Richie Mo'unga bids farewell to Japan as Rugby World Cup push begins

Richie Mo’unga is homebound after three seasons in Japan, having fallen short of a third-successive League One title with Toshiba Brave Lupus.

Mo’unga’s men failed to fire a shot in their 26-3 quarter-final defeat at the hands of Kubota Spears, who made up one-third of a pack of three to separate themselves atop the season standings after 18 games.

Toshiba snuck into the playoffs with eight wins and 10 losses, a far cry from the 14 and 15 wins they claimed in the last two seasons, respectively.

Reacting to his team’s elimination with a message on his social media page, Mo’unga said the threepeat was “not to be”, but celebrated doing “something pretty special” with the two titles won in his first two seasons at the club.

Toshiba shared a video of Mo’unga standing sideline after the defeat, where he addressed the fans who have supported him and his team throughout his time in Tokyo.

“First and foremost, I just want to thank all those who have supported me while I’ve been in Japan with my family,” said Mo’unga. “My experience and the lifestyle here have just been absolutely amazing. I can’t thank you enough: the people of Japan, the fans of Japan, the fans of Toshiba and of myself.

“Really sad to be leaving, going back home to New Zealand, but I’ll be taking Japan back home with me and will remember and cherish all of the memories that I’ve created here the last three seasons. So, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. Arigato gozaimasu.”

The playmaker has signed an 18-month contract with Canterbury, the Crusaders and New Zealand Rugby, meaning he will be off-contract and could return to Japan at the conclusion of the 2027 Rugby World Cup.

Mo’unga, who celebrated his 32nd birthday on Monday, was quieter than usual in his final game for Toshiba, making just two carries in the quarter-final — although those two carries resulted in one linebreak, four defenders beaten and 61 run metres.

New Zealand fans can expect to see the 56-Test All Black in Canterbury colours when the NPC season kicks off in 65 days. Canterbury host Auckland at One New Zealand Stadium to begin their season on August 1.

The All Blacks‘ first game of the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry Tour against South Africa is against the Stormers the following week, August 8 (NZT). Mo’unga will not be eligible for selection in that squad, but will earn eligibility with his Canterbury return and therefore be available as injury cover during the four-Test series.

Had he been available for selection, All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has revealed he would have started Mo’unga in the first game of the tour, offering him the chance to prove his form ahead of the Springboks Tests.