Japan women's national rugby union team

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 first played in 1991.[1]

For the men's team, see Japan national rugby union team. For the women's sevens team, see Japan women's national rugby sevens team.
Japan
Nickname(s)Cherry Blossom 15 (桜十五 (kanji), さくらフィフティーン (kana), Sakura fifutīn)
UnionJapan Rugby Football Union
Head coachLesley McKenzie
CaptainSaki Minami
First colours
Second colours
World Rugby ranking
Current10 (as of 10 April 2023)
Highest10 (2023)
First international
 Japan 0-62 France 
(Aberavon, Wales 6 April 1991)
Biggest win
 Japan 78-0 Hong Kong 
(Bangkok, Thailand 3 June 2005)
Biggest defeat
 United States 121-0 Japan 
(Melrose, Scotland 15 April 1994)
World Cup
Appearances5 (First in 1991)
Best result8th (1994)

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]

Records

Overall
See also: List of Japan women's national rugby union team matches
Women's World Rugby Rankings
Top 20 rankings as of 15 May 2023[13]
RankChange*TeamPoints
1 Steady England094.55
2 Steady New Zealand093.19
3 Steady France089.62
4 Steady Canada084.67
5 Steady Australia078.00
6 Steady Wales077.00
7 Steady United States076.80
8 Steady Italy074.63
9 Steady Scotland071.19
10 Steady Ireland071.09
11 Steady Japan067.94
12 Steady Spain066.35
13 Steady South Africa066.15
14 Steady Russia061.10
15 Increase1 Netherlands060.02
16 Decrease1 Hong Kong059.22
17 Steady Fiji058.33
18 Steady Samoa058.01
19 Steady Kazakhstan057.09
20 Steady Sweden056.01
*Change from the previous week

(Full internationals only)

See Women's international rugby for information about the status of international games and match numbering

Rugby: Japan internationals 1991-
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 2 2 0 0 100%
 France 1991 3 0 0 3 0.00%
 Hong Kong 1998 17 16 0 1 94.11%
 Ireland 1994 7 2 0 5 28.57%
 Italy 2002 4 0 1 3 0.00%
 Kazakhstan 2005 8 1 0 7 12.5%
 Netherlands 2002 2 1 0 1 50%
 New Zealand 2022 1 0 0 1 0.00%
 Samoa 2000 1 1 0 0 100%
 Scotland 2019 2 1 0 1 50%
 Singapore 2007 4 4 0 0 100%
 South Africa 2022 2 2 0 0 100%
 Spain 1991 2 0 0 2 0.00%
 Sweden 1991 2 1 0 1 50%
 United States 1994 2 0 0 2 0.00%
 Wales 2017 2 1 0 1 50%
Summary 1991 67 33 1 33 49.25%

Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
Year Round Position GP W D L PF PA
Wales 1991Plate quarter-finals12th 30030112
Scotland 1994Shield 3rd play-off8th 510413293
Netherlands 1998Did Not Enter
Spain 200213th place play-off14th 42025895
Canada 2006Did Not Qualify
England 2010
France 2014
Ireland 201711th place play-off11th 510487152
New Zealand 2021Pool Stage — 3 0 0 3 30 92
Total 5/98th204016188744

Players

Recent Squad

Japan named their final 32-player squad on the 13 September 2022, for the 2021 Rugby World Cup.[14]

Player Position Caps Club/Province
Sachiko Kato Prop 11 Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars
Wako Kitano Prop 6 MIE Pearls
Hinata Komaki Hooker 3 Nippon Sport Science University
Yuka Sadaka Prop 13 Hirosaki Sakura Ovals
Saki Minami (c) Prop 26 Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars
Makoto Lavemai Prop 18 Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars
Kotomi Taniguchi Hooker 4 MIE Pearls
Nijiho Nagata Hooker 9 International Budo University
Masami Kawamura Lock 3 RKU Rugby Ryugasaki Grace
Yuna Sato Lock 7 Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix
Maki Takano Lock 17 Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars
Kie Tamai Lock 14 MIE Pearls
Otoka Yoshimura Lock 5 Rissho University
Sakurako Korai Back Row 2 Nippon Sport Science University
Seina Saito Back Row 32 MIE Pearls
Misaki Suzuki Back Row 30 Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix
Iroha Nagata Back Row 16 Arukas Queen Kumagaya
Kyoko Hosokawa Back Row 8 MIE Pearls
Ayano Nagai Back Row 11 Yokohama TKM
Megumi Abe Scrumhalf 11 Arukas Queen Kumagaya
Moe Tsukui Scrumhalf 19 Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars
Ayasa Otsuka Fly-Half 10 RKU Rugby Ryugasaki Grace
Minori Yamamoto Fly-Half 21 MIE Pearls
Komachi Imakugi Wing 10 Rissho University
Hinano Nagura Wing 11 Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars
Yuki Ito Wing 12 MIE Pearls
Ayaka Suzuki Wing 18 Arukas Queen Kumagaya
Shione Nakayama Centre 8 Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars
Mana Furuta Centre 15 Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix
Ria Anoku Fullback 7 MIE Pearls
Ai Hirayama Fullback 5 National Defense Academy of Japan
Rinka Matsuda Fullback 6 Nippon Sport Science University

Previous Squads

See also

References
  1. JRFU (April 8, 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 2021-09-27.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. "Japan and Hong Kong qualify for Women's World Cup". Asia Rugby. 2016-12-13. Retrieved 2021-11-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. "Japan's women crowned Asian champions for first time". World Rugby.org. 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
  4. "Sakura Fifteen Qualify for Rugby World Cup 2021 in New Zealand". Japan Rugby Football Union. 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2021-11-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. "Sakura Fifteen Set to Take on Wales". Japan Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  6. "Sakura Fifteen Confirmed to Play Ireland on European Tour". Japan Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  7. "Japan Team Announced to Take on Scotland". Japan Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  8. "Japan Team Announced to Take on Ireland". Japan Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  9. Sands, Katie (2021-11-08). "Wales beat Japan 23-5 in autumn opener as Joyce scores two tries". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
  10. "Scotland Women 36 Japan Women 12". Scottish Rugby Union. 2021-11-14. Retrieved 2021-11-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. Doggett, Eamon (2021-11-20). "Ireland v Japan score recap: Ireland did deep with 14 players to pull off win". Irish Mirror. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
  12. "Japan women finish tour of Australia unbeaten". www.rugbyworldcup.com. 2022-05-11. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
  13. "Women's World Rankings". World Rugby. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
  14. "Sakura Fifteen Rugby World Cup Squad Announced". Japan Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 2022-09-15.
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