. The top six advance to the play-offs; the leading two join directly at the semi-final stage.
Division 1 opens on 12 December 2026 and the play-off final is scheduled for 6 June 2027. Promotion/relegation arrangements are governed separately and should not be inferred from the Division 1 points table.
Well-known clubs
The 2026–27 Division 1 includes defending champions Kobelco Kobe Steelers, Saitama Wild Knights, Toshiba Brave Lupus Musashi, Kubota Spears Funabashi Tokyo-Bay, Tokyo Sungoliath and Toyota Verblitz, alongside six other clubs. All 12 are listed on the competition page.
Frequently asked questions
When does Japan Rugby League One 2026–27 begin?
Division 1 begins on 12 December 2026. The first round is played across 12–13 December.
How many clubs are in Japan’s top league?
Twelve clubs compete in Division 1, playing 18 regular-season games each.
Is League One the same as the Japan national team?
No. League One is the domestic professional club league. The national team, the Brave Blossoms, plays international matches separately.
Official sources and editorial notes
Competition format and team numbers follow Japan Rugby League One’s July announcement. Fixtures follow the official 2026–27 schedule and the September draw announcement (updated in October). This is an independent, manually maintained guide; details may change.
Verified 15 October 2026 · RugbyOrbit