Japan came within 20 seconds Saturday of once again shocking the rugby world. Despite missing a plethora of players through injury and self-imposed exile, the Brave Blossoms pushed Wales all the way before a last-gasp drop goal from Sam Davies saw the hosts win 33-30 in front of 73,969 at ...
Sam Warburton resumes the captaincy and Leigh Halfpenny switches to the wing for Wales, which has made 10 changes to ...
Panasonic Wild Knights will face some familiar faces when they take part in the inaugural Global Brisbane Tens in February. ...
Japan wing Lomano Lava Lemeki has withdrawn from the Brave Blossoms’ tour of Europe due to an injury, the Japan Rugby Football Union announced Wednesday. Lemeki started in Saturday’s 28-22 win over Georgia in Tbilisi, scoring two tries and playing nearly the whole game. ...
Former Japan international Daisuke Ohata will be inducted into World Rugby’s Hall of Fame this week, the international governing body announced Monday. Ohata, 41, who played for Kobe Kobelco Steelers, Japan and the Japan sevens team, is the current world record holder for most ...
Japan fullback Ayumu Goromaru started his first game for Toulon on Sunday as he played the full 80 minutes in his side’s 31-12 win over Stade Francais in the French Top 14. The 30-year-old, who made his Toulon debut a week earlier off the ...
The Japan side that will take on Georgia on Saturday at Tbilisi’s Mikheil Meskhi Stadium shows six changes from the team that took the field against Argentina in Tokyo on Nov. 5. Four of the changes come in the pack with Shunsuke Nunomaki set ...
Host cities, Prefectures and stadiums
Japan sevens coaches Tomohiro Segawa and Keiko Asami have both stood down from their roles, the Japan Rugby Football Union announced Thursday. Segawa, who led the Japan men’s team to a fourth-place finish at the Rio Olympics, will be replaced by New Zealander Damian ...
Japan fullback Ayumu Goromaru made his debut for Toulon in the French Top 14 on Sunday, coming off the bench in the 56th minute of his team’s 27-13 defeat away to Lyon. Goromaru, who has been out of action since May after hurting his ...
Ireland stunned New Zealand 40-29 on Saturday to claim a historic first-ever win over the All Blacks and end the world champions’ record 18-match winning streak. In a breathtaking upset, Ireland outscored New Zealand five tries to four to seal its first win over ...
Despite a lopsided 54-20 loss to Argentina on Saturday afternoon, Japanese players held their heads up high at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground because they know that they can only improve by working more together in practices and games moving forward. “We are disappointed ...
New Zealand’s Maori All Blacks cruised past the United States 54-7 to open their three-match tour of North America and Europe with a comfortable victory on Friday. Japan-born loose forward Akira Ioane scored twice as the New Zealanders outclassed the Eagles by eight tries ...
Japan lost 54-20 to Argentina on Saturday to deny Jamie Joseph a winning start to his reign as Brave Blossoms manager. Japan, which now heads to Europe to play test matches against Georgia, Wales and Fiji, conceded two first-half tries against 2015 Rugby World ...
French philosopher Albert Camus once said “You cannot create experience. You must undergo it.” It’s something the Japan national rugby team will understand Saturday as it takes on Argentina at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground in its first test under new coach Jamie Joseph. ...
Lomano Lava Lemeki will cap off a memorable year on Saturday when he makes his debut for the Brave Blossoms against Argentina at Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground. Not that it will be the first time the 27-year-old wing has represented his adopted country. ...
