Japan name 30-player squad for WXV European tour with 16 World Cup veterans

Japan head coach Toshizumi Kitagawa has named a 30-player squad for the Sakura Fifteen’s European leg of the WXV Global Series, with fixtures against Italy and Ireland scheduled for September.

Sixteen of the selected players competed at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, providing a core of international experience for Kitagawa’s first major squad announcement since being confirmed in the role last month. Scrum-half Moe Tsukui is the standout milestone candidate, sitting within reach of 50 Test caps during the European tour.

The only uncapped player in the group is Yokogawa Musashino Artemi-Stars centre Uta Kataoka, who will compete with Haruka Hirotsu and Mana Furuta for a place in the starting XV. Three players who made their Test debuts in Japan’s recent 15-12 defeat to the Fijiana — Maiko Nishi, Honoka Tsunokawa and Nami Asari — have all been retained in the squad.

Kitagawa was appointed on a permanent basis only last month, having previously served as interim head coach following the departure of Lesley McKenzie after the World Cup. He guided the team to success at the Asia Rugby Women’s Championship in that interim period. McKenzie has since been named as contact coach of the Portugal men’s team.

At Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, Japan exited at the group stage but closed their tournament in England with a victory. Their most recent outing ended in a narrow loss to Fiji, a side that has since backed up that result with a win over Spain in the WXV Global Series Challenger.

Beyond the fixtures against Italy and Ireland within the WXV Global Series window, Japan will also face Ireland in a standalone Test before returning home to host Wales for back-to-back matches in September.

Japan 2026 WXV Global Series squad: Wako Kitano, Hinata Komaki, Juka Fuji, Miharu Machida, Nami Yoshida, Asuka Kuge, Moe Nagaoka, Nijiho Nagata, Masami Kawamura, Yuna Sato, Saya Nakamura, Otoka Yoshimura, Nami Asari, Sakurako Korai, Mio Nishimura, Mele Yua Havili Kagawa, Jennifer Nduka, Anan Seo, Moe Tsukui, Suzuka Nakashima, Kanna Hayashi, Sawa Harada, Minori Yamamoto, Uta Kataoka, Haruka Hirotsu, Mana Furuta, Komachi Imakugi, Honoka Tsunokawa, Maiko Nishi, Sora Nishimura.