Japan Rugby League One: Round 4 - Graham Rowntree's Urayasu D-Rocks stun Canon Eagles

Tuesday, 13 January 2026 at 16:47

byTom Sansom

Graham Rowntree’s remarkable start to life in Japan continued as Urayasu D-Rocks climbed into the Division One top five with a hard-earned 28-22 victory over Yokohama Canon Eagles in Round Four of Japan Rugby League One.

Rowntree’s side, who finished bottom of the table last season, produced another statement performance as the league resumed after the New Year break. Inspired by the influence of Wallaby centre Samu Kerevi and Springbok loose forward Jasper Wiese, D-Rocks surged into a commanding 23-5 half-time lead that ultimately proved decisive.

Kerevi was once again immense in midfield, capping a dominant display by racing 60 metres to score after intercepting a loose pass. The try underlined Urayasu’s growing confidence and belief, with the club already matching the three wins they managed across the entirety of last season in just four matches this time around.

The result, however, deepened Yokohama Canon Eagles’ woes. Once regular semi-finalists, the Eagles remain winless under new head coach Leon MacDonald and have now lost eight straight matches, their worst run in a decade.

Elsewhere, Saitama Wild Knights shook off another stern test from Shizuoka BlueRevs to run out 37-22 winners. Despite trailing 15-8 at the break, Atsushi Kanazawa’s men cut loose with five tries in the final half-hour to secure a bonus-point victory and maintain their strong start to the campaign.

Kubota Spears remain unbeaten and top the standings on points difference after overpowering Mie Honda Heat 45-21. Bernard Foley and Shaun Stevenson crossed as Kubota raced into a 31-0 interval lead before easing off late on.

The weekend’s most dramatic finish came in Tokyo, where Kobelco Kobe Steelers edged Sungoliath 22-20 thanks to an 80th-minute penalty from Seungsin Lee. Cheslin Kolbe’s offside call proved costly, while Sam Cane’s double yellow card left Sungoliath shorthanded. Brodie Retallick scored for a third straight match as Kobe stayed third.

Defending champions Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo sit fourth after a 47-22 win over Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars, driven by a hat-trick from winger Tjay Clarke in a card-heavy contest. In Division Two, Hanazono Kintetsu Liners maintained their perfect record, while SAYAMA SECOM RUGGUTS and SkyActivs Hiroshima dominated in Division Three to underline their early title credentials.