The first exchange match between Japan's Rugby League One and Super Rugby Pacific, the world's top league in the southern hemisphere, was held in Tokyo, with Super Rugby's Blues defeating Tokyo Suntory Sun Goliath 43-7.
``THE CROSS-BORDER RUGBY'', a competition between Japan's League One and Super Rugby's top teams, will be held for the first time in Japan this year for the first time in four matches, with the aim of developing both leagues and improving the level of players.
The first match was between Sun Goliath, who finished 4th in League One last season, and New Zealand's Blues, who advanced to the playoff semi-finals in last season's Super Rugby, at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo.
In the match, the physically superior Blues possessed the ball from the beginning and gained the upper hand, scoring three tries in the first half to take the score 19-7.
The Blues extended their lead with four more tries in the second half and held off Sungoliath with a 43-7 win.
In the first half, Sungoliath's Kotaro Matsushima of the Japanese national team made use of his speed to score a try, but after that he was unable to create a show and succumbed to the opponent's physical strength, resulting in multiple fouls and losing by a large margin.
The interleague match will be held until the 10th of this month, and on the 4th, League One's Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights will face Super Rugby's Chiefs at Kumagaya Rugby Stadium in Saitama Prefecture.