Japan Sakura 15s vs Spain Preview – 19 July 2025

rugbyasia247 Posted On July 18, 2025

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Japan Sakura 15s vs Spain Preview - 19 July 2025

Japan women’s national team, the Sakura 15s, play Spain’s national team, Las Leonas, in the first of two Taiyo Life JAPAN RUGBY CHALLENGE SERIES 2025 Tests on 19th July at Mikuni World Stadium Kitakyushu (Fukuoka).

Feature Photo Credit – JRFU

Japan are in the same pool as Spain at the Rugby World Cup 2025, and the two sides will face each other in York on 7th September in their final Pool C match.

The two teams last met in Spain in 2023, when the Sakura Fifteen won both matches, 44-12 and 27-19. The overall head-to-head is 2-2, but all previous matches have been played in Spain.*

So far in 2025, the Japanese have won all three Tests, beating the UAE, Kazakhstan, and Hong Kong China and racked up 192 points in those games.

Sakura 15s Head Coach Lesley McKenzie previously told Rugby Asia 247, “The Spain games will be good, because there’ll be a great psychological test for both of us…..We get a chance to play at home, in front of home crowds, and that’s pretty good. You could always ask for more (matches), but we’re pretty happy with what we have.”

McKenzie has entrusted Sakurako Korai to continue to captain the team against Spain – she was also the captian for the Asia Rugby Women’s Championship, which they won. Korai is a 4th-year student at Nippon Sport Science University.

The 23 matchday 23 players have, for the most part, been involved in either the UAE or Asian Championship earlier this year. Former captain and the most experienced player in the squad, Seina Saito, is one of the reserves, which represents an experienced group.

The Sakura Fifteen will then wear their new jersey from Canterbury for the first time in this Taiyo Seimei Japan Rugby Challenge Series 2025 matches against Spain, and will also wear the design at the Rugby World Cup 2025 in England.

For the Spanish, they were on a seven-match winning run which came to an end a week after they successfully defended the Rugby Europe Women’s Championship title in April 2025, when they were beaten 48-26 by South Africa in Alicante.

Spain have made five personnel and two positional changes from that loss. They have selected a front row including Inés Antolínez, Cristina Blanco and Sidorella Bracic, with the experienced Mónica Castelo and Lourdes Alameda at lock. The loose trio consist of Ana Peralta, Nerea García and Alba Capell.

Bingbing Vergara is at scrum-half with Amalia Argudo at ten. Experienced centres are Zahía Pérez and captain Alba Vinuesa, with a dangerous back three in the form of Clara Piquero, Tecla Masoko and Claudia Peña.

Lauren Jenner (Italy) referees the match.

JRFU President, Masato Tsuchida, said when the tour was confirmed, “With the Rugby World Cup coming to England in August, this year will mark a pivotal moment in the development of the women’s game worldwide. The Sakura Fifteen will take centre stage, drawing greater attention than ever. Ahead of their departure to England, they will showcase the culmination of their progress in these send-off matches, vowing to excel on the global stage.”

You can see more about the ticketing information here. The second match will be played on July 26 2025 (at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium (Tokyo).

* We have seen different stats provided by Spain, JRFU, and World Rugby. They definately played twice in 2023 and had met twice prior to that so we are not sure of why there is confusion?