Sakura Fifteen RWC Preparations Well Underway in the Japan Alps
Following their emphatic, first-ever victory over the USA in April and strong wins against Kazakhstan and Hong Kong China in the 2025 Asia Rugby Emirates Women’s Championship, the Sakura Fifteen are now in camp preparing for their two-test home series against Spain ahead of Rugby World Cup 2025 in England.
Running from June 9 to 28, the camp is taking place high in the Japan Alps of Nagano, in the ski resort of Sugadaira. While arguably more famous for its winter snow, during the green season, the resort transforms into a rugby pre-season camp mecca. Teams from across the Kanto region take advantage of its clean air, abundance of playing fields and relative isolation to undertake pre-season camps famous for their gruelling hill runs up the surrounding and steep ski slopes.
Being a rugby town, Sugadaira also hosted Italy in their pre-tournament camp ahead of Rugby World Cup in 2019.
Taking a break from training, a smiling and visibly relaxed Sakura Fifteen Head Coach Lesley McKenzie spoke to the Japanese rugby media. “It’s a great environment for us up here to have our full squad together. We’ve been able to take our tour experience from April and put it together with our Asia Rugby Championship experience, giving some of those players minutes in May and finally coming together again as a team in June. It’s been really enjoyable and a nice change of pace and scenery. Everybody is training well and looking good.
‘It’s a great opportunity and window for us to tinker with the performance elements of our game and to put in some foundational elements that will improve those things. With the two matches against Spain coming up, it’s really important because nobody wants to be only in camp until the World Cup arrives. We’re really excited to play in front of our home fans next month before we leave for Europe, but to also have this important foundational opportunity this month. Without the pressure of competition and the tapering of training towards competition, we can get through a lot of work up here.”
Following their June training camp, the Sakura Fifteen will reassemble before hosting their Rugby World Cup Pool C rivals Spain for a two-test series. The first fixture will take place on July 19 at Mikuni World Stadium, in Kitakyushu followed by the return match on July 26 at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium in Tokyo.
The team will then depart for Italy for their World Cup warm-up match against Le Azzurre on Saturday, August 9 in Calvisano, 100 kilometres east of Milan. The fixture will be Japan’s third consecutive tournament warm-up match against Italy, in Italy, in as many years, following similar one-off tests ahead of the WXV2 tournament in both 2023 and 2024.
After the Italy match, all eyes will turn towards England and the Rugby World Cup, with Japan making their way across the Channel for their opening Pool C match against Ireland on Sunday, August 24 at Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton. This will be followed by matches against New Zealand and Spain as the Sakura Fifteen look to put in their best-ever RWC performance.
Japan Women’s National Team 2025 Test Match Results
Saturday 26 April
USA v Japan
33 – 39 (W)
Wallis Annenberg Stadium, Los Angeles
Thursday 15 May
Japan vs Kazakhstan
90 – 0 (W)
Asia Rugby Emirates Women’s Championship 2025
JAPAN BASE, Fukuoka
Sunday 25 May
Japan vs Hong Kong China
63 – 5 (W)
Asia Rugby Emirates Women’s Championship 2025
JAPAN BASE, Fukuoka
Japan Women’s National Team Upcoming Match Schedule 2025
Saturday 19 July
Japan vs Spain
Mikuni World Stadium, Kitakyushu
Saturday 26 July
Japan vs Spain
Chichibunomiya Rugby Ground, Tokyo
Saturday 9 August
Italy v Japan
Stadio San Michele, Calvisano, Italy
Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Pool C
Sunday 24 August
Ireland v Japan
Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton
Sunday 31 August
New Zealand v Japan
Sandy Park, Exeter
Sunday 7 September
Japan v Spain
York Community Stadium, York