# Japan women's national rugby union team

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.

## History

Japan made their international debut at the 1991 Women's Rugby World Cup. Since then, Japan has appeared at three other editions of the World Cup in 1994, 2002 and 2017. The team has won the Asia Rugby Women's Championship in 2015, 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.
In November 2021, Japan toured Europe and played test matches against Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Wales defeated Japan 23–5, the Sakura's scoring their only try in the 77th minute with a missed conversion. Scotland ran in six tries to give the Sakura's their second loss 36–12, at the DAM Health Stadium in Edinburgh. Ireland down to 14 players pulled off an unlikely win to beat Japan 15–12.
Japan toured Australia in 2022, they played and won matches against Australia, the Australian Barbarians, and Fiji.

## Records
### Overall

(Full internationals only)
See Women's international rugby for information about the status of international games and match numbering

### Rugby World Cup

Rugby World Cup :
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D | L | PF | PA |
| 1991 | Plate quarter-finals | 12th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 112 |
| 1994 | Shield 3rd play-off | 8th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 293 |
| 1998 | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter | Did not enter |
| 2002 | 13th place play-off | 14th | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 58 | 95 |
| 2006 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2010 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2014 | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2017 | 11th place play-off | 11th | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 87 | 152 |
| 2021 | Pool stage | — | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 92 |
| 2025 | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified | Qualified |
| 2029 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 2033 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Total | 5/9 | 8th | 20 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 188 | 744 |
| Champion Runner-up Third place Fourth place * Tied placing $^†$ Best placing Home venue |||||||||

## Players
### Recent squad

The Sakura XV announced their 30-player squad on 4 September 2024 for the WXV 2 tournament.
| Player | Position | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club/province |
| Megumi Abe | Scrum-half | (1998-04-28)28 April 1998 (aged 26) | 25 | Arukas Queen Kumagaya |
| Komachi Imakugi | Wing | (2002-01-06)6 January 2002 (aged 22) | 26 | Arukas Queen Kumagaya |
| Ayasa Otsuka | Fly-half | (1999-05-05)5 May 1999 (aged 25) | 28 | Arukas Queen Kumagaya |
| Mele Yua Havili Kagawa | Centre | (2001-09-29)29 September 2001 (aged 22) | 2 | Nanairo Prism Fukuoka |
| Sachiko Kato | Prop | (2000-02-19)19 February 2000 (aged 24) | 25 | Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars |
| Masami Kawamura | Second row | (1999-07-13)13 July 1999 (aged 25) | 16 | |
| Wako Kitano | Prop | (1999-09-08)8 September 1999 (aged 25) | 15 | Mie Pearls |
| Asuka Kuge | Prop | (1994-09-22)22 September 1994 (aged 30) | 15 | Arukas Queen Kumagaya |
| Sakurako Korai | Back row | (2003-04-09)9 April 2003 (aged 21) | 16 | Nippon Sport Science University |
| Ayumu Kokaji | Hooker | (2000-11-24)24 November 2000 (aged 23) | 8 | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix |
| Kanako Kobayashi | Centre | (1998-11-13)13 November 1998 (aged 25) | 14 | Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars |
| Hinata Komaki | Hooker | (2001-05-09)9 May 2001 (aged 23) | 17 | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix |
| Seina Saito | Back row | (1992-05-30)30 May 1992 (aged 32) | 44 | Mie Pearls |
| Yuka Sadaka | Prop | (1994-11-02)2 November 1994 (aged 29) | 20 | Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars |
| Yuna Sato | Second row | (1998-09-11)11 September 1998 (aged 26) | 17 | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix |
| Anan Seo | Scrum-half | (2001-07-16)16 July 2001 (aged 23) | 1 | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix |
| Kotomi Taniguchi | Hooker | (1995-04-10)10 April 1995 (aged 29) | 20 | Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars |
| Moe Tsukui | Scrum-half | (2000-03-28)28 March 2000 (aged 24) | 35 | Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars |
| Ayano Nagai | Back row | (1997-10-14)14 October 1997 (aged 26) | 26 | Yokohama TKM |
| Iroha Nagata | Back row | (1998-12-21)21 December 1998 (aged 25) | 34 | Arukas Queen Kumagaya |
| Nijiho Nagata | Hooker | (2000-12-06)6 December 2000 (aged 23) | 23 | Mie Pearls |
| Sora Nishimura | Back | (2000-09-29)29 September 2000 (aged 23) | 14 | Mie Pearls |
| Haruka Hirotsu | Back | (2000-10-29)29 October 2000 (aged 23) | 10 | Nanairo Prism Fukuoka |
| Mana Furuta | Centre | (1997-11-16)16 November 1997 (aged 26) | 30 | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix |
| Kyoko Hosokawa | Back row | (1999-07-08)8 July 1999 (aged 25) | 13 | Mie Pearls |
| Misaki Matsumura | Back | (2005-03-06)6 March 2005 (aged 19) | 8 | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix |
| Manami Mine | Forward | (2003-09-11)11 September 2003 (aged 21) | 7 | Nippon Sport Science University |
| Minori Yamamoto | Fly-half | (1996-12-09)9 December 1996 (aged 27) | 32 | Yokohama TKM |
| Otoka Yoshimura | Second row | (2001-05-15)15 May 2001 (aged 23) | 22 | Arukas Queen Kumagaya |
| Jennifer Nduka | Second row | (2000-10-18)18 October 2000 (aged 23) | 8 | Hokkaido Barbarians Diana |