Independent Disciplinary Update: Jose Seru Decision

A yellow card was issued to Jose Seru of the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars at the match between   KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars held on 14 March 2026. This was the third yellow card accumulated by Seru in the season.

This is to inform that in accordance with Article 34 (Judicial and Citing) of the JAPAN RUGBY LEAGUE ONE ‘Official Match Guidelines 2025-26’ and the Japan Rugby Football Union ‘Regulation of Sanctions for Foul Play’, the Judicial Officer conducted a hearing with the player and decided to apply the following sanctions.

■Regulation 17 (DISCIPLINE - FOUL PLAY): Details of the Incident

Player:  Jose Seru

Team: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars

Date of Incident: 14 March 2026

Nature of Offence: 

 YC① Law 9.13－A player must not tackle an opponent early, late or dangerously. Dangerous tackling includes, but is not limited to, tackling or attempting to tackle an opponent above the line of the shoulders even if the tackle starts below the line of the shoulders. 

YC②③ Law 9.7(a)－A player must not: a. Intentionally infringe any law of the game.

Sanctions: No additional Sanctions

* Cumulative yellow card remains (YC①)

* Appendix A. Player receives three Temporary Suspensions and/or Citing Commissioner Warnings in a Tournament/Series or five in a Sevens Series 

2. The Judicial Officer or Judicial Committee may, however, decide to apply no sanction in the following circumstances: 

(b)    exceptional circumstances exist which would warrant no sanction being imposed. This situation could arise when: 

(ii)     some of the Temporary Suspensions were awarded for technical offences (that is, not Foul Play) following a team warning by the referee or for what are characterised as so-called technical offences not involving a breach of Laws 9.11 to 9.28 inclusive. 

The Act and Elapsed time in match when incident occurred: 

　　   YC①  The player made a late-tackle to the victim player(No.11 of URAYASU DR) [vs URAYASU DR 13 Dec 08:00]

           YC② Repeatedly infringe the laws [vs TOKYO SG 7 Mar 18:00 into the 2nd half]

　　　YC③ Intentionally infringe law of the game[vs KOBE S 14 Mar 41:00]