Cheslin Kolbe and the Tokyo Sungoliath face the BlackRams at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium on Dec. 12 in the first Japan Rugby League One match to stream on FloRugby.

The two Tokyo clubs will christen the new season — one in which the Sungoliath hope to return to the playoffs. 

After an 8-2-8 season a year ago, the Sungoliath suffered a narrow loss to the Kubota Spears, 20-15, in the quarterfinals.

• Japan Rugby League One Schedule: Watch Round 1 On FloRugby
• Click Here For More Information On How To Watch Japan Rugby League One
• Japan Rugby League One Full Season Schedule 2025-2026

Kolbe, the No. 5-ranked player at FloRugby, is a two-time finalist for World Rugby Player of the Year and is considered the best wing in the world — and one of the highest-paid players in the sport.

Kolbe joined the Sungoliath in 2023 after starring for the Stormers, Toulouse and Toulon from 2013-2023. 

Kolbe, 32, has been one of the offensive powerhouses for the back-to-back Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks.

It’s not just Kolbe, though. 

All Blacks legend Sam Cane, 33, who has 105 caps for New Zealand, is one of the standout players for the Sungoliath. The former Chiefs captain played for the Super Rugby club from 2012-2024. 

Originally joining JRLO on a one-year sabbatical, Cane announced in 2024 that he would not play for the All Blacks in 2025, or Super Rugby, and would continue with the Sungoliath on a three-year contract.

Here’s what to know about the Sungoliath:

How To Watch The Tokyo Sungoliath In The United States

The Japan Rugby League One season is streaming live on FloRugby and the FloSports app all season long. Match replays, highlights and breaking news also will be available on both platforms.

How Did The Tokyo Sungoliath Do Last Season?

The Sungoliath went 8-2-8 and went 2-1 in the final three weeks of the regular season to advance to the playoffs.

Where Do The Tokyo Sungoliath Play?

The home grounds for the Sungoliath are in Fuchū, Tokyo, where they share the city’s rugby space with the back-to-back champion Brave Lupus. They play their home matches at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium.

Who Coaches The Tokyo Sungoliath?

Kosei Ono is the head coach of the Sungoliath. 

One of the stars of the “Brighton Miracle” in 2015 — when Japan beat South Africa at the Rugby World Cup — the 38-year-old, New Zealand–raised coach became head coach of his former club in 2024.

Japan Rugby League One Schedule 2025-2026: Here's When To Watch On FloRugby

Round 1 - Dec. 13-14, 2025

(Time Zone: Eastern Standard Time - EST, JST - 14 hours)

• Saturday, Dec. 13

  • 11 PM EST (Friday): BlackRams Tokyo vs TOKYO SUNGOLIATH

  • 12:05 AM EST (Sunday): URAYASU D-Rocks vs Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars

  • 12:30 AM EST (Sunday): TOYOTA VERBLITZ vs MIE Honda HEAT

  • 3 AM EST (Sunday): KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS vs Kubota Spears

• Sunday, Dec. 14

  • 12:30 AM EST (Monday): YOKOHAMA CANON EAGLES vs SHIZUOKA BlueRevs

  • 1 AM EST (Monday): TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO vs SAITAMA WILD KNIGHTS

Japan Rugby League One Schedule

Find out more on the Japan Rugby League One schedule at FloRugby

• Dec. 12, 2025, 11:00 p.m. ET BlackRams vs. Sungoliath
• Dec. 13, 2025, 12:05 a.m. ET D-Rocks vs. Dynaboars
• Dec. 13, 2025, 12:30 a.m. ET Verblitz vs. Heat
• Dec. 13, 2025, 3:00 a.m. ET Steelers vs. Spears
• Dec. 14, 2025, 12:30 a.m. ET Eagles vs. BlueRevs
• Dec. 14, 2025, 1:00 a.m. ET Brave Lupus vs. Wild Knights
• Dec. 20, 2025, 12:30 a.m. ET Spears vs. BlackRams
• Dec. 20, 2025, 12:30 a.m. ET Sungoliath vs. Verblitz
• Dec. 20, 2025, 10:25 p.m. ET Heat vs. Steelers
• Dec. 20, 2025, 11:40 p.m. ET Dynaboars vs. Eagles
• Dec. 21, 2025, 12:30 a.m. ET Wild Knights vs. D-Rocks
• Dec. 21, 2025, 12:30 a.m. ET BlueRevs vs. Brave Lupus
• Dec. 26, 2025, 11:05 p.m. ET BlackRams vs. Heat
• Dec. 27, 2025, 12:30 a.m. ET Steelers vs. Verblitz
• Dec. 27, 2025, 12:30 a.m. ET Spears vs. Sungoliath
• Dec. 28, 2025, 12:00 a.m. ET BlueRevs vs. D-Rocks
• Dec. 28, 2025, 12:30 a.m. ET Dynaboars vs. Wild Knights
• Dec. 28, 2025, 12:30 a.m. ET Eagles vs. Brave Lupus
• Jan. 9, 2026, 10:00 p.m. ET D-Rocks vs. Eagles
• Jan. 10, 2026, 12:30 a.m. ET Sungoliath vs. Steelers
• Jan. 10, 2026, 12:30 a.m. ET Verblitz vs. BlackRams
• Jan. 10, 2026, 12:30 a.m. ET Brave Lupus vs. Dynaboars
• Jan. 10, 2026, 12:30 a.m. ET Wild Knights vs. BlueRevs
• Jan. 10, 2026, 10:00 p.m. ET Heat vs. Spears
• Jan. 16, 2026, 10:00 p.m. ET Eagles vs. Wild Knights
• Jan. 16, 2026, 10:05 p.m. ET Steelers vs. BlackRams
• Jan. 16, 2026, 11:00 p.m. ET BlueRevs vs. Dynaboars
• Jan. 17, 2026, 12:05 a.m. ET D-Rocks vs. Brave Lupus
• Jan. 17, 2026, 12:05 a.m. ET Sungoliath vs. Heat
• Jan. 17, 2026, 12:30 a.m. ET Spears vs. Verblitz
• Jan. 23, 2026, 10:00 p.m. ET Brave Lupus vs. Spears
• Jan. 23, 2026, 11:00 p.m. ET Heat vs. D-Rocks
• Jan. 24, 2026, 12:30 a.m. ET Wild Knights vs. Sungoliath
• Jan. 24, 2026, 12:30 a.m. ET Eagles vs. Steelers
• Jan. 24, 2026, 12:30 a.m. ET Dynaboars vs. BlackRams
• Jan. 25, 2026, 12:00 a.m. ET BlueRevs vs. Verblitz
• Feb. 6, 2026, 10:00 p.m. ET Steelers vs. BlueRevs
• Feb. 6, 2026, 11:00 p.m. ET BlackRams vs. Wild Knights
• Feb. 6, 2026, 11:00 p.m. ET Heat vs. Brave Lupus
• Feb. 7, 2026, 12:30 a.m. ET Spears vs. D-Rocks
• Feb. 7, 2026, 12:30 a.m. ET Verblitz vs. Eagles
• Feb. 8, 2026, 12:30 a.m. ET Sungoliath vs. Dynaboars
• Feb. 13, 2026, TBD Wild Knights vs. Verblitz
• Feb. 13, 2026, TBD Dynaboars vs. Heat
• Feb. 13, 2026, TBD Eagles vs. BlackRams
• Feb. 13, 2026, TBD BlueRevs vs. Spears
• Feb. 13, 2026, TBD D-Rocks vs. Sungoliath
• Feb. 14, 2026, TBD Brave Lupus vs. Steelers
• Feb. 20, 2026, TBD Steelers vs. Wild Knights
• Feb. 20, 2026, TBD Spears vs. Dynaboars
• Feb. 20, 2026, TBD BlackRams vs. D-Rocks
• Feb. 21, 2026, TBD Sungoliath vs. Eagles
• Feb. 21, 2026, TBD Heat vs. BlueRevs
• Feb. 27, 2026, TBD Wild Knights vs. Heat
• Feb. 27, 2026, TBD Brave Lupus vs. BlackRams
• Feb. 27, 2026, TBD D-Rocks vs. Steelers
• Feb. 28, 2026, TBD Eagles vs. Spears
• Feb. 28, 2026, TBD Dynaboars vs. Verblitz
• Feb. 28, 2026, TBD BlueRevs vs. Sungoliath
• Mar. 13, 2026, TBD BlackRams vs. BlueRevs
• Mar. 13, 2026, TBD Steelers vs. Dynaboars
• Mar. 13, 2026, TBD Heat vs. Eagles
• Mar. 13, 2026, TBD Spears vs. Wild Knights
• Mar. 14, 2026, TBD Verblitz vs. D-Rocks
• Mar. 14, 2026, TBD Sungoliath vs. Brave Lupus
• Mar. 19, 2026, TBD Steelers vs. Eagles
• Mar. 20, 2026, TBD Wild Knights vs. BlackRams
• Mar. 20, 2026, TBD Dynaboars vs. Sungoliath
• Mar. 20, 2026, TBD D-Rocks vs. Spears
• Mar. 21, 2026, TBD Verblitz vs. BlueRevs
• Mar. 21, 2026, TBD Brave Lupus vs. Heat
• Mar. 27, 2026, TBD Eagles vs. Verblitz
• Mar. 27, 2026, TBD D-Rocks vs. Heat
• Mar. 27, 2026, TBD Spears vs. Brave Lupus
• Mar. 27, 2026, TBD Sungoliath vs. Wild Knights
• Mar. 27, 2026, TBD BlueRevs vs. Steelers
• Mar. 28, 2026, TBD BlackRams vs. Dynaboars
• Apr. 3, 2026, TBD Wild Knights vs. Eagles
• Apr. 3, 2026, TBD Verblitz vs. Spears
• Apr. 3, 2026, TBD Heat vs. Sungoliath
• Apr. 3, 2026, TBD Dynaboars vs. BlueRevs
• Apr. 4, 2026, TBD BlackRams vs. Steelers
• Apr. 4, 2026, TBD Brave Lupus vs. D-Rocks
• Apr. 16, 2026, TBD Heat vs. BlackRams
• Apr. 17, 2026, TBD BlueRevs vs. Wild Knights
• Apr. 17, 2026, TBD Dynaboars vs. Brave Lupus
• Apr. 17, 2026, TBD Sungoliath vs. Spears
• Apr. 17, 2026, TBD Eagles vs. D-Rocks
• Apr. 17, 2026, TBD Verblitz vs. Steelers
• Apr. 23, 2026, TBD D-Rocks vs. BlueRevs
• Apr. 24, 2026, TBD Brave Lupus vs. Eagles
• Apr. 24, 2026, TBD Spears vs. Heat
• Apr. 24, 2026, TBD BlackRams vs. Verblitz
• Apr. 24, 2026, TBD Steelers vs. Sungoliath
• Apr. 24, 2026, TBD Wild Knights vs. Dynaboars
• Apr. 30, 2026, TBD D-Rocks vs. Wild Knights
• May 1, 2026, TBD Verblitz vs. Sungoliath
• May 1, 2026, TBD Brave Lupus vs. BlueRevs
• May 1, 2026, TBD BlackRams vs. Spears
• May 1, 2026, TBD Eagles vs. Dynaboars
• May 1, 2026, TBD Steelers vs. Heat
• May 8, 2026, TBD Heat vs. Verblitz
• May 8, 2026, TBD Wild Knights vs. Brave Lupus
• May 8, 2026, TBD BlueRevs vs. Eagles
• May 9, 2026, TBD Dynaboars vs. D-Rocks
• May 9, 2026, TBD Spears vs. Steelers
• May 9, 2026, TBD Sungoliath vs. BlackRams
• May 16, 2026, 11:05 p.m. ET BlueRevs vs. Steelers
• May 18, 2026, 1:30 a.m. ET Spears vs. Sungoliath

Japan Rugby League One Playoff Schedule

• May 24, 2026, TBD Japan Rugby League One SF #2
• May 24, 2026, TBD Japan Rugby League One SF #1
• Jun. 6, 2026, TBD Japan Rugby League One Bronze
• Jun. 6, 2026, TBD Japan Rugby League One Final

How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby

Watch international club and professional rugby all year long on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States. FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to: 

• Gallagher PREM Rugby
• Investec Champions Cup
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• Top 14
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• And more

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