Sakura Fifteen Rugby World Cup 2025 Squad Announced

rugbyasia247 Posted On July 29, 2025

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Sakura Fifteen Rugby World Cup 2025 Squad Announced

The 32-member Sakura Fifteen Rugby World Cup 2025 squad was announced on July 27, before the team flies out to Italy on August 2, ahead of their warm-up test match against Le Azzurre. The Japanese are in Pool C at RWC 2025 with Ireland, New Zealand, and Spain.

Feature Photo Credit – JRFU

Head Coach Lesley McKenzie confirmed that experienced Iroha Nagata will captain the side (currently on 39 caps) in what is her third Rugby World Cup appearance. Teammates Seina Saito (on 49 caps currently), scrumhalf Moe Tsukui, and fly-half Minoru Yamamoto will all be joining her in making their third RWC appearance, having all made their tournament debut in 2017.

This will be the first RWC tournament in which Nagata will be serving as captain, and she said, “This is our chance to show what we have prepared, so I am very excited. I think every match will be challenging, but we will give it our all with the preparations the Sakura Fifteen has made, advance through the pool matches, and aim to reach the top eight or better.”

Sakura Fifteen Rugby World Cup 2025 Squad

Photo Credit – JRFU – Sakura 15 Captain Iroha Nagata

The 32-member squad consists of 18 forwards and 14 backs. A dozen players in the squad will be making their Rugby World Cup debut in England, and the youngest squad member is 20-year-old Misaki Matsumura.

The squad represents players from ten different Japanese clubs, with Yokogawa Musashino Artemi Stars, Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix and ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA each with six representatives.

Local Japanese rugby media reported that exciting fullback Rinki Matsuda, who was substituted due to injury in the 19th minute of the first half in the match against Spain on the 26th July, was at the squad announcement press conference using crutches but is in the named squad.

Head coach Lesley McKenzie said, “I’m immensely proud to announce this squad. It’s been three years since this World Cup cycle began and thanks to the support of the JRFU, the new competitions from World Rugby and the work, dedication and passion of the players and staff, we’re a very different team than when we set out three years ago.

The challenge that lies ahead is a little more familiar, yet it’s no less exciting. It’s starting to get very tangible as we leave next week for the Italy warm-up.

We’re anticipating really challenging, high-quality and determined opposition in the pool phase, which is exciting and will offer a real spectacle. These matches are going to be some real hallmarks of what women’s World Cup rugby looks like.”

Photo Credit – JRFU – Head Coach Lesley McKenzie

Among the players who are on standby is the scrumhalf from Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix, Seno Anna, who has been part of the national team squad and has trained with them up to this point. The announced squad only has two scrumhalves.

The squad consists of players from the following clubs:

Yokogawa Musashino Artemi Stars – 6
Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix – 6
ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA – 6
MIE PEARLS – 5
Nippon Sport Science University Women’s Rugby Club – 3
Nanairo Prism Fukuoka – 2
Japan University of Economics Women’s Rugby Club – 1
Hokkaido Barbarians – 1
YOKOHAMA TKM – 1
BRAVE LOUVE – 1

Sakura Fifteen Upcoming Match Schedule 2025

The Sakura XV will probably face their toughest game of 2025 on Saturday, August 9, in Calvisano, 100 kilometres east of Milan, where they play Italy.

The squad then heads to England for their pre-RWC camp as they make their final preparations for their must-win opening Pool C match against Ireland on Sunday, August 24 at Franklin’s Gardens in Northampton.

Saturday 9 August – Italy v Japan – Calvisano, Italy

Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Pool C

Photo Credit – JRFU

Of the opposition the Japanese will face in England, McKenzie said via the JRFU:

“We’ve got a fairly tough pool sequence in that we start with Ireland who have in two years gone from the third tier to the first tier of the WXV competition. They’ve grown in leaps and bounds over the last two years, including beating New Zealand last year. They will be our toughest challenge and our benchmark for success in terms of working towards a Quarter Final spot.”

New Zealand are defending champions and have already announced their RWC 2025 squad, and the Sakura 15 Head Coach said of facing them. “Following Ireland, we will play the Black Ferns, who are two-time defending Champions, which is enough to put a spark up any training week.

Of the final pool game against Spain, she explained, “We then finish our pool against Spain, who have just been here in Japan for two weeks, and you can see how rapidly they progressed from the first game to the second.”

Sunday 24 August – Ireland v Japan – Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton
Sunday 31 August – New Zealand v Japan – Sandy Park, Exeter
Sunday 7 September – Japan v Spain – York Community Stadium, York

Sakura Fifteen Rugby World Cup 2025 Squad

The Japan Sakura 15 players have an average of 23 test caps per player, and a dozen players have 25 caps or more, while only three players have fewer than 10 caps.

You can see more from the JRFU here on the RWC 2025 squad.

*Denotes first RWC appearance

Name shown is family name/surname, then first name.

Kato Sachiko (Yokogawa Musashino Artemi Stars / 164cm, 90kg / 25 years old / 29 caps)
Kitano Wako (MIE PEARLS / 167cm, 92kg / 25 years old / 21 caps)
Komaki Hinata (Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix / 165cm, 78kg / 24 years old / 21 caps)
Nagata Nijiho (MIE PEARLS / 162cm, 80kg / 24 years old / 29 caps)
Machida Miharu (Japan University of Economics Women’s Rugby Club / 172cm, 90kg / 21 years old / 3 caps)*
Mine Manami (Nippon Sport Science University Women’s Rugby Club / 163cm, 77kg / 21 years old / 11 caps)*
Kuge Asuka (ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA / 164cm, 78kg / 30 years old / 21 caps) *
Kokaji Ayumu (Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix / 160cm, 80kg / 25 years old / 11 caps) *
Taniguchi Kotomi (Yokogawa Musashino Artemi Stars / 163cm, 75kg / 30 years old / 25 caps)
Sakurai Ayano (Yokogawa Musashino Artemi Stars / 167cm, 73kg / 29 years old / 22 caps)
Sato Yuna (Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix / 170cm, 76kg / 26 years old / 23 caps)
Yoshimura Otoka (ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA / 174cm, 83kg / 24 years old / 28 caps)
Kawamura Masami (Yokogawa Musashino Artemi Stars / 173cm, 75kg / 26 years old / 21 caps)
Korai Sakurako (Nippon Sport Science University Women’s Rugby Club / 168cm, 73kg / 22 years old / 21 caps)
Saito Seina (MIE PEARLS / 164cm, 72kg / 33 years old / 49 caps)
Nagata Iroha (ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA / 168cm, 70kg / 26 years old / 39 caps) (Captain)
Hosokawa Kyoko (MIE PEARLS / 164cm, 71kg / 26 years old / 17 caps)
Ndoka Jennifer (Hokkaido Barbarians / 168cm, 80kg / 24 years old / 14 caps) *
Abe Megumi (ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA / 147cm, 55kg / 27 years old / 31 caps)
Tsukui Moe (Yokogawa Musashino Artemi Stars / 153cm, 53kg / 25 years old / 41 caps)
Otsuka Ayasa (ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA / 163cm, 65kg / 26 years old / 35 caps)
Yamamoto Minori (YOKOHAMA TKM / 169cm, 70kg / 28 years old / 37 caps)
Ando Nao (BRAVE LOUVE / 169cm, 64kg / 24 years old / 12 caps) *
Kobayashi Kanako (Yokogawa Musashino Artemi Stars / 164cm, 68kg / 26 years old / 20 caps) *
Hatada Sakurako (Nippon Sport Science University Women’s Rugby Club / 161cm, 65kg / 22 years old / 8 caps) *
Furuta Mana (Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix / 167cm, 70kg / 27 years old / 35 caps)
Hirotsu Haruka (Nanairo Prism Fukuoka / 169cm, 71kg / 24 years old / 16 caps) *
Imakugi Komachi (ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA (158cm, 60kg, 23 years old, 30 caps)
Kagawa Mele Yua Havili (Nanairo Prism Fukuoka/171cm, 75kg, 23 years old, 5 caps) *
Matsumura Misaki (Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix/169cm, 72kg, 20 years old, 12 caps) *
Nishimura Sora (MIE PEARLS/167cm, 68kg, 24 years old, 20 caps) *
Matsuda Rinka (Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix/171cm, 74kg, 23 years old, 14 caps)