All Japan Women’s 15s Championship Will See a New Champion Crowned as 2026 Semifinalists Confirmed

The four teams who have reached the semifinals of the 12th All Japan Women’s Rugby Football Championship were confirmed last weekend, and three-peat champions Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix fell short in their bid to make it four titles in a row. 

The national domestic Japanese Women’s 15s competition is split into two regions, with the Kanto Women’s Rugby Football Tournament and Kansai Tournament each sending the top two teams to the semifinals.

The 36th Kanto Women’s Rugby Football Tournament was won by YOKOHAMA TKM, and the runners-up were Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars.

The competition was much tighter than last season, and Yokohama TKM narrowly lost to Nippon Sport Science University Women’s Rugby Team in the penultimate round (their only loss) but defeated the defending champions (Phoenix) in the final round 19-14 to secure the top spot and condemn the former champs to third overall, just a point behind the runner-up.

Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars pipped Nippon Sport Science University in the final round 19-10 to finish runner-up. They had also narrowly beaten Phoenix earlier in the season, 33-29.

TKM Yokohama Head Coach Naoko Hasebe said, “We don’t have many special players, so we value fighting as a team.” Their fly-half Minoru Yamamoto is the only member of the Sakura 15s who participated in last year’s 2025 World Cup in England.

“We’ve been able to put together the first three phases pretty well. We place great importance on set plays, which are the starting point for attacks, so we’re dedicating more than half of our training to unit time,” added the Head Coach.

Yokohama TKM have a strong local contingent with foreign signings, including Fiji-capped Akanisi Sokoiwasa & Roela Radiniyavuni, Kiwi Daynah Nankivell, and French 7s player Yolaine Yengo.

Photo Credit – Mie PEARLS

The 28th Kansai Women’s Rugby Football Tournament winners were last season’s losing finalists, PEARLS, and the runners-up were the Japan University of Economics Women’s Rugby Club AMATERUS.

The PEARLS team came through the regular rounds undefeated and racked up some big wins, including 107-0 and 97-0 wins, but their most competitive game was the 22-13 win over a combined Kyushu/Nagato joint side (which included the reigning 7s champions Nagato Blue Angels). PEARLS player and New Zealander Kokako Raki was named MVP as they won the Kansai Division for a 5th straight year.

The club are aiming to become Japan’s national champions for the first time in five seasons after the recent dominance by Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix.

Within the Mie PEARLS squad are established Sakura 15s players such as Seina Saito, and other international signings include Black Ferns Natalie Delamer (RWC 2021 winner), Rosie Kelly (also played NRWL & Super Aupiki), Abby Vogel (USA), while Head Coach Conor Hirini is in his first XVs season with the club.

The AMAETUS Head Cach Fuchigami Muneshi said, “They made a quick switch. We are a young team with only four fourth-year players, so we are growing quickly.”

The team has been led by three third-year players: Machida Miyo, who has a Sakura 15s cap, Taremon Nana, and Sakura Sevens fullback Hasebe Ayane.

They also have a formidable pack – “All of our tight five are around 170cm tall, and I think our average height is the tallest in the country. We need to make sure our forwards can do their job in the opposition’s half, and our backs’ kicking is also important,” said Head Coach Fuchigami Muneshi

Photo Credit – Yokohama TKM

Semifinals – 12th All Japan Women’s Rugby Football Championship 2026

The 12th All Japan Women’s Rugby Football Championship Semi-finals will be held in conjunction with two NTT Japan Rugby League One 2025-26 matches over the weekend of 17/18 January 2026.

• Semi-Final 1 – Saturday, January 17th @ Nippatsu Mitsuzawa Baseball Stadium –  YOKOHAMA TKM (Kanto Tournament Winners) vs Japan University of Economics Women’s Rugby Club AMATERUS (Kansai Tournament Runners-up) – Co-hosted with Yokohama Canon Eagles vs. Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights*
• Semi-Final 2 – Saturday, January 17th @ Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium – PEARLS (Kansai Tournament Winners) vs Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars (Kanto Tournament Runners-up) – Co-hosted with Kobe Steelers vs. Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo*

*Tickets for the two semi-finals will be valid for the NTT Japan Rugby League One 2025-26 co-hosted matches.

Yokohama Canon Eagles General Manager Masato Inoue said of co-hosting with the women’s semifinals, “I am very pleased to announce that the semi-finals of the 12th All Japan Women’s Rugby Football Championship will be held alongside the Yokohama Canon Eagles’ host game. We believe this will be a wonderful opportunity for spectators to experience the diversity that is one of the attractions of rugby in Yokohama, the birthplace of rugby in Japan.

Kobelco Kobe Steelers Director Junya Hirohata added, “There are three women’s teams active in Hyogo Prefecture. One of these teams is the women’s division of SCIX (Sports, Community and Intelligence Organisation), whose first chairman was the late Seiji Hirao. It has been active since 2010, and our team fully supports its activities.

Former rugby club member Mitsutake Hagimoto has twice served as head coach of the Japan Women’s National Team, and participated in the 2002 Women’s Rugby World Cup.”

The Women’s final will be played on Sunday, February 1, 2026, at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium (Tokyo).

You can read the JRFU Semifinal preview here.

Photo Credit – Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars

How To Watch

The Women’s Championship semifinals will be streamed live on JAPAN RUGBY TV YouTube –

• Semi-Final 1 Link (streaming begins around 14:15 local time) – YOKOHAMA TKM vs Japan University of Economics Women’s Rugby Club AMATERUS
• Semi-Final 2 Link (streaming begins around 14:15 local time) – PEARLS vs Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars

The Yokohama Canon Eagles vs. Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights match will be broadcast on J SPORTS 1 , TV Kanagawa (recorded), J SPORTS on demand, and DAZN.

The Kobelco Kobe Steelers vs. Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo match will be broadcast on J SPORTS 3, Sun TV, J SPORTS On Demand, and DAZN. 

Asian Rugby News 2026

• Hong Kong China Men’s 7s Feel Much Improved Heading Into HSBC SVNS 3 2026.
• Thailand Women’s Rugby 7s Are Aiming For the Global Stage.
• Asia School Rugby 7s 2026.
• Asian International Rugby Tournaments 2026.