In Rugby League One, two games were played in Round 12 of Division 1, where 2nd place Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo came from behind in the final minute to beat Kubota Spears Funabashi/Tokyo Bay, preserving their one loss.
Brave Lupus vs. Spears
Brave Lupus were trailing by 10 points in the 24th minute of the second half with a try from Yuto Mori, then caught up with a try from Seta Tamanibal just before the end, and Richie Mo'unga converted the goal kick after the try. We came from behind to win 22-20.
Brave Lupus had 11 wins and 1 loss, with 50 points.
Last season's champion Spears fell to 8th place with 5 wins and 7 losses and 27 points.
Steelers vs Sun Goliath
In the top-ranked showdown between Kobelco Kobe Steelers and Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath, 3rd place Sungoliath won 36-27, increasing their lead to 43 points with 9 wins and 3 losses.
With the loss, the Steelers fell to 7 wins, 5 losses, and 34 points, falling from 4th place in the previous round to 5th place.
After the 12th round, the Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, who are in the lead with all 12 wins, are confirmed to be in the top 4, and will advance to the playoff tournament with 4 league games remaining.