Global Youth Sevens 2024 – Japan Girls Target Cup Success

The JRFU U18 Girls SDS will be in New Zealand to compete in the Global Youth Sevens 2024 in Auckland from 13-15 December 2024 at Dilworth School in Epsom and look to improve on the runners-up placement in 2023.

Feature Photo Credit – JRFU

The Global Youth Sevens is an annual Rugby 7s tournament which showcases some of the best Under 18 Sevens rugby talent – several players competing in the current HSBC World Rugby SVNS Series played at the tournament in their youth. More than 100 national sides including USA, Canada, Wales, Japan, Fiji, Australia, Samoa, Nauru and New Zealand have competed over the years.

Photo Credit – Global Youth Sevens 2024 – JRFU U18 Girls SDS

They say online, “This elite environment attracts national coaches and talent ID staff who can form pathways opportunities for young aspiring players and help grow the game of Sevens rugby. Over 40 players from 8 nations have gone on to higher honours including Hoskins Sotutu and Emoni Narawa to the All Blacks, as well as Jorja Miller & Jazmin Felix-Hotham to the Black Ferns 7’s.”

An SDS Girls side from Japan has been participating too – they won the tournament in 2022 and were runners-up last year and will return in 2024 looking to regain the title. They are in the same pool (J) as the Cook Islands, Tainui Waka, and Samoa Sports Club Girls.

The squad’s assistant coach is Chiharu Nakamura, the former captain of the Japan Sakura 7s who played at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. She was also in Nepal to help their team prepare for the Asia Rugby Emirates Trophy Series and is one of 25 female leaders from around the world participating in the Capgemini Women in Rugby Leadership Programme 2024-2025.

There is also a Boys Asian Dragons team competing, and former NZ 7s player and current China Women’s Assistant Coach Rocky Khan is helping out with the Egg Chasers team from the UK.

Global Youth Sevens Ambassadors

The tournament announced the first Global Youth Sevens Ambassador for 2024, Black Ferns Sevens player Shiray Kaka who was a recent ambassador at the Emirates Dubai 7s 2024 and is currently unavailable for selection for the NZ senior women’s 7s side as she recovers from injury.

Global Youth Sevens 2024 Teams and Pools

Girls Pools

Pool M

• USA
• Macdowell Rugby
• Aotearoa Maori
• New Edition

Pool N

• Central Storm
• Hibiscus Coast
• Australian School Girls
• Belmont Shore

Pool I

• Australia
• BC Bears
• Rugby Vault
• NZ Barbarians

Pool J

• Japan (you can see more on the squad selection from the JRFU here)
• Cook Islands
• Tainui Waka
• Samoa Sports Club Girls

Pool K

• NZ Cavs
• Jasper William High School
• New Zealand
• Brothers

Pool L

• Egg Chasers
• TBC
• NZ Fijians
• RSA Barbarians

Boys Pools

Pool A

• New Zealand
• Roache Global 7s Academy
• Saracens
• Samoa Sports Club Boys

Pool B

• NZ Cavaliers
• Iron Armour Academy
• Mangere Manix
• Tama Uli 7s

Pool C

• Macdowell Rugby
• Waitaha Canterbury Maori
• New Edition
• Australian Raptors

Pool D

• Australia
• BC Bears
• NZ Fijians
• Eden

Pool E

• Egg Chasers
• Nukuvuto Blues
• Bucks
• Niue Nukututaha

Pool F

• TBR
• Pacific Nomads
• Asian Dragons
• Belmont Sh0re

Pool G

• USA
• Queensland Indigenous Pasifika
• Aotearoa Maori
• Northland

Pool H

• Cook Islands
• Maui
• Waspa
• RSA Barbarians

How To Watch Global Youth Sevens 2024

Fans can watch the rugby at the Global Youth Sevens 2024 on RugbyPassTV and via NZR+.

Rugby Sevens News

• Blitzboks and NZ Women Triumphant At Cape Town SVNS 2024.
• Black Ferns Sevens Captain Sarah Hirini On Women’s Rugby “I think Asian rugby in many ways is more advanced than even New Zealand at the moment”
• HSBC SVNS 2025 Final Schedule Confirmed.
• Fans Guide To HSBC SVNS Series 2024-2025.