Mele Yua Havili Kagawa
| Born | 29 September 2001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 171 cm (5 ft 7 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 75 kg (165 lb; 11 st 11 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Mele Yua Havili Kagawa (born 29 September 2001) is a Japanese rugby union player. She competed for Japan at the 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup.
Early career
Kagawa was born to a Tongan father and a Japanese mother, she started playing rugby at the age of 8.[1] She also participated in swimming from the fourth to sixth grade of elementary school, she competed in the freestyle category and took part in the Junior Olympics.[1][2] She took up athletics in junior high school to develop her speed and recorded a personal best time of 12.9 seconds in the 100 metres, she won the prefectural relay championship.[1]
In 2020, after graduating from Kumagaya Girls' High School, she enrolled at the Faculty of Sport Sciences at Waseda University.[3] After she graduated from university, she studied abroad in New Zealand and the United States.[3]
Rugby career
Sevens
Kagawa was still in high school when she made her international sevens debut for Japan at 17.[1][2] She was selected as a backup member for the side to the delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021.[4] She joined Nanairo Prism Fukuoka in 2024.[3]
XVs
Kagawa switched to playing fifteens in 2024 and initially started out in the Back row.[3] She scored a try in her test debut for Japan as a Winger against Hong Kong in May during the 2024 Asia Rugby Championship.[3][5] She has played for Arukas Queen Kumagaya.[2]
In July 2025, she scored two tries against Spain in the second game of their two-test series.[6][7] On 28 July, she was subsequently named in the Japanese side to the Women's Rugby World Cup in England.[8][9]
Personal life
Kagawa's father, Tuanaki Havili Kaufusi, played as Number 8 for Otsuka Hake.[1][3] In 2023, she visited Tonga for the first time in 12 years.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e "18歳女子高生は７人制ラグビー日本代表。「東京五輪で金メダル！」 (4ページ目)". 集英社 スポルティーバ 公式サイト web Sportiva (in Japanese). 2020-02-21. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ a b c "【推薦組2020】早稲田大学ラグビー部 メンバーと注目選手". らぐびと | なんくるナイトのラグビー応援ブログ (in Japanese). 2020-03-15. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ a b c d e f g "香川 メレ優愛ハヴィリ | ラグビー女子日本代表選手名鑑 | 日本代表 | ラグビー | J SPORTS【公式】". www.jsports.co.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ "東京2020オリンピック競技大会 ラグビー男子日本代表内定選手・ラグビー女子日本代表内定選手決定のお知らせ｜日本ラグビーフットボール協会". www.rugby-japan.jp (in Japanese). 2021-06-19. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ McNamara, Paul (2024-05-22). "Hong Kong's women target 'much better level' after ARC defeat to Japan". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ "Sakura Fifteen Side Named for Spain Match". Japan Rugby Football Union. 2025-09-06. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ "Sakura 15 Claim Taiyo Life JAPAN RUGBY CHALLENGE SERIES 2025 With Spanish Win". RugbyAsia247. 2025-07-27. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
- ^ "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.