The 57th Japan University Rugby Championship Tenri Claim Inaugural University Title
Tenri University won their first ever Japan University Rugby Championship title in consummate style with an emphatic 55-28 victory over university heavyweight Waseda University at the National Stadium in Tokyo on Monday, 11 January 2021.
The final of the 57th Japan University Rugby Championship was a free-running affair with 12 tries scored throughout the afternoon with Tenri University bagging eight of those 5-pointers.
Tenri hit the ground running from the get go with centre Keita Ichikawa touching down for the opening try in only the third minute of play. Lock Asipeli Moala followed suit in the twelfth minute to help the men in black open up a handy 14-0 lead. As expected, Waseda hit back with a try to prop Kenta Kobayashi midway through the half, but two more touchdowns from Ichikawa pushed Tenri to a handsome 27-7 lead by halftime.
Tenri fully maintained the momentum in the latter half with four more tries, including one each to Ichikawa and Moala. The Kansai top seed led 50-14 by the hour mark and closed out the result 55-28 in what was a thoroughly entertaining display of open rugby.
Tenri University 55 – Tries: Keita Ichikawa 4, Asipeli Moala 2, Shinobu Fujiwara and Koshi Emoto; Conversions: Takuro Matsunaga 6; Penalty: Takuro Matsunaga d.
Waseda University 28 – Tries: Kenta Kobayashi, Ryosuke Kawase, Kensho Kawamura and Daisuke Ito; Conversions: Ko Yoshimura 4.
Date: Monday, 11 January 2020
Venue: National Stadium, Tokyo
Referee: Kimitoshi Shiozaki
Kick-off: 13:15