Three All Blacks and Two Springboks Make Japan Team of the Season; Richie Mo’unga Takes Top Honors
Five players from the 2023 Rugby World Cup final have been named in the Japan Rugby League One Team of the 2023/24 Season.
Following the end of the tournament, award winners were announced with All Blacks star Richie Mo’unga earning the top accolade. After leading Toshiba Brave Lupus to their first title in 14 years, Mo’unga was named the JRLO season’s MVP and secured the number 10 spot in the Team of the Season.
**Japan’s Finest**
Mo’unga is joined by fellow All Black and clubmate Shannon Frizell in the team, while Ardie Savea, in his debut season with the Kobelco Kobe Steelers, is included in the back row.
From the Panasonic Wild Knights, tournament finalists Springboks Damian de Allende and Lood de Jager also earned places in the Team of the Season.
**Controversial Final**
Richie Mo’unga played a pivotal role in Toshiba Brave Lupus’s contentious victory over Robbie Deans’ Knights in the Japan Rugby League One final.
Ricoh Black Rams’ Australian star Isaac Lucas secured the full-back position, with Suntory Sungoliath’s Seiya Ozaki and Shizuoka Blue Revs’ Malo Tuitama on the wings. Tuitama also ended the season as the top try scorer with 15 tries.
De Allende and his teammate Dylan Riley were selected for the midfield, with fellow Wild Knight Yuta Takagi named at scrum-half.
Savea and Frizell took the flanker positions, with Brave Blossoms international Jack Cornelsen chosen at number eight.
Brave Lupus lock Warner Deans joined De Jager in the second row, with his teammates Mamoru Harada (hooker) and Sena Kimura (loosehead) completing the front row alongside Kubota Spears tighthead Opeti Helu.
Bryn Gatland was awarded the top points scorer of the competition, and Suntory’s Mikiya Takamoto was named Young Player of the Season. Todd Blackadder was honored as the coach of the season after leading Toshiba Brave Lupus to triumph.
**Japan Rugby League One Team of the Season:**
– 15 Isaac Lucas (Ricoh Black Rams)
– 14 Seiya Ozaki (Suntory Sungoliath)
– 13 Dylan Riley (Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights)
– 12 Damian de Allende (Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights)
– 11 Malo Tuitama (Shizuoka Blue Revs)
– 10 Richie Mo’unga (Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo)
– 9 Yuta Takagi (Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights)
– 8 Jack Cornelsen (Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights)
– 7 Ardie Savea (Kobelco Kobe Steelers)
– 6 Shannon Frizell (Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo)
– 5 Lood de Jager (Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights)
– 4 Warner Deans (Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo)
– 3 Opeti Helu (Kubota Spears)
– 2 Mamoru Harada (Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo)
– 1 Sena Kimura (Toshiba Brave Lupus)
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