Japan Rugby League One Best XV and award winners

Following the end of this season's Japan Rugby League One, the league has announced the Best XV and all award winners for 2023.

Japan Rugby League One has a new champion after Kubota Spears deposed the defending champion Wild Knights in a tense final at the National Stadium in Tokyo.

The Spears won 17-15 to complete a journey which had started in 2018 when the club made the semifinals of the former Top League.

Japan Rugby League One Best XV: 15 Ryuji Noguchi, 14 Seiya Ozaki, 13 Tomoki Osada, 12 Dylan Riley, 11 Haruto Kida, 10 Bernard Foley, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Kwagga Smith, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Kazuki Himeno, 5 Harry Hockings, 4 Warner Dearns, 3 Opeti Helu, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Keita Inagaki

Japan Rugby League One Award Winners

Division 1 Player of the Season: Kwagga Smith
Top Points scorer: Bernard Foley – 173
Most tries: Seiya Ozaki – 18 
Division 2 Player of the Season: Pablo Matera
Division 3 Player of the Season: Taichi Yoshizawa

MVP: Harumichi Tatekawa

Rookie of the Year: Tomoki Osada

Best Line Breaker: Haruto Kida

Best Goal Kicker: Rikiya Matsuda

Best Tackler: Harry Hockings

Best Whistle: Katsuki Furuse

Distinguished Service Award: Yuichi Hisadomi

Best Head Coach of the year: Frans Ludeke 

Golden Shoulder: Kai Yamamoto