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
First colours
Second colours
World Rugby ranking
Current12 (as of 23 November 2020)
First international
1991 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
Appearances4 (First in 1991)

History

Japan made their debut at the 1991 Women's Rugby World Cup. 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. They qualified for the 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.[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 latter 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]

Current squad

Japan's 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup squad:[12][13]

Forwards

  • Makoto Ebuchi
  • Mizuho Kataoka
  • Seina Saito (C)
  • Ayano Sakurai
  • Yui Shiozaki
  • Yuki Sue
  • Ayaka Suzuki
  • Sayaka Suzuki
  • Misaki Suzuki
  • Maki Takano
  • Aya Nakajima
  • Ai Hyugaji
  • Maiko Fujimoto
  • Mateitoga Bogdraumanadave
  • Saki Minami
  • Aoi Mimura
  

Backs

  • Keiko Kato
  • Riho Kurogi
  • Mayu Shimizu
  • Ai Tasaka
  • Moe Tsukui
  • Honoka Tsutsumi
  • Makiko Tomita
  • Iroha Nagata
  • Yumeno Noda
  • Eriko Hirano
  • Wasana Fukushima
  • Minori Yamamoto

List of results

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

Other matches
[-]
2009-09-23 Burnaby Lake WRFC  25-24  Japan Burnaby Lake [-]
[-]
2009-09-26 British Columbia  38-0  Japan Brockton Oval, Vancouver [-]
[-]
2010-09-02 Richmond WRFC  27-5  Japan Old Deer Park [-]
[-]
2010-09-04 Saracens WRFC  10-34  Japan Bramley Road, Southgate [-]

Full internationals
[48]
1991-04-06 (WC) France  62-0  Japan Aberavon [19/1/1]
[56]
1991-04-10 (WC) Japan  0-20  Sweden Llanharan [2/8/1]
[62]
1991-04-11 (WC) Japan  0-30  Spain Cardiff [3/4/1]
[86]
1994-04-13 (WC) Japan  10-5  Sweden Melrose [3/11/2]
[89]
1994-04-15 (WC) Japan  0-121  United States Melrose [4/16/1]
[96]
1994-04-17 (WC) France  99-0  Japan Edinburgh Academicals RFC [27/5/2]
[101]
1994-04-20 (WC) Canada  57-0  Japan Melrose [13/6/1]
[104]
1994-04-23 (WC) Ireland  11-3  Japan Boroughmuir [6/7/1]
[188]
1998-04-08 Japan  42-14  Hong Kong Kumagaya Rugby Stadium [8/1/1]
[189]
1998-04-12 Japan  39-0  Hong Kong Kumagaya Rugby Stadium [9/2/2]
[289]
2000-09-01 Samoa  10-12  Japan Apia Park [1/10/1]
[296]
2000-12-15 (WCQ) Hong Kong  0-62  Japan Aberdeen Park, Hong Kong [3/11/3]
[367]
2002-05-13 (WC) Spain  62-0  Japan Barcelona [45/12/1]
[374]
2002-05-17 (WC) Italy  30-3  Japan Barcelona [37/13/1]
[379]
2002-05-20 (WC) Japan  37-3  Netherlands Barcelona [14/58/1]
[387]
2002-05-24 (WC) Ireland  0-18  Japan Barcelona [48/15/2]
[470]
2004-11-06 Netherlands  15-7  Japan Amsterdam [66/16/2]
[472]
2004-11-14 Ireland  55-0  Japan Donnybrook [62/17/3]
[504]
2005-06-03 (WCQ) Hong Kong  0-78  Japan Bangkok [4/18/4]
[507]
2005-06-05 (WCQ) Kazakhstan  19-3  Japan Bangkok [32/19/1]
[649]
2007-11-02 (AC) Japan  6-10  Kazakhstan Kunming [20/38/2]
[650]
2007-11-04 (AC) Japan  20-7  Singapore Kunming [21/4/1]
[707]
2008-06-05 (AC) Japan  17-10  Singapore Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan [22/6/2]
[710]
2008-06-07 (AC) Kazakhstan  39-3  Japan Taldykorgan, Kazakhstan [41/23/3]
[773]
2009-11-04 (WCQ) Singapore  11-35  Japan Republic Polytechnic, Singapore [10/24/3]
[776]
2009-11-06 (WCQ) Japan  5-43  Kazakhstan Padang, Singapore [25/43/4]
[825]
2010-05-22 Japan  17-0  Hong Kong Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium, Tokyo [27/15/5]
[882]
2011-04-29 Hong Kong  0-15  Japan Hong Kong [17/28/6]
[945]
2012-05-19 Japan  61-15  Hong Kong Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium, Tokyo [29/19/7]
[952]
2012-07-05 (AC) Japan  41-17  Hong Kong Kunshan, China [30/20/8]
[955]
2012-07-07 (AC) Japan  8-17  Kazakhstan Kunshan, China [31/53/25]
[1011]
2013-09-04 (AC) Japan  82-0  Hong Kong Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan [32/22/9]
[1014]
2013-09-07 (AC) Kazakhstan  25-23  Japan Almaty Central Stadium, Almaty, Kazakhstan [55/33/26]
[1040]
2014-05-18 (AC) Japan  37-5  Singapore Aberdeen Stadium, Aberdeen, Hong Kong [34/22/4]
[1043]
2014-05-21 (AC) Hong Kong  15-14  Japan Aberdeen Stadium, Aberdeen, Hong Kong [28/35/10]
[1045]
2014-05-24 (AC) Kazakhstan  49-17  Japan Aberdeen Stadium, Aberdeen, Hong Kong [56/36/5]
[1109]
2015-05-09 (AC) Japan  27-12  Kazakhstan Level-5 Stadium, Fukuoka [37/65/8]
[1110]
2015-05-23 (AC) Hong Kong  12-27  Japan Aberdeen Sports Ground, Aberdeen, Hong Kong [29/38/10]
[1174]
2016-12-13 Japan  55–0  Fiji Hong Kong [39/5/1]
[1175]
2016-12-17 Hong Kong  8–20  Japan Hong Kong [33/40/11]
[1196]
2017-06-11 Wales  10–52  Japan Ystrad Mynach [178/41/1]
[1201]
2017-07-08 (ARC) Japan  58–0  Hong Kong Shiroyama [42/35/12]
[1203]
2017-07-15 (ARC) Hong Kong  19–60  Japan Hong Kong [36/43/13]
[1210]
2017-08-09 (WC) France  72–14  Japan Billings Park UCD, Dublin [214/44/3]
[1215]
2017-08-13 (WC) Ireland  24–14  Japan UCD Bowl, Dublin [150/45/4]
[1220]
2017-08-17 (WC) Australia  29–15  Japan Billings Park UCD, Dublin [47/46/1]
[1223]
2017-08-22 (WC) Italy  22–0  Japan Queen's University Belfast [136/48/2]
[1229]
2017-08-26 (WC) Japan  44–5  Hong Kong Queen's University Belfast [49/41/14]
[1329]
2019-07-13 Australia  34–5  Japan Sportsground 2, Newcastle [52/50/2]
[1334]
2019-07-19 Australia  46–3  Japan North Sydney Oval, Sydney [53/51/3]
[1355]
2019-11-16 Italy  17–17  Japan Stadio Fattori, L'Aquila [127/52/3]
[1363]
2019-11-24 Scotland  20–24  Japan Scotstoun [-/53/1]
[]
2021-11-08 Wales  23 - 5  Japan Cardiff Arms Park []
[]
2021-11-15 Scotland  36 - 12  Japan Edinburgh Rugby Stadium []
[]
2021-11-21 Ireland  15 - 12  Japan []

Overall
Women's World Rugby Rankings
Top 20 rankings as of 18 April 2022[14]
RankChange*TeamPoints
1  England096.26
2  New Zealand088.58
3  France088.43
4  Canada088.15
5  Australia078.68
6  United States076.63
7 1 Ireland076.00
8 1 Italy075.12
9  Wales073.63
10  Scotland072.72
11  Spain072.10
12  Japan065.49
13  South Africa063.39
14  Russia061.10
15  Samoa059.72
16  Kazakhstan058.45
17  Netherlands058.27
18  Hong Kong057.89
19  Sweden057.73
20  Germany057.72
*Change from the previous week

(Full internationals only)

Rugby: Japan internationals 1991-
Opponent First game Played Won Drawn Lost Percentage
 Canada 1994 1 0 0 1 0.00%
 Fiji 2016 1 1 0 0 100.00%
 France 1991 2 0 0 2 0.00%
 Hong Kong 1998 11 10 0 1 90.91%
 Ireland 1994 3 1 0 2 33.33%
 Italy 2002 1 0 0 1 0.00%
 Kazakhstan 2005 7 0 0 7 0.00%
 Netherlands 2002 2 1 0 1 50.00%
 Samoa 2000 1 1 0 0 100.00%
 Singapore 2007 4 4 0 0 100.00%
 Spain 1991 2 0 0 2 0.00%
 Sweden 1991 2 1 0 1 50.00%
 United States 1994 1 0 0 1 0.00%
Summary 1991 38 19 0 19 50.00%

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. "Top eight the goal for determined Japan". 31 July 2017. Retrieved 14 August 2017.
  13. "Irish Rugby". irishrugby.ie. Retrieved 2017-08-13.
  14. "Women's World Rankings". World Rugby. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
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