Japan national rugby union team
Encyclopedia
The Japan national rugby union team (often known as the Cherry Blossoms or more recently the Brave Blossoms) represent Japan
in international rugby union
competitions. Japan is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia but has both enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years. Rugby union in Japan is administered by the Japan Rugby Football Union
(JRFU), which was founded in 1926. They compete annually in the Pacific Nations Cup and the Asian Five Nations
. They have also participated in every Rugby World Cup
since the tournament began in 1987. However they have only ever won one game at the tournament, against Zimbabwe
in 1991
.
Rugby was introduced to Japan in 1899 and Japan's first international was a match against a Canadian team in 1932. Notable games for Japan include a victory over the Junior All Blacks in 1968, and a narrow 6–3 loss to England
in 1971. Japan's most famous victory so far is a 28–24 victory over Scotland
in 1989. In the 2007 Rugby World Cup
, Japan drew 12–12 against Canada, their second best result in the tournament. In 2011, Japan displayed the extent of its progress in the sport by winning the 2011 IRB Pacific Nations Cup
, played against Fiji
, Samoa
and Tonga
.
and Tanaka Ginnosuke
. Japan's first international match took place on 31 January 1932 when a trade delegation from Canada brought the Canada national rugby union team
, who were also playing their first game. The Japanese won 9–8.
Japan beat the Junior All Blacks
23–19 in 1968 after losing the first four matches on a tour of New Zealand, but they won the last five. The Japanese (coached by Waseda University
Professor Onishi Tetsunosuke
) lost by just 3–6 to England in Tokyo on 29 September 1971 in the RFU's centenary year. The 1973 Japan rugby union tour of Wales, England and France
was less successful with the side winning only two of their eleven matches, and losing the international matches against Wales and France. Ten years later Japan gave Wales a fright in losing by a slim five-point margin, 24–29, at Cardiff Arms Park
on 2 October 1983.
On 28 May 1989 a strong Japan coached by Hiroaki Shukuzawa
defeated an under-strength Scotland
, missing nine British Lions on tour in Australia, for the first ever time at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium
, 28–24. The Japan team included such Kobe Steel stalwarts as centre Seiji Hirao
(captain), and locks Atsushi Oyagi and Toshiyuki Hayashi
(38 Japan caps and a member of Oxford University's all-time best XV). Sinali Latu
at No. 8 was then a fourth year student at Daito Bunka University, and speedy Yoshihito Yoshida on the wing (no. 14) was a third year at Meiji University. Scotland missed an incredible seven penalties and refused the kicking tee which was generously offered – as a surviving video of the game shows. It was almost the same Japanese team which defeated Zimbabwe
in RWC1991.
(No. 8), of NEC Green Rockets
. Hagimoto's first game in charge saw a disappointing 19–19 draw against Korea in Tokyo on 16 May 2004.
In May 2004 Japan won the second Super Powers Cup
played between four nations in Tokyo, beating Russia
29–12 (27 May) and Canada
34–21 (30 May) in the process. The USA
beat Russia in the third-place play-off.
Japan lost to Italy
19–32 in July – this game might well have turned out differently if Daisuke Ohata
had not fumbled the ball when in the clear and so butchered a certain try. (Italy's coach at that time John Kirwan
acknowledged Italy's good fortune after the game, and said it could have gone either way. Ohata suffered nightmares over his mistake but has since become the world record holder for tries in international matches, surpassing David Campese
.)
On Saturday 13 November 2004 a surprisingly weak Japan representative touring side lost 8–100 to the full Scotland
team at McDiarmid Park
in Perth
in the Caledonian Scottish rugby region, a record score for Scotland.
The Japanese tour party (listed here) was weaker than it could have been. It did not include the experienced Tongan Ruatangi Vatuvei
. New Zealander Adam Parker who had played in Japan's 19–32 loss to Italy
on 4 July 2004 was apparently refused permission to travel by his new club, NTT Higashi Nihon. The only non-Japanese member was Feleteliki Mau of World Fighting Bull
. Apparently under the mistaken impression that Japan had beaten Italy in the summer, the Scotland coach (Matt Williams
) paid Japan the compliment of selecting his strongest team.
Before the game Japan's coach publicly, and some JRFU officials privately, expressed their dissatisfaction that the game was not going to be played at Murrayfield stadium
. It was the policy of the Scottish Rugby Union
to play some international games away from Murrayfield in autumn 2004, in order to gain new fans in the Caledonia and Glasgow regions. Australia
also played once at Hampden Park
, Glasgow. The Perth game was virtually a sell-out of the 10,278 capacity McDiarmid Park
, a number which would not have come close to filling the larger Murrayfield.
A week later they lost to Romania
25–10 on 20 November at the Stadionul Steaua in Bucharest; and then on 26 November Japan succumbed 98–0 to Wales
at the Millennium Stadium
. It was Wales' biggest ever winning margin, played on a Friday evening in Cardiff before a 56,380 crowd.
Jean-Pierre Élissalde
was Japan's first non-Japanese head coach. Under him Japan beat the Arabian Gulf rugby team (ranked 41 in the world) 82–9 on 16 April 2006. The captain was Daisuke Ohata
. A week later Japan beat Korea 50–14, again at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium
. The Korean team was young and after going 33–0 up at half time, Japan had a disappointing second half.
Japan beat Georgia 32–7 on 14 May 2006, with Daisuke Ohata scoring a hat trick to claim the world record for test match tries. He has now scored 65, one more than the previous record holder David Campese
.
Japan lost 16–57 to Tonga in the inaugural IRB Pacific Five Nations game on 4 June 2006 – despite a good first half which ended 15–13 to Tonga. Ohata was injured early in the first half (calf strain) and the side sorely lacked veterans such as Takuro Miuchi
(injured) and fly half Keiji Hirose
.
Despite a disappointing IRB Pacific Five Nations campaign in which Japan won only the wooden spoon, Élissalde was reconfirmed as head coach by the top board of the JRFU on 14 July 2006. He was then sacked in September 2006 for taking a job with a French club Aviron Bayonnais
without consulting the JRFU. Osamu Ota then took over as caretaker coach. On 26 October 2006, the Japan Rugby Football Union general manager Osamu Ota
announced that John Kirwan
would take over as head coach from 1 January 2007.
John Kirwan
was appointed head coach for two years with effect from 1 January 2007 on 25 October 2006 by the JRFU. Before taking up his appointment he worked as an adviser. He declared his intention from the outset to pursue a Japanese brand of rugby which expresses the "Samurai
Spirit", and he wanted to win at least two games in RWC 2007. In the qualifying games Japan beat Hong Kong 52–3 and Korea 54–0 in November 2006 to secure its place in Pool B with ease at the RWC 2007.
On 9 April 2007 the national team was featured at their first training camp since Kirwan's appointment in the NHK
national news, a sign of the growing expectation and interest in his team. He said in front of the camera: "We want to be the world's fittest team". He added that he wanted Japan to play to its strengths which he said were speed and agility, and to play rugby that "big men don't like."
In the first game under Kirwan against Korea on 22 April 2007 the Cherry Blossoms won easily, 82–0 and seven new players were introduced. James Arlidge
scored two tries of the fourteen, and converted ten out of ten. However in their performance at the 2007 Rugby World Cup
they failed to win a match: a second-string team lost 91–3 to Australia, although they did draw 12–12 against Canada and lose by just 4 points (31–35) to eventual quarter finalists Fiji. They also lost 74–18 Wales in Cardiff, but in the process scored a spectacular length-of-the-field try through Kosuke Endo
that many regarded as the best in the tournament. They came fourth in their pool ahead of Canada and behind Wales, thanks to the bonus point earned against Fiji.
In the 2008 HSBC Asian Five Nations
Japan won all four of its games to become the first Asian Five Nations champions on 18 May 2008. They trumped this achievement further in 2011 by winning Pacific Nations Cup with a 28–27 win over Tonga and a 24–13 win over Fiji in the final round to claim their first title after five years of competing in the tournament.
since its inception in 1987, and has made appearances in all tournaments thus far. Despite this, they have experienced little success, with just one victory over Zimbabwe
in 1991
, and two draws with Canada
in 2007
and 2011. They will be the home team for the 2019 Rugby World Cup
, which is to be held in Japan.
– Lost 3–6 (Tokyo, 1971)
Scotland
– Won 28–24 (Tokyo, 1989)
Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)
– Won 155–3 (Taipei, 2002)
Wales
– Lost 24–29 (Cardiff, 1983)
Zimbabwe
– Won 52–8 (Rugby World Cup, Belfast, 1991)
Canada
– Drew 12–12 (Rugby World Cup, Bordeaux, 2007)
In the 120–3 win over Taiwan, at 21 July 2002, Toru Kurihara
, fullback of Suntory
, scored 6 tries and kicked 15 conversions, establishing a world record of 90 points. The previous world record had been set by Eduardo Morgan of Argentina. The world record holder for tries scored in test matches is now Daisuke Ohata
, with 69.
was named on August 22, 2011.
Head Coach:
John Kirwan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
in international rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
competitions. Japan is traditionally the strongest rugby union power in Asia but has both enjoyed and endured mixed results against non-Asian teams over the years. Rugby union in Japan is administered by the Japan Rugby Football Union
Japan Rugby Football Union
The Japan Rugby Football Union is the governing body for rugby union in Japan. It was formed November 30, 1926 and is currently one of only two federations from a "Tier 2" country with a seat on the International Rugby Board executive council, the sport's international governing body...
(JRFU), which was founded in 1926. They compete annually in the Pacific Nations Cup and the Asian Five Nations
Asian Five Nations
The Asian Five Nations, known as the HSBC Asian 5 Nations due to its sponsorship by HSBC, is an annual international rugby union competition held between the top five Asian national rugby sides...
. They have also participated in every Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
since the tournament began in 1987. However they have only ever won one game at the tournament, against Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe national rugby union team
The Zimbabwe national rugby union team is the rugby union team representing Zimbabwe. They are considered to be a third tier rugby union nation...
in 1991
1991 Rugby World Cup
The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the...
.
Rugby was introduced to Japan in 1899 and Japan's first international was a match against a Canadian team in 1932. Notable games for Japan include a victory over the Junior All Blacks in 1968, and a narrow 6–3 loss to England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
in 1971. Japan's most famous victory so far is a 28–24 victory over Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
in 1989. In the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
, Japan drew 12–12 against Canada, their second best result in the tournament. In 2011, Japan displayed the extent of its progress in the sport by winning the 2011 IRB Pacific Nations Cup
2011 IRB Pacific Nations Cup
The 2011 Pacific Nations Cup was a rugby union tournament held between the four national sides on the Pacific Rim: Fiji, Japan, Samoa and Tonga....
, played against Fiji
Fiji national rugby union team
The Fiji national rugby union team is a member of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance formerly along with Samoa and Tonga. In 2009, Samoa announced their departure from the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance, leaving just Fiji and Tonga. Fiji are ranked sixteenth in the world by the IRB as of 26...
, Samoa
Samoa national rugby union team
The Manu Samoa is the men's representative side of the Samoa Rugby Union in both the 15's and the 7's for international competitions. The Samoa Rugby Union is owned by the affiliated rugby unions of Samoa. In Samoa, Manu Samoa is in honour of a famous Samoan warrior. From 1924 to 1997 Samoa was...
and Tonga
Tonga national rugby union team
The Tonga national rugby union team is nicknamed Ikale Tahi . Like their Polynesian neighbours, the Tongans start their matches with a war dance – the Kailao . They are members of the Pacific Islands Rugby Alliance along with Fiji and Samoa...
.
History
The first recorded instance of rugby being played in Japan was in 1874, when British sailors staged a game in Yokohama. The sport was introduced to students at Keio University in 1899 by Professor Edward Bramwell ClarkeEdward Bramwell Clarke
Edward Bramwell Clarke was an educator in Meiji period Japan, who is credited with introducing the sport of rugby to Japan.-Biography:...
and Tanaka Ginnosuke
Tanaka Ginnosuke
was educated at the Leys School in Cambridge and then Trinity Hall, a college of Cambridge University. He introduced rugby to students at Keio University, in 1899, with the help of Edward Bramwell Clarke...
. Japan's first international match took place on 31 January 1932 when a trade delegation from Canada brought the Canada national rugby union team
Canada national rugby union team
The Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the...
, who were also playing their first game. The Japanese won 9–8.
Japan beat the Junior All Blacks
Junior All Blacks
The Junior All Blacks are a New Zealand rugby union team. The Junior All Blacks are not an age grade side, but the second national team behind the New Zealand national rugby union team....
23–19 in 1968 after losing the first four matches on a tour of New Zealand, but they won the last five. The Japanese (coached by Waseda University
Waseda University Rugby Football Club
Waseda University R.F.C. was founded in 1918. It is one of the top rugby union clubs for students in Japan, together with Kanto Gakuin University RFC, Keio University RFC and Doshisha University RFC....
Professor Onishi Tetsunosuke
Onishi Tetsunosuke
Onishi Tetsunosuke was born in Nara city, Nara prefecture on April 7, 1916, and died on September 19, 1995. He was a professor of Waseda University, coach of the Japan national rugby union team and Waseda University Rugby Football Club. He has been described as a Japanese Carwyn James and was a...
) lost by just 3–6 to England in Tokyo on 29 September 1971 in the RFU's centenary year. The 1973 Japan rugby union tour of Wales, England and France
1973 Japan rugby union tour of Wales, England and France
The 1973 Japan rugby union tour of England, Wales and France was a series of eleven matches played by the Japan national rugby union team in Wales, England and France in September and October 1973. The Japanese team won only of two of their matches and lost the other nine. Neither Wales nor France...
was less successful with the side winning only two of their eleven matches, and losing the international matches against Wales and France. Ten years later Japan gave Wales a fright in losing by a slim five-point margin, 24–29, at Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
on 2 October 1983.
On 28 May 1989 a strong Japan coached by Hiroaki Shukuzawa
Hiroaki Shukuzawa
was a successful rugby coach of the Japan national rugby union team until now. As a player, he was capped three times by Japan as a scrum-half, and he also advised the Japan Rugby Football Union. He held important posts as a banker also....
defeated an under-strength Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
, missing nine British Lions on tour in Australia, for the first ever time at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium
Chichibunomiya rugby stadium
in the Aoyama district of central Tokyo is the spiritual home of Japanese rugby union and the headquarters of the Japan Rugby Football Union.-Facilities:...
, 28–24. The Japan team included such Kobe Steel stalwarts as centre Seiji Hirao
Seiji Hirao
Seiji Hirao was a Japanese rugby union footballer and is a current coach. He played as a fly-half. He was one of the most popular Japanese players of his time, earning the name of "Mr. Rugby"....
(captain), and locks Atsushi Oyagi and Toshiyuki Hayashi
Toshiyuki Hayashi
Toshiyuki Hayashi was a Japanese rugby union player. He played as a prop and as a lock.Hayashi played at Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers.He had 38 caps for Japan, scoring 3 tries, 12 points in aggregate...
(38 Japan caps and a member of Oxford University's all-time best XV). Sinali Latu
Sinali Latu
Sinali Latu is a retired Tongan-Japanese rugby union player. He played in Japan for Sanyo and also played for the Japan national rugby union team. Now he coaches the Daito Bunka University rugby team....
at No. 8 was then a fourth year student at Daito Bunka University, and speedy Yoshihito Yoshida on the wing (no. 14) was a third year at Meiji University. Scotland missed an incredible seven penalties and refused the kicking tee which was generously offered – as a surviving video of the game shows. It was almost the same Japanese team which defeated Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe national rugby union team
The Zimbabwe national rugby union team is the rugby union team representing Zimbabwe. They are considered to be a third tier rugby union nation...
in RWC1991.
Under Mitsutake Hagimoto (coach in 2004)
The national coach, Mitsutake Hagimoto (appointed in 2004 after winning the first Top League title with Kobe Kobelco Steelers) sought to take the "Brave Blossoms" (as they are now called) to a more consistently successful level. The captain was Takuro MiuchiTakuro Miuchi
Takuro Miuchi is a Japanese rugby union player, who plays number eight. He was captain of the Japan national rugby union team until relieved of that responsibility by Japan national team coach Jean-Pierre Elissalde in a surprise move during February 2006...
(No. 8), of NEC Green Rockets
NEC Green Rockets
NEC Green Rockets is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. The team's captain is . The previous captain was Takuro Miuchi, who is currently the captain of the Japan national rugby union team. Before the semi-professional Top League was created, the team was just known as "NEC"...
. Hagimoto's first game in charge saw a disappointing 19–19 draw against Korea in Tokyo on 16 May 2004.
In May 2004 Japan won the second Super Powers Cup
Super Powers Cup
The Super Cup was an annual international rugby union competition contested by national teams from Canada, Japan, Russia and the United States. It was previously known as the Super Powers Cup....
played between four nations in Tokyo, beating Russia
Russia national rugby union team
The Russian National Rugby Union Team, is the national team representing Russia at the sport of rugby union.Rugby union in Russia is administered by the Rugby Union of Russia . The RUR is the official successor union of the Soviet Union and the combined CIS team which played in the early 1990s...
29–12 (27 May) and Canada
Canada national rugby union team
The Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the...
34–21 (30 May) in the process. The USA
United States national rugby union team
USA Rugby's men's national rugby union team, nicknamed the Eagles, represents the United States in the sport of rugby union. The Eagles are currently ranked 17th by the IRB World Rankings. Their highest ranking was from November 2, 2006 – September 10, 2007 at the 14th position...
beat Russia in the third-place play-off.
Japan lost to Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
19–32 in July – this game might well have turned out differently if Daisuke Ohata
Daisuke Ohata
Daisuke Ohata is a former Japanese rugby union player. He usually played rugby at wing, and sometimes centre, for Japan national rugby union team. He made his name internationally as a speedy ace in the IRB World Sevens Series, and went on to become a regular member of the national team...
had not fumbled the ball when in the clear and so butchered a certain try. (Italy's coach at that time John Kirwan
John Kirwan (rugby player)
John James Patrick Kirwan, ONZM, MBE is a New Zealand rugby union footballer, and former All Black, turned coach. With 35 tries in 63 tests for the All Blacks, Kirwan appears on the list of the highest try scorers in Rugby Union history....
acknowledged Italy's good fortune after the game, and said it could have gone either way. Ohata suffered nightmares over his mistake but has since become the world record holder for tries in international matches, surpassing David Campese
David Campese
David Ian Campese , also known as Campo, is a former Australian rugby union player. Campese was capped by the Wallabies 101 times, and held the world record for the most tries in test matches until Daisuke Ohata scored his 65th try playing for Japan on 14 May 2006...
.)
On Saturday 13 November 2004 a surprisingly weak Japan representative touring side lost 8–100 to the full Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
team at McDiarmid Park
McDiarmid Park
McDiarmid Park is a football stadium in Perth, Scotland, the home ground of St. Johnstone FC. It has an all-seated capacity of 10,673.-History:...
in Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
in the Caledonian Scottish rugby region, a record score for Scotland.
The Japanese tour party (listed here) was weaker than it could have been. It did not include the experienced Tongan Ruatangi Vatuvei
Ruatangi Vatuvei
Luatangi Samurai Vatuvei is a Tongan-born Japanese rugby union footballer.He used to play rugby in Japan for Toshiba Brave Lupus in the Top League and has also played for the Japan national rugby union team under the IRB three year residence qualification.Usually a second row but also used by...
. New Zealander Adam Parker who had played in Japan's 19–32 loss to Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
on 4 July 2004 was apparently refused permission to travel by his new club, NTT Higashi Nihon. The only non-Japanese member was Feleteliki Mau of World Fighting Bull
World Fighting Bull
World Fighting Bull is a Top League team but was demoted at the end of the Top League fourth season. It is from Kobe in the Kansai area of Japan, and therefore a local rival of Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers. World Co...
. Apparently under the mistaken impression that Japan had beaten Italy in the summer, the Scotland coach (Matt Williams
Matt Williams (rugby coach)
Matt Williams is an Australian rugby union coach from New South Wales.Williams, a teacher by profession, started in coaching at club level with Western Suburbs in Sydney, Australia in 1991...
) paid Japan the compliment of selecting his strongest team.
Before the game Japan's coach publicly, and some JRFU officials privately, expressed their dissatisfaction that the game was not going to be played at Murrayfield stadium
Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
. It was the policy of the Scottish Rugby Union
Scottish Rugby Union
The Scottish Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Scotland. It is the second oldest Rugby Union, having been founded in 1873, as the Scottish Football Union.-History:...
to play some international games away from Murrayfield in autumn 2004, in order to gain new fans in the Caledonia and Glasgow regions. Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
also played once at Hampden Park
Hampden Park
Hampden Park is a football stadium in the Mount Florida area of Glasgow, Scotland. The 52,063 capacity venue serves as the national stadium of football in Scotland...
, Glasgow. The Perth game was virtually a sell-out of the 10,278 capacity McDiarmid Park
McDiarmid Park
McDiarmid Park is a football stadium in Perth, Scotland, the home ground of St. Johnstone FC. It has an all-seated capacity of 10,673.-History:...
, a number which would not have come close to filling the larger Murrayfield.
A week later they lost to Romania
Romania national rugby union team
The Romania national rugby union team , nicknamed The Oaks , is the representative side of Romania in rugby union. Long considered one of the stronger European teams outside the Six Nations, they have participated in all six Rugby World Cups, and currently compete in the first division of the...
25–10 on 20 November at the Stadionul Steaua in Bucharest; and then on 26 November Japan succumbed 98–0 to Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
at the Millennium Stadium
Millennium Stadium
The Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
. It was Wales' biggest ever winning margin, played on a Friday evening in Cardiff before a 56,380 crowd.
Under Jean-Pierre Élissalde (2005–2006)
Jean-Pierre Elissalde
Jean-Pierre Élissalde is a French rugby union former player and a current coach.A native of La Rochelle, a seaport city on the Bay of Biscay, Jean-Pierre Élissalde played, at scrum half, five times for France in 1980 and 1981...
was Japan's first non-Japanese head coach. Under him Japan beat the Arabian Gulf rugby team (ranked 41 in the world) 82–9 on 16 April 2006. The captain was Daisuke Ohata
Daisuke Ohata
Daisuke Ohata is a former Japanese rugby union player. He usually played rugby at wing, and sometimes centre, for Japan national rugby union team. He made his name internationally as a speedy ace in the IRB World Sevens Series, and went on to become a regular member of the national team...
. A week later Japan beat Korea 50–14, again at Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium
Chichibunomiya rugby stadium
in the Aoyama district of central Tokyo is the spiritual home of Japanese rugby union and the headquarters of the Japan Rugby Football Union.-Facilities:...
. The Korean team was young and after going 33–0 up at half time, Japan had a disappointing second half.
Japan beat Georgia 32–7 on 14 May 2006, with Daisuke Ohata scoring a hat trick to claim the world record for test match tries. He has now scored 65, one more than the previous record holder David Campese
David Campese
David Ian Campese , also known as Campo, is a former Australian rugby union player. Campese was capped by the Wallabies 101 times, and held the world record for the most tries in test matches until Daisuke Ohata scored his 65th try playing for Japan on 14 May 2006...
.
Japan lost 16–57 to Tonga in the inaugural IRB Pacific Five Nations game on 4 June 2006 – despite a good first half which ended 15–13 to Tonga. Ohata was injured early in the first half (calf strain) and the side sorely lacked veterans such as Takuro Miuchi
Takuro Miuchi
Takuro Miuchi is a Japanese rugby union player, who plays number eight. He was captain of the Japan national rugby union team until relieved of that responsibility by Japan national team coach Jean-Pierre Elissalde in a surprise move during February 2006...
(injured) and fly half Keiji Hirose
Keiji Hirose
Keiji Hirose is a former Japanese rugby union player. He played as a fly-half. His club team was Toyota Verblitz....
.
Despite a disappointing IRB Pacific Five Nations campaign in which Japan won only the wooden spoon, Élissalde was reconfirmed as head coach by the top board of the JRFU on 14 July 2006. He was then sacked in September 2006 for taking a job with a French club Aviron Bayonnais
Aviron Bayonnais
Aviron Bayonnais is a French rugby union club from Bayonne in Pyrénées-Atlantiques that currently competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14 competition...
without consulting the JRFU. Osamu Ota then took over as caretaker coach. On 26 October 2006, the Japan Rugby Football Union general manager Osamu Ota
Osamu Ota
Osamu Ota is a former Japanese rugby union player and a coach. He played as a prop.-Career:Ota had 27 caps for Japan, from 1986 to 1995, scoring a try, 5 points in aggregate. He played twice at the Rugby World Cup, being a totalist in the 1991 Rugby World Cup, with three games, and at the 1995...
announced that John Kirwan
John Kirwan (rugby player)
John James Patrick Kirwan, ONZM, MBE is a New Zealand rugby union footballer, and former All Black, turned coach. With 35 tries in 63 tests for the All Blacks, Kirwan appears on the list of the highest try scorers in Rugby Union history....
would take over as head coach from 1 January 2007.
Under John Kirwan (2007 – present)
John Kirwan (rugby player)
John James Patrick Kirwan, ONZM, MBE is a New Zealand rugby union footballer, and former All Black, turned coach. With 35 tries in 63 tests for the All Blacks, Kirwan appears on the list of the highest try scorers in Rugby Union history....
was appointed head coach for two years with effect from 1 January 2007 on 25 October 2006 by the JRFU. Before taking up his appointment he worked as an adviser. He declared his intention from the outset to pursue a Japanese brand of rugby which expresses the "Samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
Spirit", and he wanted to win at least two games in RWC 2007. In the qualifying games Japan beat Hong Kong 52–3 and Korea 54–0 in November 2006 to secure its place in Pool B with ease at the RWC 2007.
On 9 April 2007 the national team was featured at their first training camp since Kirwan's appointment in the NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
national news, a sign of the growing expectation and interest in his team. He said in front of the camera: "We want to be the world's fittest team". He added that he wanted Japan to play to its strengths which he said were speed and agility, and to play rugby that "big men don't like."
In the first game under Kirwan against Korea on 22 April 2007 the Cherry Blossoms won easily, 82–0 and seven new players were introduced. James Arlidge
James Arlidge
is a Japanese international rugby union player. He plays primarily at fly-half.-Club career:Unusually he made his Super rugby debut for the Auckland Blues, prior to making his first start in provincial rugby, making the step from junior rugby with Pakuranga and Auckland Colts, due to the then Blues...
scored two tries of the fourteen, and converted ten out of ten. However in their performance at the 2007 Rugby World Cup
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
they failed to win a match: a second-string team lost 91–3 to Australia, although they did draw 12–12 against Canada and lose by just 4 points (31–35) to eventual quarter finalists Fiji. They also lost 74–18 Wales in Cardiff, but in the process scored a spectacular length-of-the-field try through Kosuke Endo
Kosuke Endo
Kosuke Endo is a Japanese rugby union player. He was a member of the Japan squad at the 2007 Rugby World Cup, scoring a spectacular break-out try against Wales at the Millennium Stadium, and another against Canada in the 12-12 draw .He played for Toyota Verblitz before joining Canterbury for...
that many regarded as the best in the tournament. They came fourth in their pool ahead of Canada and behind Wales, thanks to the bonus point earned against Fiji.
In the 2008 HSBC Asian Five Nations
2008 HSBC Asian Five Nations
The 2008 Asian Five Nations, known as the 2008 HSBC Asian 5 Nations due to its sponsorship by HSBC, was the inaugural series of the rugby union Asian Five Nations which is the flagship competition devised by the International Rugby Board to develop the sport in the Asian region...
Japan won all four of its games to become the first Asian Five Nations champions on 18 May 2008. They trumped this achievement further in 2011 by winning Pacific Nations Cup with a 28–27 win over Tonga and a 24–13 win over Fiji in the final round to claim their first title after five years of competing in the tournament.
Rugby World Cup
Japan has participated in the Rugby World CupRugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
since its inception in 1987, and has made appearances in all tournaments thus far. Despite this, they have experienced little success, with just one victory over Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe national rugby union team
The Zimbabwe national rugby union team is the rugby union team representing Zimbabwe. They are considered to be a third tier rugby union nation...
in 1991
1991 Rugby World Cup
The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the...
, and two draws with Canada
Canada national rugby union team
The Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the...
in 2007
2007 Rugby World Cup
The 2007 Rugby World Cup was the sixth Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. Twenty nations competed for the Webb Ellis Cup in the tournament, which was hosted by France from 7 September to 20 October. France won the hosting rights in 2003,...
and 2011. They will be the home team for the 2019 Rugby World Cup
2019 Rugby World Cup
The 2019 Rugby World Cup is scheduled to be the 9th edition of the Rugby World Cup. At a special IRB meeting held in Dublin on 28 July 2009, Japan was announced as the host for the competition. This will be the first time this tournament to be held in Asia. Hong Kong and Singapore are expected to...
, which is to be held in Japan.
Historic matches
EnglandEngland national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
– Lost 3–6 (Tokyo, 1971)
Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
– Won 28–24 (Tokyo, 1989)
Taiwan (Chinese Taipei)
Chinese Taipei national rugby union team
The Chinese Taipei national rugby union team represents the Republic of China in international rugby union. Chinese Taipei have yet to make their debut at the Rugby World Cup, but have attempted to qualify since Wales 1999.-History:...
– Won 155–3 (Taipei, 2002)
Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
– Lost 24–29 (Cardiff, 1983)
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe national rugby union team
The Zimbabwe national rugby union team is the rugby union team representing Zimbabwe. They are considered to be a third tier rugby union nation...
– Won 52–8 (Rugby World Cup, Belfast, 1991)
Canada
Canada national rugby union team
The Canada national rugby union team represents Canada in international rugby union. They are governed by Rugby Canada, and play in red and black. Canada is classified by the International Rugby Board as a tier two rugby nation. There are ten tier one nations, and seven tier two nations, the...
– Drew 12–12 (Rugby World Cup, Bordeaux, 2007)
In the 120–3 win over Taiwan, at 21 July 2002, Toru Kurihara
Toru Kurihara
is a Japanese rugby union player. He plays as a fullback or wing.He played for Suntory Sungoliath.Kurihara had 27 caps for Japan, from 2000 to 2003, scoring 20 tries, 70 conversions and 34 penalties, 342 points on aggregate. He played four times at the 2003 Rugby World Cup, scoring 1 try, 4...
, fullback of Suntory
Suntory Sungoliath
Suntory Sungoliath is owned by the Suntory beverage company and is one of the Japanese rugby union teams in the Top League. The team is based in Fuchū, Tokyo, as is their local rival Toshiba Brave Lupus...
, scored 6 tries and kicked 15 conversions, establishing a world record of 90 points. The previous world record had been set by Eduardo Morgan of Argentina. The world record holder for tries scored in test matches is now Daisuke Ohata
Daisuke Ohata
Daisuke Ohata is a former Japanese rugby union player. He usually played rugby at wing, and sometimes centre, for Japan national rugby union team. He made his name internationally as a speedy ace in the IRB World Sevens Series, and went on to become a regular member of the national team...
, with 69.
Overall
Rugby test matches played by Japan up until 20 June 2011| Opponent | Played | Won | Lost | Drawn | % Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 20% | |
| 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0% | |
| 21 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 48% | |
| 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% | |
| 12 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 16.6% | |
| 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0% | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| 20 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 80% | |
| 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0% | |
| 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0% | |
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| 27 | 20 | 6 | 1 | 72% | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0% | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% | |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 66.67% | |
| 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 75% | |
| 11 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 18.1% | |
| 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0% | |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| 12 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 54.4% | |
| 18 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 27.78% | |
| 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0% | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| Total | 163 | 76 | 84 | 3 | 46.63% |
Current squad
Japan's 30-man squad for the 2011 Rugby World Cup2011 Rugby World Cup
The 2011 Rugby World Cup was the seventh Rugby World Cup, a quadrennial international rugby union competition inaugurated in 1987. The International Rugby Board selected New Zealand as the host country in preference to Japan and South Africa at a meeting in Dublin on 17 November 2005...
was named on August 22, 2011.
- Caps and ages relevant to the start World Cup.
Head Coach:
John KirwanNotable former players
- Toshiyuki HayashiToshiyuki HayashiToshiyuki Hayashi was a Japanese rugby union player. He played as a prop and as a lock.Hayashi played at Kobe Steel Kobelco Steelers.He had 38 caps for Japan, scoring 3 tries, 12 points in aggregate...
, legendary lock with Kobe Steel, Oxford and Japan. - Seiji HiraoSeiji HiraoSeiji Hirao was a Japanese rugby union footballer and is a current coach. He played as a fly-half. He was one of the most popular Japanese players of his time, earning the name of "Mr. Rugby"....
, centre, former Japan captain and coach of Japan (RWC1999). - Keiji HiroseKeiji HiroseKeiji Hirose is a former Japanese rugby union player. He played as a fly-half. His club team was Toyota Verblitz....
, top scorer for Japan ever. - Kensuke IwabuchiKensuke IwabuchiKensuke "Kenny" Iwabuchi born on December 30, 1975 in Tokyo is a Japanese rugby player and coach. He plays at stand off, and has 20 caps for the Japan national rugby union team...
, the first Japanese to play professional rugby in England (for SaracensSaracens F.C.Saracens are a professional rugby union team based in St. Albans, England – although they play their home games at Vicarage Road, in Watford. They are currently members of the Aviva Premiership, the top level of domestic rugby union in England...
), also technical adviser to Sanix. - Toru KuriharaToru Kuriharais a Japanese rugby union player. He plays as a fullback or wing.He played for Suntory Sungoliath.Kurihara had 27 caps for Japan, from 2000 to 2003, scoring 20 tries, 70 conversions and 34 penalties, 342 points on aggregate. He played four times at the 2003 Rugby World Cup, scoring 1 try, 4...
, top scorer in one match worldwide, 60 points scored individually (6 Tries, 15 conversions). - Sinali LatuSinali LatuSinali Latu is a retired Tongan-Japanese rugby union player. He played in Japan for Sanyo and also played for the Japan national rugby union team. Now he coaches the Daito Bunka University rugby team....
– now coach of Daito Bunka University RFC. - Yuji MatsuoYuji Matsuois a former Japanese rugby union player and a sports journalist. He played as a fly-half.Matsuo was one of the greatest rugby Japanese players of all times and played for Shin-Nittetsu Kamaishi...
, fly-half (stand-off), Shin-Nittetsu Kamaishi. - Andrew Miller, fly half for Kobe Steel and Japan.
- Takuro MiuchiTakuro MiuchiTakuro Miuchi is a Japanese rugby union player, who plays number eight. He was captain of the Japan national rugby union team until relieved of that responsibility by Japan national team coach Jean-Pierre Elissalde in a surprise move during February 2006...
, Number 8 and former captain at 2007 RWC. - Wataru Murata, player of Yamaha JubiloYamaha JubiloYamaha Jubilo is a rugby union team based in Iwata, Shizuoka. The team came second behind Toshiba Brave Lupus in the second season of Japanese rugby's Top League...
. - Daisuke OhataDaisuke OhataDaisuke Ohata is a former Japanese rugby union player. He usually played rugby at wing, and sometimes centre, for Japan national rugby union team. He made his name internationally as a speedy ace in the IRB World Sevens Series, and went on to become a regular member of the national team...
, World Record test try scorer. - Atsushi Oyagi, lock, Kobe Steel and Japan, now a TV personality (talento).
- Kenzo SuzukiKenzo SuzukiKenzo Suzuki is a Japanese professional wrestler. He is perhaps best known for his appearances with New Japan Pro Wrestling and in the United States with World Wrestling Entertainment...
, better known as a professional wrestler, Suzuki was capped for the national team as well. - Yoshihito Yoshida, world class Japan wing, known especially on the Sevens circuit.
Coaches
- John Kirwan, appointed 1 January 2007
- Jean-Pierre ÉlissaldeJean-Pierre ElissaldeJean-Pierre Élissalde is a French rugby union former player and a current coach.A native of La Rochelle, a seaport city on the Bay of Biscay, Jean-Pierre Élissalde played, at scrum half, five times for France in 1980 and 1981...
, appointed in 2005 - Masahiro KundaMasahiro KundaMasahiro Kunda is Japanese rugby union hooker and coach. Kunda played for Toshiba Brave Lupus, a team he coached to a League title victory in 2007. Originally from Gifu Prefecture, he was educated at University of Tsukuba...
, hooker for Toshiba and Japan, coach of Toshiba Brave LupusToshiba Brave LupusToshiba Brave Lupus is a Japanese rugby union team in the Top League. They are based in Fuchu, Tokyo, as is their local rival Suntory Sungoliath. They won the second ever Top League championship in the 2004-5 season and the Microsoft Cup in 2005 under their innovative and inventive coach Masahiro... - Andrew McCormickAndrew McCormickAndrew McCormick is a New-Zealand-born Japanese rugby union footballer.The son of All Black Fergie McCormick, McCormick was educated at Christchurch Boys' High School and came to Japan to play for Toshiba Fuchu in 1992...
, son of All Black Fergie McCormickFergie McCormickFergie McCormick is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer who played for the All Blacks and Canterbury. McCormick first played representative rugby for Canterbury in 1958 when he played first five-eighth against Wellington...
, centre and captain of Japan - Shogo MukaiShogo MukaiShogo Mukai was the coach of the Japan national rugby union team during and prior to the 2003 Rugby World Cup. As such he must take a great deal of credit for the exciting and attractive brand of rugby which the team played at that time, which was very popular with many fans, not just Japanese ones...
, full back for Toshiba and Japan, coach of Japan (RWC2003) and Coca Cola West Japan (2004–)
External links
- Japan RFU English pages
- Japan Times Articles by Rich Freeman – Japan Times rugby correspondent until 2005, then at the Daily Yomiuri
- 41st University Rugby Championship
- Japan RFU – in Japanese
- Japanese rugby union news from Planet Rugby