The Japan Rugby Football Union (JRFU) has officially announced the 32-player squad that will represent the Sakura Fifteen at the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, set to be held in England from August 22.
The squad features 18 forwards and 14 backs, with experienced flanker Iroha Nagata (39 caps) named as captain. The team brings solid international experience, with 12 players holding 25 or more caps, and only three players entering the tournament with fewer than 10.
Japan is drawn in Pool C, where they will face Ireland, Spain, and defending champions New Zealand. Prior to the tournament, the squad will travel to Italy on August 2, where they will play a final warm-up test against the Azzurre on August 9 in Calvisano, before continuing to England.
Japan’s World Cup schedule begins on August 24 at Franklin’s Gardens in Northampton, followed by matches against New Zealand in Exeter and Spain in York.
🔹 Japan Squad – Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025
Forwards (18 players)
| Player | Club | Caps |
|---|---|---|
| Sachiko Kato | YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars | 29 |
| Wako Kitano | MIE Pearls | 21 |
| Hinata Komaki | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix | 21 |
| Nijiho Nagata | MIE Pearls | 29 |
| Miharu Machida | Japan University of Economics | 3 |
| Manami Mine | Nippon Sport Science University | 11 |
| Asuka Kuge | ARUKAS Queen Kumagaya | 21 |
| Ayumu Kokaji | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix | 11 |
| Kotomi Taniguchi | YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars | 25 |
| Ayano Sakurai | YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars | 22 |
| Yuna Sato | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix | 23 |
| Otoka Yoshimura | ARUKAS Queen Kumagaya | 28 |
| Masami Kawamura | YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars | 21 |
| Sakurako Korai | Nippon Sport Science University | 21 |
| Seina Saito | MIE Pearls | 49 |
| Iroha Nagata (C) | ARUKAS Queen Kumagaya | 39 |
| Kyoko Hosokawa | MIE Pearls | 17 |
| Jennifer Nduka | Hokkaido Barbarians Diana | 14 |
Backs (14 players)
| Player | Club | Caps |
|---|---|---|
| Megumi Abe | ARUKAS Queen Kumagaya | 31 |
| Moe Tsukui | YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars | 41 |
| Ayasa Otsuka | ARUKAS Queen Kumagaya | 35 |
| Minori Yamamoto | YOKOHAMA TKM | 37 |
| Nao Ando | Brave Louve | 12 |
| Kanako Kobayashi | YOKOGAWA Musashino Artemi-Stars | 20 |
| Sakurako Hatada | Nippon Sport Science University | 8 |
| Mana Furuta | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix | 35 |
| Haruka Hirotsu | Nanairo PRISM Fukuoka | 16 |
| Komachi Imakugi | ARUKAS Queen Kumagaya | 30 |
| Mele Yua Havili Kagawa | Nanairo PRISM Fukuoka | 5 |
| Misaki Matsumura | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix | 12 |
| Sora Nishimura | MIE Pearls | 20 |
| Rinka Matsuda | Tokyo Sankyu Phoenix | 14 |