Japan Women Clinch Prestigious Global Youth Sevens Title
The Japan Women’s Under-18 Sevens Development Squad have been crowned champions of the Global Youth Sevens 2024 after an outstanding campaign, culminating in a thrilling 26-15 victory over Australia in the Final.
Held in Auckland, New Zealand, from 13–15 December, the Global Youth Sevens is an elite international Under-18 Sevens tournament showcasing the brightest young talent from around the world. Since its inception in 2016, the competition has hosted over 100 national sides, including teams from the USA, Canada, Wales, Japan, Fiji, Australia, Samoa, Nauru, and New Zealand, alongside several representative and composite teams.
Many players who have appeared in the tournament have gone on to achieve national honours in both Sevens and Fifteens, including Japan’s Marin Kajiki and Wakaba Hara, who have represented the Sakura Sevens, and Rinka Matsuda, a standout for both the Sakura Sevens and Sakura Fifteens.
This year’s tournament saw the Japan Women deliver a number of exceptional and dominant performances, with their defence proving particularly formidable. In their first four games, they didn’t concede a single point, defeating the Cook Islands 31-0, Tainui Waka 46-0, and Samoa Sports Club 31-0 in the pool stages, before overwhelming Belmont Shore 40-0 in the round of 16.
It was only in their quarter-final against Rugby Vault that Japan were finally scored against. While Japan’s defence was finally breached, they still managed to secure a resounding 33-12 victory. In the semi-finals, they faced tournament hosts New Zealand, delivering another commanding performance to win 28-19, setting up a highly anticipated final clash against an Australian side who had been equally dominant across their preceding matches.
The final lived up to its billing, with fast-paced action from the outset. Despite Australia’s best efforts, the Japanese team—featuring several players surely destined for future national team honours—proved too strong, securing a monumental 26-15 win and cementing their place as champions of the 2024 Global Youth Sevens.
Commenting after the tournament, Japan Women’s U18 Sevens Development Squad Coach, Yuka Kanematsu said:
“Thank you to everyone who supported us from Japan to those who cheered us on in Auckland. The players fought hard for each other, and we grew stronger as a team with every match. I am proud of the players and staff who worked so hard to secure this Championship. This will be my last competition as coach of the Sevens Youth Academy. Throughout the last six years, I have learnt the power of believing in the process of working towards becoming the best in the world and I have grown considerably as a coach. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank all the players, staff and everyone involved with the academy.”
Japan Captain, Umi Kikawa, who was one of three Japanese players named in the tournament’s Best Seven added:
“Throughout the tournament we were able to interact with many different people and really grow as a team. We developed to play more and more the rugby we wanted to play, and all 14 members played their part. Beating both New Zealand and Australia gave us huge confidence and I think we could show the world the unique style of Japanese rugby. It was wonderful to hear so many people in the stands shouting ‘GO JAPAN!!! These cheers increased with every match and made us really happy and proud.”
