It may have gone unnoticed locally with the race to the playoffs for the Vodacom United Rugby Championship going on, but over in Japan, Springbok ace Cheslin Kolbe has had a stunning season, finishing as the top points scorer in the Japanese League One.
Kolbe, who kicked a 65th minute penalty goal during Tokyo Sungoliath’s 39-22 BlackRams Tokyo, went to the top of the points’ scorers list for the League, passing BlackRams’ Ichigo Nakakusu by a point - Kolbe has scored 185 points from 16 appearances, including nine tries.
Kolbe’s kicking prowess has been used before by the Springboks, but the fact he is regularly kicking in Japan is a good back up for the Springboks ahead of a tough season.
Kolbe has now scored an impressive 271 points in 30 games for the club, and has an opportunity to add more to his tally as the two teams clash again in the first weekend of the finals on 23 May.
Behind them are former Wallaby Bernard Foley, who has scored 170 points thus far this season.
Despite being held try-less for just the sixth time in 18 appearances during Sunday’s crucial win over Kubota, Kobe’s remarkable All Black second rower Brodie Retallick still emerged as the season’s leading try-scorer in Division One.
The Kobe skipper finished the qualifying campaign with 17, two ahead of Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars’ underrated utility back Matt Vaega, and four above winger and teammate Inoke Burua, who led the try-scoring for the Kobe backs.
Retallick is likely to be seen for the All Blacks as a key player for Dave Rennie this season when the Greatest Rivalry Tour gets underway in August.
World Rugby Player of the Year Malcolm Marx, who was restricted to just five tries this season, has still scored the most tries by a foreign test player, having crossed the goal-line on 33 occasions from 56 matches, two more than Retallick from 52 appearances. Marx - like Retallick - plays in Japanese division one.
In Division two, Manie Libbok continues his exceptional season, dominating the points-scoring list with 165 points from his 14 games, just ahead of Wallabies flyhalf Noah Lolosio, who scored 153 points. Libbok plays for Hanazono Kintetsu Liners, while Lolosio plays for the Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi.
2025-26 REGULAR SEASON SCORING STATISTICS
Leading Point-scorers – Division One
Points Appearances
Cheslin Kolbe (Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath) 185 16
Ichigo Nakakusu (BlackRams Tokyo) 184 18
Bernard Foley (Kubota Spears) 170 17
Takuya Yamasawa (Saitama Wild Knights) 167 16
Rikiya Matsuda (Toyota Verblitz) 140 16
Richie Mo’unga (Toshiba Brave Lupus) 123 17
Leading Career Point-scorers – Division One (includes finals)
Bernard Foley (Kubota Spears) 766 70
Rikiya Matsuda (Toyota Verblitz/Wild Knights) 726 72
Yu Tamura (Yokohama Canon Eagles) 560 79
Bryn Gatland (Kobelco Kobe Steelers) 507 50
Richie Mo’unga (Toshiba Brave Lupus) 414 50
Leading Try-scorers – Division One Tries Appearances
Brodie Retallick (Kobelco Kobe Steelers) 17 18
Matt Vaega (Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars) 15 17
Inoke Burua (Kobelco Kobe Steelers) 13 17
Koki Takeyama (Saitama Wild Knights) 12 16
Faulua Makisi (Kubota Spears) 12 16
Viliame Takayawa (Yokohama Canon Eagles) 12 16
Haruto Kida (Kubota Spears) 12 14
Leading Career Try-scorers – Division One (includes finals)
Malo Tuitama (Shizuoka BlueRevs) 52 68
Seiya Ozaki (Tokyo Sungoliath) 51 78
Jone Naikabula (Toshiba Brave Lupus) 48 55
Haruto Kida (Kubota Spears) 40 51
Koki Takeyama (Saitama Wild Knights) 38 69
Other –
Malcolm Marx (Kubota Spears) 33 56
Brodie Retallick (Kobelco Kobe Steelers) 31 52
Jesse Kriel (Yokohama Canon Eagles) 29 69
Kwagga Smith (Shizuoka BlueRevs) 29 59
Israel Folau (Urayasu D-Rocks) 19 38
Ardie Savea (Kobelco Kobe Steelers) 14 31