Japan women's national rugby union team
Nickname(s) | 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 | |||
![]() ![]() (Aberavon, Wales; 6 April 1991) | |||
Biggest win | |||
![]() ![]() (Almaty, Kazakhstan; 4 September 2013) | |||
Biggest defeat | |||
![]() ![]() (Melrose, Scotland; 15 April 1994) | |||
World Cup | |||
Appearances | 5 (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 first played in 1991.[1]
History[edit]
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[edit]
Overall[edit]
Rank | Change* | Team | Points |
---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
![]() |
96.90 |
2 | ![]() |
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89.13 |
3 | ![]() |
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88.96 |
4 | ![]() |
![]() |
87.27 |
5 | ![]() |
![]() |
78.36 |
6 | ![]() |
![]() |
75.99 |
7 | ![]() |
![]() |
74.57 |
8 | ![]() |
![]() |
74.28 |
9 | ![]() |
![]() |
74.26 |
10 | ![]() |
![]() |
73.53 |
11 | ![]() |
![]() |
69.98 |
12 | ![]() |
![]() |
65.17 |
13 | ![]() |
![]() |
65.15 |
14 | ![]() |
![]() |
61.19 |
15 | ![]() |
![]() |
61.10 |
16 | ![]() |
![]() |
58.98 |
17 | ![]() |
![]() |
58.76 |
18 | ![]() |
![]() |
58.48 |
19 | ![]() |
![]() |
55.23 |
20 | ![]() |
![]() |
52.72 |
*Change from the previous week |
(Full internationals only)
See Women's international rugby for information about the status of international games and match numbering
Opponent | First game | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
2017 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25% |
![]() |
1994 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00% |
![]() |
2016 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
![]() |
1991 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.00% |
![]() |
1998 | 17 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 94.11% |
![]() |
1994 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 28.57% |
![]() |
2002 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0.00% |
![]() |
2005 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 22.22% |
![]() |
2002 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
![]() |
2022 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00% |
![]() |
2000 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
![]() |
2019 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
![]() |
2007 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
![]() |
2022 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
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1991 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 33.33% |
![]() |
1991 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
![]() |
1994 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00% |
![]() |
2017 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 50% |
Summary | 1991 | 69 | 35 | 1 | 33 | 50.72% |
Rugby World Cup[edit]
Rugby World Cup | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D | L | PF | PA |
![]() |
Plate quarter-finals | 12th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 112 |
![]() |
Shield 3rd play-off | 8th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 293 |
![]() |
Did not enter | |||||||
![]() |
13th place play-off | 14th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 58 | 95 |
![]() |
Did not qualify | |||||||
![]() | ||||||||
![]() | ||||||||
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11th place play-off | 11th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 87 | 152 |
![]() |
Pool stage | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 92 |
Total | 5/9 | 8th | 20 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 188 | 744 |
Players[edit]
Recent Squad[edit]
Japan named their 26-player squad for the 2024 Asia Rugby Women's Championship.[14][15]
Previous Squads[edit]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ "Japan and Hong Kong qualify for Women's World Cup". Asia Rugby. 2016-12-13. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
- ^ "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. 2021-10-20. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
- ^ "Sakura Fifteen Set to Take on Wales". Japan Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
- ^ "Sakura Fifteen Confirmed to Play Ireland on European Tour". Japan Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
- ^ "Japan Team Announced to Take on Scotland". Japan Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
- ^ "Japan Team Announced to Take on Ireland". Japan Rugby Football Union. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
- ^ Sands, Katie (2021-11-08). "Wales beat Japan 23-5 in autumn opener as Joyce scores two tries". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
- ^ "Scotland Women 36 Japan Women 12". Scottish Rugby Union. 2021-11-14. Retrieved 2021-11-21.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Japan women finish tour of Australia unbeaten". www.rugbyworldcup.com. 2022-05-11. Retrieved 2022-05-12.
- ^ "Women's World Rankings". World Rugby. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
- ^ "Sakura Fifteen's 26-member squad". Asia Rugby. 2024-05-21. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
- ^ "Japan Squad Announced for Asia Rugby Women's Championship 2024". Japan Rugby Football Union. 2024-05-20. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
External links[edit]
- 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 2005-10-31 at the Wayback Machine