These are the 32 players to represent Japan at the 2025 RWC: Forwards SACHIKO KATO WAKO KITANO HINATA KOMAKI NIJIHO NAGATA MIHARU MACHIDA MANAMI MINE ASUKA KUGE AYUMU KOKAJI KOTOMI TANIGUCHI AYANO SAKURAI YUNA SATO OTOKA YOSHIMURA MASAMI KAWAMURA SAKURAKO KORAI SEINA SAITO IROHA NAGATA (captain) JENNIFER NDUKA KYOKO HOSOKAWA (18) Backs MEGUMI ABE MOE
WXV2 – The Last Rites All three games are here, Wales v Japan first; Australia v Scotland second; South Africa v Italy down below. The final pecking-order comes last. Wales v Japan The Sakura started with deft handling, led by Sachiko Kato, but a fluffed pass let Kayleigh Powell find a long boomer to touch.
WXV2 – Round Two Matches Australia v South Africa Unlike their male counterparts, these two teams have met rarely, not since the 2014 World Cup. So well done WXV! It was vital for the Boks to avoid infringements. They bad been fragile in that department, and sure enough, their first offence led directly to a
Scotland v Japan After the windless stadium in Dunedin, we were back to normal conditions in Cape Town. Scotland mastered the breeze better than the Sakura to ensure a convincing victory The agony is, they don’t know if they have scored enough points to finish ahead of Italy, who face USA tomorrow. What they did
A Game to treasure The last of the five tests played out on 30 September proved to be the game of the day. It was on a knife edge till the 89th minute. But the Sakura made a telling point by defeating the home-team in the tightest of games. The Azzurre started on top, Beatrice
Accomplished Black Ferns Sevens playmaker Kelly Brazier will take a short-term sabbatical in Japan to coach the Brave Louve, in the Taiyo Seimei Women’s Sevens Series 2023. Like Black Ferns Sevens Captain Sarah Hirini, Brazier will complete the HSBC World Sevens Series in Toulouse before taking up her coaching contract as the Spot Coach for
Fresh off victory in the O’Reilly Cup Series, New Zealand Rugby has today confirmed one final Test for the Black Ferns in their Rugby World Cup preparations, hosting Japan at Eden Park on 24 September. The match will be part of a double header with the All Blacks and Australia and marks the first time
Ecopa Stadium, Shizuoka, 20 August 2022 Result: Japan 22 ireland 57 On paper this result might look like a dead certainty, but the Irish were swept off their feet at the start, the Sakura scoring two tries inside five minutes. Edel McMahon was already off the field with a blood injury. Then Ayasa Otsuka kicked
It’s a sad and unusual happening: both a captain and a head coach take their last stand in office as Ireland host Japan. While Adam Griggs’ departure was predictable, Ciara Griffin’s certainly wasn’t. Her team will want to ensure they give her the best possible send-off. The Irish squad: 15. Lauren Delany (Sale Sharks, 17
World Rugby has confirmed a revision to the RWC 2021 Asia qualification pathway that delivers certainty for teams Japan, Hong Kong and Kazakhstan in light of ongoing travel and quarantine challenges as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. As the highest ranked team in the region, Japan will automatically qualify for Rugby World Cup
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