Why playing in Japan will benefit Boks at World Cup 2027
The exodus of South African players to Japan’s League One is escalating, with more players heading to the Land of the Rising Sun than those heading back to the Republic.
This week’s high-profile departure saw the announcement that Springbok lock Ruan Nortjé is heading to Japan at the end of the current season.
There is already a high volume of South African players, including several World Cup winners, plying their trade in Japan’s League One.
It includes major names like Cheslin Kolbe, Faf de Klerk, Jesse Kriel, and Kwagga Smith leading the influence.
The league also features Damian de Allende, Lood de Jager, and Malcolm Marx, Lukhanyo Am, Kurt-Lee and Pieter-Steph du Toit.
The benefits of signing high-paying contracts, a move supported by the Springbok management, will benefit the back-to-back World Champions when they defend their World Cup title in Australia next year.
That is why a double World Cup winner like Kolbe will be delaying his return to South Africa.
Michael Yormark, President of Roc Nation Sports International, confirmed that the 32-year-old Kolbe will stay in Japan’s League One for now.
“Cheslin is having a great season at Suntory,” Yormark said.
“He is healthy, playing extraordinarily well, and has picked up quite a few Player of the Match awards.
“He has settled in very nicely in Japan, is a well-liked teammate, respected by the organisation, and has integrated into the community.”
Kolbe’s Sungoliath form has been exceptional, helping himself to 28 points, including two tries, in an emphatic 60-21 victory over Brave Lupus last month.
That win was Sungoliath’s first over their neighbours in three years.
“For the foreseeable future, that is where he will be,” Yormark said about Kolbe.
“It is a great opportunity for him.
“A couple of years out from the World Cup, you start thinking about what that final chapter might look like.
“I think every player wants to come home.
“That is something that Cheslin, Layla and the family will consider at the appropriate time.
“Right now, his career is in Japan.”
* (WATCH as Michael Yormark, President of Roc Nation Sports International, explains why the exodus of players to Japan will benefit the Springboks. .…)
However, it is not just Kolbe that is going to benefit from playing in Japan for the next 18 months, heading into the World Cup in Australia.
“It [the Japan League One] is less physical and involves fewer training hours,” the RNSI boss said.
“It is a different type of league.
“If you want to be as fresh as you can be, going into the [2027] World Cup, Japan is a good league to be playing in.”
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