Match Preview – Japan vs Kazakhstan AREWC 2025

The Asia Rugby Emirates Women’s Championship (AREWC) 2025 kicks off with the defending champions and hosts Japan Sakura 15s facing Kazakhstan on Thursday, May 15, 2025. at JAPAN BASE. The Japanese are chasing a 7th straight title.

Feature Photo Credit – Asia Rugby

The Japan Rugby Football Union announced the squad to play the Kazakhs the day before the match, and as expected, it is a new-look side as Head Coach Lesley McKenzie rotates players in preparation for the Rugby World Cup 2025.

The Japanese (ranked 11th) won the tournament in 2024, which was played in Hong Kong, and beat the same opposition who are currently ranked 18th in the world comfortably. The title win for the Japanese in last year’s championship meant they have overtaken Kazakhstan for the most titles.

In the matchday squad to play Kazakhstan, Japan are handing potential debuts to five players: Arisa Nishi and Sakura Mizutani (Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix), Miho Matsunaga, Yoshida Nami, and Haruna Kojima (all Yokohama TKM).  There are seven players in the squad with two caps or fewer, and the most capped player is Ayasa Otsuka, who will earn her 32nd cap.

Sakurako Korai, who starts in the #6 jersey, will be the captain. She is a 4th-year student at Nippon Sport Science University.

The Japanese made history by beating the USA Eagles for the first time in April 2025, away from home. They will be heading to RWC 2025 but have a number of tests confirmed in 2025, including against Spain and Italy, after the Asian championship, and they have been in camp for several months.

It is difficult to see how visiting Kazakhstan can win the match, even if the Japanese are not fielding a full-strength team, mainly due to their lack of international tests. They have not played a test since the AREWC in 2024, in which they lost both matches, and the Japanese beat them 64-0 in the 2024 fixture and 72-0 in 2023.

The last time the Kazhaks beat the Sakura 15s was in May 2015, and worryingly for them, they have lost four out of their past 5 internationals, and in all four of those losses, they failed to score a point while conceding 223 points!

Fabian Juries, the former South African sevens player, took over the coaching role in 2024 for the Kazakhstan 7s and 15s teams.

There has been close to no information provided for the Kazakhstan team or their preparations, and very little from Asia Rugby or World Rugby, less than 24 hours before the AREWC 2025 kicks off. 

Photo Credit – Asia Rugby – Japan beat Kazakhstan 64-0 in the AREWC 2024

Matchday Squad – Kazakhstan vs Japan AREWC 2025

TBC