Japan women's national rugby union team
| Nicknames | Cherry Blossom 15 (桜十五 (kanji), さくらフィフティーン (kana), Sakura fifutīn) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Union | Japan Rugby Football Union | ||
| Head coach | Lesley McKenzie | ||
| Captain | Saki Minami | ||
| |||
| World Rugby ranking | |||
| Current | 11 (as of 4 September 2023) | ||
| Highest | 10 (2023) | ||
| First international | |||
| France 62–0 Japan (Aberavon, Wales; 6 April 1991) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
| Japan 90–0 Kazakhstan (Fukuoka, Japan; 15 May 2025) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
| Japan 0–121 United States (Melrose, Scotland; 15 April 1994) | |||
| World Cup | |||
| Appearances | 6 (first in 1991) | ||
| Best result | 8th (1994) | ||
The Japan women's national rugby union team (Ragubī joshi nihon daihyō (ラグビー女子日本代表), nicknamed Sakura Fifteen) are a national sporting side of Japan, representing them at rugby union. The side played their first test match at the inaugural 1991 Women's Rugby World Cup in Wales.[1] They have competed in five Rugby World Cups since then and have won seven Asia Rugby Women's Championship titles.
History
Japan made their international debut at the 1991 Women's Rugby World Cup.[1] Since then, Japan has appeared at three other editions of the World Cup in 1994, 2002 and 2017.[2] The team has won the Asia Rugby Women's Championship in 2015,[3] 2016 and 2017.
Japan qualified for the 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand after a revision of Asia's qualification was made due to the global pandemic. As Asia's highest ranked team they qualified automatically for the tournament.[4]
In November 2021, Japan toured Europe and played test matches against Ireland, Scotland and Wales.[5][6][7][8] Wales defeated Japan 23–5, the Sakura's scoring their only try in the 77th minute with a missed conversion.[9] Scotland ran in six tries to give the Sakura's their second loss 36–12, at the DAM Health Stadium in Edinburgh.[10] Ireland down to 14 players pulled off an unlikely win to beat Japan 15–12.[11]
Japan toured Australia in 2022, they played and won matches against Australia, the Australian Barbarians, and Fiji.[12]
In May 2025, the Sakura's had their biggest win when they trounced Kazakhstan 90–0 in the opening match of the Asia Rugby Women's Championship in Fukuoka; they ran in 14 unanswered tries.[13][14] They eventually won the tournament, making it their seventh Championship title.[15][16]
Records
Overall
| Rank | Change* | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | England | 97.76 | |
| 2 | Canada | 90.13 | |
| 3 | New Zealand | 88.76 | |
| 4 | France | 86.42 | |
| 5 | Ireland | 78.20 | |
| 6 | Scotland | 77.39 | |
| 7 | Australia | 75.46 | |
| 8 | United States | 72.90 | |
| 9 | Italy | 72.37 | |
| 10 | South Africa | 71.62 | |
| 11 | Japan | 69.72 | |
| 12 | Wales | 66.13 | |
| 13 | Fiji | 63.98 | |
| 14 | Spain | 62.42 | |
| 15 | Samoa | 59.72 | |
| 16 | Hong Kong | 57.56 | |
| 17 | Netherlands | 57.42 | |
| 18 | Russia | 55.10 | |
| 19 | Kazakhstan | 53.88 | |
| 20 | Kenya | 50.68 | |
| *Change from the previous week | |||
(Full internationals only) Correct as 31 August 2025.
See Women's international rugby for information about the status of international games and match numbering
| Opponent | First game | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 2017 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25% |
| Canada | 1994 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00% |
| Fiji | 2016 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 83.33% |
| France | 1991 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.00% |
| Hong Kong | 1998 | 19 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 94.44% |
| Ireland | 1994 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 25% |
| Italy | 2002 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 12.5% |
| Kazakhstan | 2005 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 36.36% |
| Netherlands | 2002 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
| New Zealand | 2022 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00% |
| Samoa | 2000 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Scotland | 2019 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25% |
| Singapore | 2007 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| South Africa | 2022 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66.67% |
| Spain | 1991 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 66.67% |
| Sweden | 1991 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
| United States | 1994 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 20% |
| Wales | 2017 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.33% |
| Summary | 1991 | 94 | 48 | 2 | 44 | 51.06% |
Rugby World Cup
| Rugby World Cup | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D | L | PF | PA | ||||||||||||
| 1991 | Plate quarter-finals | 12th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 112 | ||||||||||||
| 1994 | Shield 3rd play-off | 8th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 293 | ||||||||||||
| 1998 | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | 13th place play-off | 14th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 58 | 95 | ||||||||||||
| 2006 | Did not qualify | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | 11th place play-off | 11th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 87 | 152 | ||||||||||||
| 2021 | Pool stage | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 92 | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | Pool stage | — | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 62 | 125 | ||||||||||||
| 2029 | TBD | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2033 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 6/10 | 8th† | 23 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 250 | 869 | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Players
Recent squad
On 28 July, Japan announced their final squad for the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup.[18][19]
Note: The age and number of caps listed for each player is as of 22 August 2025, the first day of the tournament.
| Player | Position | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club/province |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayumu Kokaji | Hooker | 19 February 2000 (aged 25) | 11 | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix |
| Asuka Kuge | Hooker | 22 September 1994 (aged 30) | 22 | Arukas Queen Kumagaya |
| Kotomi Taniguchi | Hooker | 10 April 1995 (aged 30) | 26 | Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars |
| Sachiko Kato | Prop | 19 February 2000 (aged 25) | 30 | Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars |
| Wako Kitano | Prop | 8 September 1999 (aged 25) | 22 | Mie Pearls |
| Hinata Komaki | Prop | 9 May 2001 (aged 24) | 21 | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix |
| Miharu Machida | Prop | 26 May 2004 (aged 21) | 4 | Japan University of Economics |
| Manami Mine | Prop | 11 September 2003 (aged 21) | 12 | Nippon Sport Science University |
| Nijiho Nagata | Prop | 6 December 2000 (aged 24) | 29 | Mie Pearls |
| Ayano Sakurai | Second row | 15 April 1996 (aged 29) | 23 | Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars |
| Yuna Sato | Second row | 11 September 1998 (aged 26) | 24 | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix |
| Otoka Yoshimura | Second row | 15 May 2001 (aged 24) | 29 | Arukas Queen Kumagaya |
| Kyoko Hosokawa | Back row | 8 July 1999 (aged 26) | 17 | Mie Pearls |
| Masami Kawamura | Back row | 13 July 1999 (aged 26) | 22 | Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars |
| Sakurako Korai | Back row | 9 April 2003 (aged 22) | 22 | Nippon Sport Science University |
| Iroha Nagata | Back row | 21 December 1998 (aged 26) | 40 | Arukas Queen Kumagaya |
| Jennifer Nduka | Back row | 18 October 2000 (aged 24) | 15 | Hokkaido Barbarians Diana |
| Seina Saito | Back row | 30 May 1992 (aged 33) | 50 | Mie Pearls |
| Megumi Abe | Scrum-half | 28 April 1998 (aged 27) | 32 | Arukas Queen Kumagaya |
| Moe Tsukui | Scrum-half | 28 March 2000 (aged 25) | 42 | Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars |
| Ayasa Otsuka | Fly-half | 5 May 1999 (aged 26) | 36 | Arukas Queen Kumagaya |
| Minori Yamamoto | Fly-half | 9 December 1996 (aged 28) | 38 | Yokohama TKM |
| Nao Ando | Centre | 17 July 2001 (aged 24) | 12 | Brave Louve |
| Mana Furuta | Centre | 16 November 1997 (aged 27) | 36 | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix |
| Sakurako Hatada | Centre | 8 May 2003 (aged 22) | 9 | Nippon Sport Science University |
| Haruka Hirotsu | Centre | 29 October 2000 (aged 24) | 17 | Nanairo Prism Fukuoka |
| Kanako Kobayashi | Centre | 13 November 1998 (aged 26) | 20 | Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars |
| Komachi Imakugi | Wing | 6 January 2002 (aged 23) | 30 | Arukas Queen Kumagaya |
| Mele Yua Havili Kagawa | Wing | 29 September 2001 (aged 23) | 5 | Nanairo Prism Fukuoka |
| Misaki Matsumura | Wing | 6 March 2005 (aged 20) | 13 | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix |
| Rinka Matsuda | Fullback | 5 December 2001 (aged 23) | 14 | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix |
| Sora Nishimura | Fullback | 29 September 2000 (aged 24) | 21 | Mie Pearls |
World Cup squads
See also
References
- ^ a b JRFU (8 April 2004). "女子ラグビー15年の歴史 - 海外遠征と外国チーム招聘の記録｜日本ラグビーフットボール協会｜RUGBY：FOR ALL「ノーサイドの精神」を、日本へ、世界へ。" [15 years of Women rugby football - Visiting overseas and hosting international games | Japan Rugby Football Union | Rugby football : For All; propagate the spirit of "no sides" to Japan and to the World.]. www.rugby-japan.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 27 September 2021.
- ^ "Japan and Hong Kong qualify for Women's World Cup". Asia Rugby. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "Japan's women crowned Asian champions for first time". World Rugby.org. 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
- ^ "Sakura Fifteen Qualify for Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand". Japan Rugby Football Union. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "Sakura Fifteen Set to Take on Wales". Japan Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "Sakura Fifteen Confirmed to Play Ireland on European Tour". Japan Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "Japan Team Announced to Take on Scotland". Japan Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "Japan Team Announced to Take on Ireland". Japan Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ Sands, Katie (8 November 2021). "Wales beat Japan 23-5 in autumn opener as Joyce scores two tries". WalesOnline. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ "Scotland Women 36 Japan Women 12". Scottish Rugby Union. 14 November 2021. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ Doggett, Eamon (20 November 2021). "Ireland v Japan score recap: Ireland did deep with 14 players to pull off win". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ "Japan women finish tour of Australia unbeaten". www.rugbyworldcup.com. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
- ^ "Japan Sakura XVs Thrash Kazakhstan in Asia Rugby Women's Championship 2025 Opener". RugbyAsia247. 15 May 2025. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
- ^ Maltsev, Vladimir (21 May 2025). "Kazakhstan women's rugby team secures top-three finish in Asia". Kursiv Media Kazakhstan. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
- ^ "MATCH REPORT – HONG KONG CHINA 5-63 JAPAN". www.hkrugby.com. 25 May 2025. Retrieved 25 May 2025.
- ^ "2025 Asia Rugby Emirates Women's Championship". Asia Rugby. 27 May 2025. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
- ^ "Women's World Rankings". World Rugby. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ^ "Japan announce squad for women's RWC 2025". Rugby World Cup. 28 July 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ "Sakura Fifteen Rugby World Cup Squad Announced". Japan Rugby Football Union. 28 July 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
External links
- Japan RFU Official English page
- Japan Times Articles by Rich Freeman - Japan Times rugby correspondent until 2005, then at the Daily Yomiuri
- Japan RFU - in Japanese
- Japanese rugby union news from Planet Rugby Archived 31 October 2005 at the Wayback Machine