Brave Blossoms to Face Springboks in Historic Wembley Test
The JRFU is delighted to announce that the Brave Blossoms will take on four-time and current back-to-back World Champions South Africa at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday, November 1 as part of their Lipovitan D Tour 2025. Kicking off at 16:10 local time, this historic match takes place 10 years on from Japan’s stunning 34-32 upset win over South Africa at Rugby World Cup 2015.
Affectionately known as the Miracle of Brighton, the match took place during Japan Head Coach Eddie Jones’ first stint leading the Brave Blossoms and laid the foundation for the success that was to come in 2019 at Japan’s home World Cup.
The fixture will be the fourth test match between the two sides and the first since Japan fell to South Africa in their Rugby World Cup 2019 Semi Final in Tokyo. The match will also mark the start of the Brave Blossom’s Autumn Tour to Europe which also sees matches against Ireland, Wales and Georgia across four action packed weekends.
Commenting on the announcement, Brave Blossoms Head Coach Eddie Jones, said:
“The game in Brighton ten years ago changed rugby in Japan from being a minor sport to a boom sport. Playing against the Boks is the dream of every young Japanese player.”
Jones’ counterpart, Springboks Head Coach Rassie Erasmus added:
“The Springboks are delighted to be starting off our Tour of the Northern Hemisphere with a match against Japan at the iconic Wembley Stadium. The Brave Blossoms are renowned for playing fast, attacking, high-tempo rugby – which has been prevalent in our last two encounters, before and during the Rugby World Cup in Japan in 2019.
“We have had fantastic support from our fans in the UK for our fixtures in London over the past few years and I am sure this match will be no different, especially being at one of the most famous sporting venues in the world.”
Masato Tsuchida, President of JRFU, added:
“Ten years since the Miracle of Brighton, it’s a great honour to once again play South Africa on English soil. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved in making this game happen. Our victory over the Springboks at Rugby World Cup 2015 was a historic match that redefined the history of Japanese rugby and marked the beginning of a new era for the JRFU.
“Since defeating Zimbabwe at the 1991 World Cup, the Brave Blossoms had not secured a single World Cup victory until that historic upset in Brighton. Our win over South Africa was achieved through the unwavering spirit and relentless training of the Japanese team at the time. We now look forward to sharing the current state of Japanese rugby, which has evolved through the determination inherited from that victory.”
Japan will come into the Springboks fixture match-hardened following their Pacific Nations Cup campaign and after hosting Australia at home in Tokyo the week before they take the field at Wembley. With Japan playing four tests at home and another seven on the road, 2025 promises to be another huge year for the Brave Blossoms as they look to build depth and experience with an eye towards Rugby World Cup 2027 in Australia.
Tickets will go on general sale from 11:00 on 22 August via Ticketmaster.co.uk starting from £55* for adults and £27.50* for Under-16s. Adult Group Rates are available with a 10% discount on ten or more tickets purchased.
Hospitality packages are also available visit www.wembleystadium.com/experiences
*Booking fees apply.
Japan vs South Africa Historic Results:
October 20, 2019 (L) 3-26 Tokyo (RWC 2019)
September 6, 2019 (L) 7-41 Kumagaya
September 19, 2015 (W) 34-32 Brighton, England (RWC 2015)
Brave Blossoms Upcoming Match Schedule
Saturday 30 August
Japan vs Canada
Pacific Nations Cup 2025 (Pool B)
Yurtec Stadium, Sendai
Saturday 6 September
USA vs Japan
Pacific Nations Cup 2025 (Pool B)
Heart Health Park, Sacramento
Saturday 25 October
Japan vs Australia
Lipovitan D Challenge Cup 2025
National Stadium, Tokyo
Saturday 1 November
Japan vs South Africa
Lipovitan D Tour 2025
London
Saturday 8 November
Ireland vs Japan
Autumn Nations Series
Dublin
Saturday 15 November
Wales vs Japan
Autumn Nations Series
Cardiff
Saturday 22 November
Georgia vs Japan
Venue TBC
