Chubu Electric Power secured a hard-fought 20-17 victory over Clean Fighters Yamanashi in the second round of the 2025 National Adult Rugby Football Tournament on December 21st. The win at Paloma Mizuho Rugby Stadium is crucial for the team’s ambition to surpass last year’s third-place finish.
First-Half Dominance Sets the Tone
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The match began with a kickoff from Yamanashi, immediately followed by an aggressive offensive push from Chubu Electric Power. Yamanashi drew first blood in the 8th minute when SO Kasahara executed a brilliant drop goal from near the halfway line. Despite numerous attempts to breach the Yamanashi defense, Chubu Electric Power struggled to convert opportunities into points until the 15th minute, when Kasahara capitalized on a defensive lapse to score a try. Yamanashi responded with a try of their own in the 27th minute, leveling the score. Kasahara then successfully converted a penalty goal in the 34th minute, and just before halftime, LO Terakita powered through for a try, supported by his teammates, bringing the first-half score to 20-5 in favor of Chubu Electric Power.
Second-Half Battle and Final Result
Aiming to maintain their momentum, Chubu Electric Power attempted a penalty goal three minutes into the second half, but the attempt went wide. The second half saw a shift in momentum as fouls and errors plagued Chubu Electric Power’s game, allowing Yamanashi to gain ground. Yamanashi narrowed the gap with a try in the 35th minute, and then, with just minutes remaining, added another try in the 47th minute. The final whistle blew with the score at 20-17, securing the win for Chubu Electric Power and advancing them to the third round of the tournament.
Kasahara Named Man of the Match
Following the match, Kii HC announced SO Kasahara as the Man of the Match, recognizing his pivotal role in leading the team to victory with his impressive kicking performance.
Despite the win, the team acknowledged a challenging second half and identified areas for improvement. They are determined to address these issues and continue fighting as a team, with a focus on building upon this victory and achieving a better result than last year. Continued support from fans is greatly appreciated.
Next Match Information
| schedule | kick off | opponent | place |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 10th (Saturday) | 13:00 | Tokyo Gas Blue Flames | Paloma Mizuho Rugby Stadium |
About Chubu Electric Power’s Rugby Club
Sports Offered
| position | player | position | player | position | player |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tatsuya Tsuji | 9 | Kenta Nishikawa | 17 | Yangtze River Youyou |
| 2 | Ryohei Kii | 10 | Hiroshi Kasahara | 18 | Tenra Suzuki |
| 3 | Yu Honma | 11 | Katsuki Tsuruta | 19 | Yosuke Kuwata |
| 4 | Yusuke Saegusa | 12 | Masanori Inoue | 20 | Shogo Ishida |
| 5 | Tebeita Gensuke | 13 | Ryousei Fujimoto | 21 | Masaki Matsuyama |
| 6 | Masato Hongo | 14 | Tsukasa Tanigawa | 22 | Yudai Tanahashi |
| 7 | Yasuo Suzuki | 15 | Hitoshi Ashizuka | 23 | Shigeki Nagano |
| 8 | Yuta Kito | 16 | Six cars Gao Ning |
| time | player |
|---|---|
| First half 11 minutes | 11 Katsuki Tsuruta → 23 Shigeki Nagano |
| 0 minutes in the second half | 3 Yu Honma → 18 Tenra Suzuki |
| 16 minutes in the second half | 1 Tatsuya Tsuji → 16 Muguruma Goning |
| 26 minutes in the second half | 6 Masato Hongo → 20 Shogo Ishida |
| 26 minutes in the second half | 9 Kenta Nishikawa → 21 Masaki Matsuyama |
| 26 minutes in the second half | 12 Inoue regular → 22 Tanahashi Yudai |
| Second half 30 minutes | 4 Yusuke Saegusa → 19 Yosuke Kuwata |
| Second half 30 minutes | 18 Suzuki Tenliang → 17 Yangtze Yusuke |
| game | Chubu Electric Power | Clean Fighters Yamanashi |
|---|---|---|
| first half | 20 | 5 |
| second half | 0 | 12 |
| total | 20 | 17 |
