Initial U20 Squad Named Ahead of World Rugby Junior World Championship
The Japan Rugby Football Union is delighted to announce the initial 25 players selected for what will be a 30-member Japan U20 squad ahead for the 2026 World Rugby Junior World Championships in Georgia. In addition to the 25 selected players, a further five players will be drawn from an eight-member training squad who will join the initial squad in a pre-tournament camp in Chiba, just outside of Tokyo, starting on June 15.
Comprising 15 forwards and 10 backs, the initial squad is drawn primarily from players competing in Japan’s university competition, with front rower Keitatsu Motoyama the sole exception. The impressive 19-year-old tighthead prop, who tips the scales at 113kg, plies his trade with JRLO Division One side Shizuoka BlueRevs.
Running from June 27 to July 19, the 2026 World Rugby Junior World Championships brings together 16 of the world’s best U20 national teams to fight it out for the right to be crowned 2026 Junior World Champions.
Japan U20 are drawn in Pool B alongside New Zealand, Italy and Scotland and will play all of their three pool matches in Kutaisi, three hours’ drive west of the Georgian Capital Tbilisi. Their first match against the Kiwis takes place on Saturday, June 27 with a kick-off of at 20:30 Japan time.
Japan then take on Italy on Thursday, July 2 with a 20:30 kick-off local Georgian time, or 01:30 that evening on Friday, July 3 Japan time. Their final pool match against Scotland kicks off at 20:30 Japan time on Tuesday, July 7. Following their pool fixtures, Japan will play an additional two games as part of the semi-finals and play off matches to decide their final placing in the 16-team competition.
Commenting on the squad selection, Japan U20 Head Coach Naoya Okubo said:
“The team began its journey during our forwards camp back in February where we set ourselves the goal of securing victory over New Zealand in our opening match. Four months have passed since then and despite being in the middle of the JRLO season, we’ve been able to train alongside many League One teams. Although our players were initially confronted by the jump in physicality, they’ve adapted, learnt and honed their abilities as a team.
“The Junior World Championship is a gruelling tournament in which we will play five matches against the world’s top teams with just four day’s rest between each match. The players and staff are united in our determination to take on the world. We count on your passionate support as we represent Japan with pride and show the world our Japanese style of play.”
Prior to their departure for Georgia on June 20, the squad will attend a pre-tournament training camp in Chiba from June 15-19. The squad will also head to Japan’s southern island of Kyushu on Thursday, June 18 to play a one-off practice match against the JAPAN XV in Miyazaki.
World Rugby Junior World Championship 2026
Japan U20 Initial Squad
| Pos. | Name | Club Team | Height (cm) | Weight(kg) | DOB |
| LHP | Keigo ARUGA | Teikyo Univ. | 171 | 102 | 2006/7/18 |
| LHP | Songha RI | Doshisha Univ. | 178 | 103 | 2006/2/28 |
| HO | Seia KAWANAI | Kwansei Gakuin Univ. | 177 | 98 | 2006/11/23 |
| HO | Koshi TSUMURA | Teikyo Univ. | 176 | 96 | 2007/6/20 |
| HO | Sota MIURA | Teikyo Univ. | 177 | 102 | 2006/10/2 |
| THP | Kanta KAWAGOE | Kwansei Gakuin Univ. | 181 | 110 | 2006/9/22 |
| THP | Haruto SASAKI | Meiji Univ. | 176 | 111 | 2006/5/2 |
| THP | Keitatsu MOTOYAMA | SHIZUOKA BlueRevs | 188 | 113 | 2006/12/26 |
| LO | Kotaro KUMAGAE | Meiji Univ. | 196 | 105 | 2006/10/30 |
| LO | Masato HYAKUTAKE | Meiji Univ. | 187 | 108 | 2006/4/24 |
| LO | Masato YANASE | Kwansei Gakuin Univ. | 184 | 102 | 2006/6/28 |
| LO | Taiga YAMAZAKI | Keio Univ. | 189 | 103 | 2006/10/5 |
| FL | Kise SHIN | Keio Univ. | 175 | 93 | 2006/5/17 |
| FL | Riku FUJIKUBO | Teikyo Univ. | 181 | 100 | 2006/7/17 |
| NO8 | Akihiro TSUBONE (C) | Teikyo Univ. | 185 | 105 | 2006/3/14 |
| SH | Kosuke OZEKI | Keio Univ. | 166 | 70 | 2006/5/25 |
| SH | Soshi KATAOKA | Ritsumeikan Univ. | 172 | 70 | 2007/10/12 |
| SO | Yuki KOBAYASHI | Keio Univ. | 168 | 75 | 2007/2/19 |
| SO | Takeru NIWA | Doshisha Univ. | 172 | 75 | 2006/10/1 |
| CTB | Rio IWAKURA | Yamanashi Gakuin Univ. | 177 | 90 | 2006/8/5 |
| CTB | Kohaku SUDA | Hosei Univ. | 172 | 78 | 2007/12/14 |
| CTB | Tsunehidemichi FUKUDA | Teikyo Univ. | 171 | 76 | 2007/5/17 |
| WTB | Shinnosuke UCHIDA | Tsukuba Univ. | 167 | 73 | 2006/7/6 |
| WTB | Isa FUKADA | Tsukuba Univ. | 172 | 80 | 2006/12/12 |
| FB | Ryuto KOGA | Meiji Univ. | 184 | 86 | 2006/7/17 |
(C) Captain
Japan U20 Additional Training Squad Members
| Pos. | Name | Club Team | Height (cm) | Weight(kg) | DOB |
| LO | Yuga ICHIKAWA | Aoyama Gakuin Univ. | 190 | 105 | 2007/6/4 |
| FL | Yuta OTABE | Chuo Univ. | 176 | 88 | 2008/4/1 |
| FL | Chikara FUKUDA | Kwansei Gakuin Univ. | 178 | 100 | 2006/11/28 |
| SH | Keigo SATO | Chuo Univ. | 169 | 68 | 2008/2/24 |
| CTB | Makoto TAKAHAGI | Kwansei Gakuin Univ. | 177 | 80 | 2007/9/27 |
| CTB | Yura MORIOKA | Aoyama Gakuin Univ. | 178 | 81 | 2007/6/16 |
| WTB | Seren KUSUMI | Tenri Univ. | 176 | 83 | 2006/6/19 |
| WTB | Gentaro SAKATA | Kindai Univ. | 172 | 72 | 2008/1/23 |