Japan national rugby league team
| Team information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Samurais | |||||
| Governing body | Japanese Rugby League Association | |||||
| Region | Asia-Pacific | |||||
| Head coach | Willie Lux | |||||
| Captain | Travis Drury | |||||
| IRL ranking | 41st | |||||
| Uniforms | ||||||
| ||||||
| Team results | ||||||
| First international | ||||||
| Lebanon 52–28 Japan (Tokyo, Japan; 1998) | ||||||
| Biggest win | ||||||
| Japan 52–16 Thailand (29 April 2015) | ||||||
| Biggest defeat | ||||||
| Malta 82–0 Japan (Coffs Harbour, Australia; 25 January 2007) | ||||||
| World Cup | ||||||
| Appearances | 0 | |||||
The Japan national rugby league team, nicknamed the Samurais, represents Japan in rugby league football. Japan have played some international competition since 1994. The Japanese National Cup, the JRL domestic club competition, was founded in 1998. In 2021 the season was restarted after a break for COVID with five teams in two divisions, three clubs in East Japan, the Abiko Ducks, Mitaka Spartans and South Ikebukuro Rabbitohs; and two clubs in West Japan, the Kamisenryu Sea Turtles and The Kansai Kaminari.