Sakura Fifteen Side Named for Spain Match
Japan Head Coach Lesley McKenzie has named her Sakura Fifteen side to face Spain in their third and final Rugby World Cup 2025 Pool C match on Sunday, September 7. Kicking off at 12:00 local UK time, 20:00 Japan time, the match will take place at York Community Stadium in the historical northern city of York.
Having fallen to Ireland 42-14 and New Zealand 62-19 in their earlier Pool C matches, the Sakura Fifteen will be desperate to put in a strong performance against a Spanish team ranked 13th in the world, one spot behind them. With Spain having also been defeated in their two pool matches, this game will be the one both sides will be determined to win.
The two teams will be very familiar to each other with Japan having hosted Las Leonas in a two-test home series in July. The Sakura Fifteen tasted victory in both matches with a 32-19 win in Kitakyushu followed by a 30-19 win in Tokyo. However, conditions will be completely different on Sunday compared to the heat and humidity of their July tests in Japan and all expectations are for a hugely competitive match.
McKenzie has made minimal changes to the matchday 23 that faced New Zealand. There is a direct bench swap at both number eight and halfback with Jennifer Nduka coming into the starting side to anchor the scrum, while Seina Saito, Japan’s most capped player will add her experience from off the bench. At halfback, Megumi Abe will start for the first time this tournament, with Moe Tsukui moving to the pine.
Elsewhere, Misaki Matsumura moves onto the right wing after having sat out the New Zealand match, while the hard running Mele Yua Havili Kagawa comes into the team for her first match of the tournament as a backline reserve.
Commenting on the team selection, Sakura Fifteen Head Coach Lesley McKenzie said:
“This game is about us finishing with our standards and performance, so it doesn’t matter who we play against. We’ve played Spain before, so we have information, and they have information, but this week is all about us and the rugby we want to play.”
Asked about how the team has found being at the World Cup, McKenzie continued:
“This tournament has had such a great atmosphere. The crowds, the volunteers, the interest in the tournament and the vibe has been so enjoyable. It’s really cool to see the experience of the players and staff benefiting from that, as somebody that was there when there was less of all of that. England have been great hosts.”
Sakura Fifteen Captain Iroha Nagata added:
“I would like to extend our gratitude to all the fans who have been supporting us, especially those who have come to support us at the stadiums. It empowers us and pushes us forward. To the younger generation that are watching us, I’m really keen and excited to leave a legacy and hope that through our performance, more girls will aspire to play for the Sakura Fifteen in the future.”
The Japan v Spain match will be broadcast live in Japan on J Sports 1 from 19:45 on Sunday, September 7. 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 | 32 |
| 2 | Asuka KUGE | ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA | Goto Hygine Consultant | 164 | 78 | 1994/9/22 | 24 |
| 3 | Wako KITANO | MIE PEARLS | Sumitomo Wiring Systems | 167 | 92 | 1999/9/8 | 24 |
| 4 | Yuna SATO | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix | Sankyu Inc. | 170 | 76 | 1998/9/11 | 26 |
| 5 | Otoka YOSHIMURA | ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA | Saitamaken Shinkin Bank. | 174 | 83 | 2001/5/15 | 31 |
| 6 | Masami KAWAMURA | YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars | Samko Gakuen Tokyo Resort & Sports vocational school | 173 | 75 | 1999/7/13 | 24 |
| 7 | Iroha NAGATA (C) | ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA | Kanto Foods Co.,Ltd. | 168 | 70 | 1998/12/21 | 42 |
| 8 | Jennifer NDUKA | Hokkaido Barbarians Diana | Medical System Network | 168 | 80 | 2000/10/18 | 16 |
| 9 | Megumi ABE | ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA | RDC Co.,Ltd. | 147 | 55 | 1998/4/28 | 34 |
| 10 | Ayasa OTSUKA | ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA | One Logistics Co., Ltd. | 163 | 65 | 1999/5/5 | 38 |
| 11 | Komachi IMAKUGI | ARUKAS QUEEN KUMAGAYA | OKINAYA Co.,Ltd. | 158 | 60 | 2002/1/6 | 32 |
| 12 | Haruka HIROTSU | Nanairo PRISM FUKUOKA | Kyushu Fuundou Sales Co., Ltd. | 169 | 71 | 2000/10/29 | 19 |
| 13 | Mana FURUTA | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix | NTT Facilities Inc. | 167 | 70 | 1997/11/16 | 38 |
| 14 | Misaki MATSUMURA | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix | Waseda Univ. | 169 | 72 | 2005/3/6 | 14 |
| 15 | Sora NISHIMURA | MIE PEARLS | Choko Co.，Ltd. | 167 | 68 | 2000/9/29 | 23 |
| 16 | Kotomi TANIGUCHI | YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars | NKS Corp | 163 | 75 | 1995/4/10 | 28 |
| 17 | Manami MINE | Nippon Sport Science Univ. | Nippon Sport Science Univ. | 163 | 77 | 2003/9/11 | 14 |
| 18 | Nijiho NAGATA | MIE PEARLS | SEIBUNSHA Co., Ltd. | 162 | 80 | 2000/12/6 | 31 |
| 19 | Ayano SAKURAI | YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars | NTT Facilities Inc. | 167 | 73 | 1996/4/15 | 25 |
| 20 | Seina SAITO | MIE PEARLS | Eiwatech Co.,Ltd. | 164 | 72 | 1992/5/30 | 52 |
| 21 | Moe TSUKUI | YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars | LIBEST Corp. | 153 | 53 | 2000/3/28 | 44 |
| 22 | Minori YAMAMOTO | YOKOHAMA TKM | － | 169 | 70 | 1996/12/9 | 40 |
| 23 | Mele Yua Havili KAGAWA | Nanairo PRISM FUKUOKA | CellSource Co., Ltd. | 171 | 75 | 2001/9/29 | 5 |
(c) Captain
Rugby World Cup 2025 Pool C
Sunday 24 August
Ireland v Japan
42-14 (L)
Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton
Sunday 31 August
New Zealand v Japan
62-19 (L)
Sandy Park, Exeter
Sunday 7 September
Japan v Spain
York Community Stadium, York