Springboks Star Cheslin Kolbe Crowned Japan Points King: One-Point Finish Seals League One Honour

• Cheslin Kolbe ended the Japan Rugby League One season as the leading points scorer after a decisive late penalty sealed a narrow one-point victory in the standings
• The Tokyo Sungoliath winger combined try-scoring and reliable kicking to finish ahead of his nearest rival in a tightly contested race
• South African influence was also felt across the competition, with Manie Libbok topping the Division Two scoring charts in his debut season in Japan

Springboks star Cheslin Kolbe is making major inroads in Japan’s League One, where he plays for Tokyo Sungoliath.

The South African winger added another feather to his decorated career after finishing the season as the player with the most points on the scoreboard. He edged Black Rams Tokyo flyhalf Ichigo Nakakusu by a single point after slotting a 65th-minute penalty during Tokyo Sungoliath’s 39-22 win over the Black Rams on Sunday.

Kolbe finished with 185 points from 16 appearances, producing nine tries, 40 conversions and 20 penalties. The achievement makes him the fifth different player to top the scoring charts across the five editions of League One.

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The two-time World Cup winner’s goal-kicking has become a vital part of his game and now offers added depth to the Springboks as they look ahead to the international season.

South African players shine in Japan Rugby League One

Other South African rugby stars also featured prominently on the scoreboard in Japan. World Rugby Player of the Year Malcolm Marx delivered a strong campaign, scoring five tries. Those tries added to his growing reputation, with the hooker continuing to impress in the Japanese competition.

Meanwhile, Manie Libbok hit the ground running after moving to Japan this season. He dominated the Division Two points-scoring charts with 165 points from 14 matches, finishing ahead of Wallabies flyhalf Noah Lolesio, who scored 153 points. Libbok represents Hanazono Kintetsu Liners, while Lolesio plays for Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi.

Kolbe’s Sungoliath will face Black Rams Tokyo again in the opening weekend of the playoffs.

Fan reactions to Cheslin Kolbe’s milestone

South Africans celebrated Kolbe’s achievement on social media:

@Steven Vo said:

“Kolbe is an all-time great. A unique player we haven’t seen before. The versatility, the level of play. A player we’ll talk about decades from now.”

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@Baron Willemse said:

“The best.”

@Sylvia Massinga said:

“Iron man of SA🇿🇦🇿🇦🇿🇦 True South African. A talent in which he glorifies God over and over. Do everything you do for the glory of the Lord.”

@Allister Williams said:

“Iron, you’ve got it.”

Kolbe’s final international outing of 2025 came on 22 November in Dublin, where he featured on the wing for the Springboks team against Ireland.

Eben Etzebeth speaks on retirement

Briefly News previously reported that Eben Etzebeth had spoken about the possibility of retiring from his decorated rugby career.

The Springbok lock is the most-capped player in the team’s history, with 138 Test appearances since making his debut in 2012, and is a double Rugby World Cup winner.

Source: Briefly News