2025 Brave Blossoms Squad Announced
Japan Head Coach Eddie Jones has named his first Brave Blossoms squad for 2025. The 37-member squad, comprising 20 forwards and 17 backs will come together for a training camp in Miyazaki, on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu on Monday, June 16 ahead of the three-match, Lipovitan D Challenge Cup 2025.
The first fixture kicks off on Saturday, June 28 when the Japan XV take on the Māori All Blacks in an uncapped match at Chichibunomiya in Tokyo. This will be followed by a two-test series against Wales to be held across the following two weekends. The first test of the season will take place in Kitakyushu on July 5, followed by the return fixture in Kobe on July 12.
While the squad includes a core of experienced test campaigners, Jones has stuck with his vision of bringing through Japan’s next generation of playing talent with 17 uncapped players included in the squad, alongside eight players holding just ten caps or less.
Fans in Japan and around the world will be delighted to see the return to the national team set up of 87-test cap veteran, Michael Lietch. Fresh from captaining Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo to their second Division One JRLO Championship in a row, the talismanic Lietch will add valuable leadership and experience to this young Brave Blossoms squad.
Announcing the squad at a press conference in central Tokyo, Jones also took the opportunity to reveal the Brave Blossom’s team mantra for 2025 – ‘Chosoku As One’. Expanding on the team’s earlier concept of Chosoku Rugby or super-fast rugby, the idea is that while this mantra must be embodied across Japan’s elite levels, it also needs to be the guiding vision across all rugby in Japan. Both in terms of playing style, but also within coaching, management and wider off-field activities.
Japan is recognised internationally for its high-tempo style and high-skill application of rugby’s fundamentals of catch-pass that form the basis of its quick ball movement and positive attacking style. However, Jones wants to take the concept even further, to stretch and press the fabric of chosoku rugby into every facet of the Japanese game.
Commenting on the ‘Chosoku As One’ mantra, Japan Head Coach Eddie Jones said:
“For Japan to rise again, to have another peak of success, we need to work together across high school, university and into League One. We need to produce the strongest team that plays rugby that keeps fans on the edges of their seats. Particularly in terms of our attack, we must take advantage of the opportunities we create and play on top of the opposition, and then conversely when we don’t have the ball, we need a much higher work rate in our defence.
“We’ve got to have Japan-first thinking, where players understand that they’ve got to put Japan first and do everything they can do to protect and make the team stronger. Of course we want to win, but I think there is a greater duty to Japanese rugby here. In our rugby ecosystem, we need to work as one and maximise the resources we’ve got. Maximise every talented high school and university player and make sure they’ve got the opportunity to play. In that way, we can maximise the talent coming through to the national team. One thing I do know, having come back to Japan, is that there’s enough talent.”
Fans looking to catch the action live can purchase tickets for all three Lipovitan D Challenge Cup 2025 fixtures via the newly optimised English-language ticketing website at: https://quick.pia.jp/japan-rugby_en/
2025 Japan Men’s Fifteens Training Squad
Forwards (20)
| Name | Club Team | Graduate | Height (cm) | Weight (kg) | DOB | Cap |
| Yota KAMIMORI | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY | Kindai Univ. | 172 | 105 | 1999/4/26 | 0 |
| Sena KIMURA | TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO | Tokai Univ. | 175 | 105 | 1999/6/24 | 0 |
| Kenta KOBAYASHI | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH | Waseda Univ. | 181 | 113 | 1999/6/2 | 0 |
| Hayate ERA | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY | Teikyo Univ. | 172 | 106 | 2001/9/18 | 0 |
| Kenji SATO | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS | Waseda Univ. | 177 | 108 | 2003/1/4 | 0 |
| Mamoru HARADA | TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO (*until June 2025) | Keio Univ. | 175 | 101 | 1999/4/15 | 10 |
| Sanshiro KIHARA | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH | Senshu Univ. | 181 | 108 | 2003/1/20 | 0 |
| Shuhei TAKEUCHI | URAYASU D-Rocks (*until June 2025) | Kyushu Kyoritsu Univ. | 183 | 115 | 1997/12/9 | 13 |
| Keijiro TAMEFUSA | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY | Meiji Univ. | 180 | 108 | 2001/9/3 | 10 |
| Epineri ULUIVITI | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars | Ratu Kadavulevu School | 196 | 122 | 1996/7/7 | 6 |
| Waisake RARATUBUA | KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS | Tokai Univ. | 193 | 120 | 1998/3/17 | 0 |
| Warner DEARNS | TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO | Ryutsu Keizai Univ. KASHIWA HS. | 201 | 117 | 2002/4/11 | 21 |
| Michael LEITCH | TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO | Tokai Univ. | 189 | 113 | 1988/10/7 | 87 |
| Akito OKUI | TOYOTA VERBLITZ | Teikyo Univ. | 178 | 105 | 2001/9/17 | 0 |
| Ben GUNTER | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS | Brisbane Boys’ College | 195 | 120 | 1997/10/24 | 9 |
| Jack CORNELSEN | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS | Univ. of Queensland | 195 | 110 | 1994/10/13 | 20 |
| Kanji SHIMOKAWA | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH | Waseda Univ. | 188 | 105 | 1999/1/17 | 14 |
| VUETI TUPOU | SHIZUOKA BlueRevs | Setsunan Univ. | 190 | 121 | 2000/4/2 | 0 |
| Faulua MAKISI | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY | Tenri Univ. | 187 | 112 | 1997/1/20 | 15 |
| Amato FAKATAVA | RICOH BlackRams Tokyo | Daito Bunka Univ. | 195 | 118 | 1994/12/7 | 13 |
Backs (17)
| Name | Club Team | Graduate | Height (cm) | Weight (kg) | DOB | Cap |
| Naoto SAITO | Stade Toulousain | Waseda Univ. | 165 | 73 | 1997/8/26 | 24 |
| Kenta FUKUDA | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH | Meiji Univ. | 173 | 83 | 1996/12/19 | 1 |
| Shinobu FUJIWARA | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY | Tenri Univ. | 171 | 76 | 1999/2/8 | 10 |
| Sam GREENE | SHIZUOKA BlueRevs | Brisbane Grammar HS. | 178 | 85 | 1994/8/16 | 0 |
| Seungsin LEE | KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS | Osaka Korean HS. | 176 | 86 | 2001/1/13 | 18 |
| Shogo NAKANO | TOKYO SUNTORY SUNGOLIATH | Waseda Univ. | 186 | 100 | 1997/6/11 | 7 |
| Siosaia FIFITA | TOYOTA VERBLITZ | Tenri Univ. | 187 | 105 | 1998/12/20 | 16 |
| Dylan RILEY | SAITAMA Panasonic WILD KNIGHTS | Bond Univ. | 187 | 102 | 1997/5/2 | 28 |
| Charlie LAWRENCE | Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Sagamihara Dynaboars | Hamilton Boys’HS. | 171 | 90 | 1998/5/27 | 0 |
| Kippei ISHIDA | YOKOHAMA CANON EAGLES | Meiji Univ. | 167 | 75 | 2000/4/28 | 0 |
| Kazuma UEDA | KOBELCO KOBE STEELERS | Kindai Univ. | 177 | 87 | 2002/12/4 | 0 |
| Malo TUITAMA | SHIZUOKA BlueRevs | Scots College | 182 | 91 | 1996/3/23 | 7 |
| Taira MAIN | RICOH BlackRams Tokyo | Gose Industrial HS. | 178 | 90 | 2000/9/5 | 1 |
| Halatoa VAILEA | Kubota Spears Funabashi TOKYO-BAY | Nippon Sport Science Univ. | 185 | 104 | 1999/2/14 | 0 |
| Jingo TAKENOSHITA | Meiji Univ. | Hotoku Gakuen HS. | 180 | 86 | 2004/6/11 | 0 |
| Ichigo NAKAKUSU | RICOH BlackRams Tokyo | Keio Univ. | 174 | 84 | 2000/6/1 | 0 |
| Takuro MATSUNAGA | TOSHIBA BRAVE LUPUS TOKYO | Tenri Univ. | 172 | 82 | 1998/8/13 | 4 |
Lipovitan D Challenge Cup 2025 Match Schedule
Saturday 28 June
Japan XV vs Māori All Blacks (non-capped match)
Lipovitan D Challenge Cup 2025
Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground, Tokyo
Saturday 5 July
Japan vs Wales
Lipovitan D Challenge Cup 2025
Mikuni World Stadium, Kitakyushu
Saturday 12 July
Japan vs Wales
Lipovitan D Challenge Cup 2025
Noevir Stadium, Kobe
Historic Match Results
Japan XV vs Māori All Blacks (non-test matches)
5 matches, 1 win, 4 losses
6 July 2024: 26-14 (W) Toyota City
29 June 2024: 36-10 (L) Tokyo
8 November 2014: 18-20 (L) Tokyo
1 November 2014: 21-61 (L) Hyogo
28 June 2008: 65-22 (L) Napier, New Zealand)
Brave Blossoms v Wales
14 matches, 1 win and 13 losses
19 November 2016: 33-30 (L) Cardiff, Wales
15 June 2013: 23-8 (W) Tokyo
8 June 2013: 18-22 (L) Osaka
20 September 2007: 72-18 (L) Cardiff, Wales
26 November 2004: 98-0 (L) Cardiff, Wales
17 June 2001: 30-53 (L) Tokyo
10 June 2001: 10-64 (L) Osaka
9 October 1999: 64-15 (L) Cardiff, Wales (RWC)
27 May 1995: 10-57 (L) Bloemfontein, South Africa (RWC)
16 Oct 1993: 55-5 (L) Cardiff, Wales
22 Oct 1983: 29-24 (L) Cardiff, Wales