Brave Blossoms Announce Updated 2023 World Cup Squad

Following the announcement of the Brave Blossoms Rugby World Cup squad on 15 August, the JRFU are happy to confirm the final make-up of the 33-player squad following a final selection process by Head Coach Jamie Joseph and his coaching team.

Of the 30 players already announced, lock James Moore has been withdrawn from the squad due to conditioning issues. As a result, four new players have been brought into the squad to make up the final list of 33. This includes three locks in Uwe Helu, Warner Dearns and Amanaki Saumaki, as well as flanker, Pieter ‘Lappies’ Labuschagne.

Helu and Labuschagne return for their second World Cup after having been part of Japan’s 2019 home World Cup squad, while the towering Dearns and the uncapped Saumaki are set to feature in their first Rugby World Cup.

The Brave Blossoms will depart Japan on 19 August ahead of their final World Cup warm-up match against Italy in Treviso on Saturday, 26 August. The team then heads to their Official Base Camp in Toulouse to prepare for their opening Pool D match against Chile on Sunday, 10 September at Stadium de Toulouse.

They then face England on Sunday, 17 September at Stade de Nice before returning to Stadium de Toulouse to take on Samoa on Thursday, 28 September. The Brave Blossom’s final pool match will be against Argentina on Sunday, 8 October at Stade de la Beaujoire, in Nantes.

TEAM LIST

PositionNameTeamHeightWeightDate of BirthCaps
PRKeita INAGAKISAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS1861161990/6/248
PRCraig MILLARSAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS1861161990/10/2912
PRSione HALASILIYOKOHAMA CANON EAGLES1801201999/10/150
HOAtsushi SAKATESAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS1801041993/6/2136
HOShota HORIESAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS1801041986/1/2171
HOKosuke HORIKOSHITOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH1751001995/6/27
PRAsaeli Ai VALUSAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS1871151989/5/725
PRJiwon GUKOBELCO KOBE STEELERS1831171994/7/2024
PRShinnosuke KAKINAGATOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH1801151991/12/1912
LOWarner DEARNSTOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO2011172002/4/117
LOUwe HELUKubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY1931201990/7/1218
LOAmanaki SAUMAKIKOBELCO KOBE STEELERS1891081997/3/80
FLBen GunterSAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS1951201997/10/247
FLKazuki HIMENOTOYOTA VERBLITZ1871081994/7/2728
FLShota FUKUISAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS1861011999/9/281
FLMichael LEITCHTOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO1891131988/10/779
FL/LOJack CORNELSENSAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS1951101994/10/1315
FLPieter LABUSCHAGNEKubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY1891061989/1/1116
SHNaoto SAITOTOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH165731997/8/2614
SHYutaka NAGARETOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH166751992/9/433
SHKenta FUKUDATOYOTA VERBLITZ173801996/12/190
SO/FBJumpei OGURAYOKOHAMA CANON EAGLES172821992/7/114
SORikiya MATSUDASAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS181921994/5/332
SOSeungsin LEEKOBELCO KOBE STEELERS176852001/1/139
CTBTomoki OSADASAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS179901999/11/253
CTBDylan RILEYSAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS1871021997/5/213
CTBRyoto NAKAMURATOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH182921991/6/334
CTBShogo NAKANOTOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH186981997/6/117
FB/WTBKotaro MATSUSHIMATOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH178881993/2/2650
WTBLomano Lava LEMEKINEC Green Rockets17896 1989/1/20 16
WTBJone NAIKABULATOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO177951994/4/123
WTBSemisi MASIREWAHANAZONO KINTETSU LINERS181931992/6/94
WTBSiosaia FIFITATOYOTA VERBLITZ1871051998/12/2012

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