Japan Womens

Nicknamed the ‘Cherry Blossom 15’ and the ‘Sakura 15’, the Japan women’s rugby team is the strongest side in Asia. As the most successful team in the Asia Rugby Women’s Championship, they have won the continent’s premier tournament six times. 

Whether you want to know about Japan’s upcoming matches, their latest scores or news, you’ll find it all on this page. Take a look below to discover the history, records and best performances of the Japan women’s rugby team.

Japan Women’s at the Rugby World Cup

The Japan women’s rugby team has competed at five Rugby World Cup tournaments. They participated in the inaugural RWC in 1991 and delivered their best result in 1994.

This was a tournament of mixed results for the Sakura 15. Despite finishing in eighth place, the Japanese side was completely crushed by four of their opponents. This included three zero-point results against the United States (121-0), France (99-0) and Canada (57-0).

Next, Japan won two fixtures in 2002: 37-3 against the Netherlands and 18-0 against Ireland. This is the only time the Cherry Blossom 15s have succeeded in winning more than one game at the tournament – they produced one win in 1994 and 2017. 

Overall, Japan’s Rugby World Cup record has been somewhat tumultuous. They didn’t win a match in 1991, rose to eighth in 1994 and dropped to 14th (out of 16) in 2002. After not entering in 1998 and failing to qualify in 2006, 2010 and 2014, Japan returned to the RWC stage in 2017. This time they finished in 11th place.

More recently, the Japan women’s rugby team made their fifth appearance at the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup. They replicated their debut performance, failing to win a single match and crashing out at the pool-stage.

Japan will take to the World Cup stage for the sixth time in 2025.

History of the Japan Women’s Rugby Team

The Japanese women’s rugby team burst onto the international stage in 1991. They made their debut in style, competing in their first ever test at the 1991 Rugby World Cup. They played France in their opening pool-stage fixture and lost the game 62-0.

Unfortunately, their fortunes remained the same throughout the tournament. They were handed a further two nil-point losses: 20-0 against Sweden and 30-0 against Spain.

Over the next three decades, the Sakura 15 developed their game. Their progress was rewarded in 2021, when their position as Asia’s highest ranked rugby team secured their place at the upcoming Rugby World Cup. As of 2024, the Japan women’s rugby team has won the Asia Rugby Women’s Championship. This makes them the most successful team in Asia. 

Japan Women’s Rugby Squad

As the most successful side in Asia, the Japanese women’s rugby squad has featured some prominent names. Several of their current players have represented the team at the Rugby World Cup. This includes captain Saki Minami (prop), Sachiko Kato (prop) and Moe Tsukui (scrum-half).