Sakura Fifteen Team Announced Ahead of Fijiana Test Match

Japan Head Coach Lesley McKenzie has today announced the Sakura Fifteen Team to take on Fijiana this Sunday, May 1 at Bond University on the Gold Coast. Having arrived in Australia on April 19, the team have been busy preparing for the first of their three-match tour of Australia.

Captained by Saki Minami, the team will be looking to make a strong start in 2022 as they look towards the upcoming Rugby World Cup, taking place later this year in New Zealand. Makoto Furuta and Makoto Lavemai, who have spent this season playing for the Canberra Brumbies in Australia’s Super W competition have been named at Outside Centre and on the bench respectively, while debutants Asuka Kuge and Rinka Matsuda will get their first taste of test match rugby after being named at Hooker and Left Wing.

In addition to the Fiji match, the Sakura Fifteen will take on an Australian Barbarians side in a non-test match fixture on Friday, May 6 at Wests Bulldogs Rugby Memorial Park in Brisbane and return again to Bond University on Tuesday, May 10 to play their second test match of the tour against Australia.

TEAM LIST

NO.	NAME
1	Saki Minami (C)
2	Asuka Kuge
3	Yuka Sadaka
4	Kie Tamai
5	Yuna Sato
6	Seina Saito
7	Iroha Nagata
8	Mateitoga Bogidraumainadave
9	Megumi Abe
10	Komachi Imakugi
11	Rinka Matsuda
12	Shione Nakayama
13	Mana Furuta
14	Hinano Nagura
15	Ai Hirayama
16	Hinata Komaki
17	Nijiho Nagata
18	Makoto Lavemai
19	Maki Takano
20	Ayano Nagai
21	Moe Tsukui
22	Ayasa Otsuka
23	Yuki Ito