Sakura Fifteen Side Named for First RWC Clash

Japan Head Coach Lesley McKenzie has named her Sakura Fifteen side to face Ireland in their opening Rugby World Cup 2025 Pool C match at Franklin’s Gardens in Northampton on Sunday, August 24. Kicking off at 12:00 local UK time, 20:00 Japan time, the match will be the first fixture for both sides as they look to make the best possible start to the tournament.

For the Sakura Fifteen, they are targeting the match as a must-win to put themselves in the best possible position to advance out of the pool stage. With Ireland currently ranked fifth in World Rugby’s global rankings, it will be a tough ask for the 11^th ranked Japan. However, there is a definite sense of assuredness in this Sakura Fifteen side which enters its sixth World Cup brimming with confidence and determination and with a squad stacked with test match experience.

Commenting at the team announcement press conference, Sakura Fifteen Head Coach Lesley McKenzie said:

“This team has matured so much as a group since 2022. We’ve matured as a programme and as a group of players who have more of an ability to manage a game, create pressure and sustain it. We’ve got elements of our game that are so much more advanced than three years ago when this version of the team started building after New Zealand.

“I think we’ve had really good preparation. You can sense it in the group and they’re showing it on the field. They look really good. The group can be really proud of how they’ve prepared. They’ve put a lot into it, and I’m really pleased with the detail the players have brought to the challenge the coaches and staff have laid out. I’m really looking forward to the weekend.”

Led by Captain Iroha Nagata at openside flanker, this Sakura Fifteen side is likely the most experienced matchday 23 Japan has ever fielded. With an average of 27 test caps per player and multiple players coming into their second or third World Cup, the team has experience and leadership spread throughout.

Sakura Fifteen Captain Iroha Nagata added:

“We really want to showcase what we’ve built in the past year, in our domestic camps and on our international tours. When it comes to this game, we are fully ready to give everything we’ve got against Ireland.

Attaining this level of experience is down to the planning and long-term development approach spearheaded by McKenzie and her coaching team and through the support of the JRFU. It is also testament to the commitment and investment of World Rugby in developing the women’s game globally.

The Japan v Ireland match will be broadcast live in Japan on J Sports 2 from 19:45 on Sunday, August 24. It will also be streamed live and available for catch-up on J Sports On Demand.

Sakura Fifteen Team List:

	Name	Team	Company	Height(cm)	Weight(kg)	DOB	Cap
1	Sachiko KATO	YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars	SECOM CO., LTD.	164	90	2000/2/19	30
2	Asuka KUGE	ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA	Goto Hygine Consultant	164	78	1994/9/22	22
3	Wako KITANO	MIE PEARLS	Sumitomo Wiring Systems	167	92	1999/9/8	22
4	Yuna SATO	Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix	Sankyu Inc.	170	76	1998/9/11	24
5	Otoka YOSHIMURA	ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA	Saitamaken Shinkin Bank.	174	83	2001/5/15	29
6	Masami KAWAMURA	YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars	Samko Gakuen Tokyo Resort & Sports vocational school	173	75	1999/7/13	22
7	Iroha NAGATA (C)	ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA	Kanto Foods Co.,Ltd.	168	70	1998/12/21	40
8	Seina SAITO	MIE PEARLS	Eiwatech Co.,Ltd.	164	72	1992/5/30	50
9	Moe TSUKUI	YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars	LIBEST Corp.	153	53	2000/3/28	42
10	Ayasa OTSUKA	ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA	One Logistics Co., Ltd.	163	65	1999/5/5	36
11	Komachi IMAKUGI	ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA	OKINAYA Co.,Ltd.	158	60	2002/1/6	30
12	Haruka HIROTSU	Nanairo PRISM FUKUOKA	Kyushu Fuundou Sales Co., Ltd.	169	71	2000/10/29	17
13	Mana FURUTA	Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix	NTT Facilities Inc.	167	70	1997/11/16	36
14	Misaki MATSUMURA	Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix	Waseda Univ.	169	72	2005/3/6	13
15	Sora NISHIMURA	MIE PEARLS	Choko Co.，Ltd.	167	68	2000/9/29	21
16	Kotomi TANIGUCHI	YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars	NKS Corp	163	75	1995/4/10	26
17	Manami MINE	Nippon Sport Science Univ.	Nippon Sport Science Univ.	163	77	2003/9/11	12
18	Nijiho NAGATA	MIE PEARLS	SEIBUNSHA Co., Ltd.	162	80	2000/12/6	29
19	Ayano SAKURAI	YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars	NTT Facilities Inc.	167	73	1996/4/15	23
20	Kyoko HOSOKAWA	MIE PEARLS	Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.	164	71	1999/7/8	17
21	Megumi ABE	ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA	RDC Co.,Ltd.	147	55	1998/4/28	32
22	Minori YAMAMOTO	YOKOHAMA TKM	－	169	70	1996/12/9	38
23	Sakurako HATADA	Nippon Sport Science Univ.	Nippon Sport Science Univ.	161	65	2003/5/8	9

(c) Captain

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